Investigating Learners' Attitudes to Speaking in AI-mediated Tutoring: the Case of 2nd Year Licence students at Ghardaia University

Abstract

Developing speaking skills is one of the greatest challenges faced by EFL students. (English as a Foreign Language) students is learning how to speak. Speaking skills are very important for language acquisition, but they are often not developed enough, which means that students cannot fully benefit from the language learning process. Because of this, teachers are always looking for new and better techniques to improve students’ speaking skills. One of the most significant developments in the 21-st century education is the use of AI in language teaching. However, learners’ attitudes toward using AI tools for speaking practice have not been widely explored yet. This study examines second-year English students’ attitudes toward speaking in AI-mediated tutoring at Ghardaia University. The proposed methodology adopts a quantitative approach using a student questionnaire and an experiment that was conducted through the Gemini AI application. Fifteen students participated in the experiment and the responses were analyzed based on the similarities of their attitudes and engagement. A sample of 100 students participated in the questionnaire. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented through pie charts. The findings indicate that students generally hold positive attitudes towards speaking in AI-mediated tutoring and perceive AI tools as as effective in reducing anxiety, enhancing confidence, and improving speaking skills.