IJIET 2025 Vol.15(1): 187-194
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2025.15.1.2231
doi: 10.18178/ijiet.2025.15.1.2231
Exploring the Effects of Using Automatic Speech Recognition on EFL University Students with High Speaking Anxiety
Wenyi Li1,*, Maslawati Mohamad1, and Huay Woon You2
1. Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
2. Pusat PERMATA@Pintar Negara, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Email: p121641@siswa.ukm.edu.my (W.Y.L.); maslawati@ukm.edu.my (M.M.); hwyou@ukm.edu.my (H.W.Y.)
*Corresponding author
2. Pusat PERMATA@Pintar Negara, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
Email: p121641@siswa.ukm.edu.my (W.Y.L.); maslawati@ukm.edu.my (M.M.); hwyou@ukm.edu.my (H.W.Y.)
*Corresponding author
Manuscript received October 15, 2024; revised November 1, 2024; accepted November 20, 2024; published January 20, 2025
Abstract—This study explores the effects of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students with high speaking anxiety. Conducted among 98 first-year university students in China, the research employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative data from a speaking anxiety questionnaire with qualitative insights from students’ reflective journals. Over 14 weeks, participants engaged in ASR-based speaking tasks, receiving real-time feedback to improve pronunciation and speaking competence. Findings indicate that ASR significantly reduced speaking anxiety, particularly in unprepared speaking tasks, and increased learners’ confidence in speaking English. However, peer-related anxieties persisted, suggesting ASR’s limitations in alleviating social anxieties in group contexts. The study concludes that while ASR is an effective tool for individual language practice, it should be supplemented with peer interaction strategies to address speaking anxiety more comprehensively.
Keywords—automatic speech recognition, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, speaking anxiety, mixedmethods, language learning
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
Keywords—automatic speech recognition, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, speaking anxiety, mixedmethods, language learning
Cite: Wenyi Li, Maslawati Mohamad, and Huay Woon You, "Exploring the Effects of Using Automatic Speech Recognition on EFL University Students with High Speaking Anxiety," International Journal of Information and Education Technology, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 187-194, 2025.
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).