Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika
–
Зарубежная
лингвистика
и
лингводидактика
–
Foreign
Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Journal home page:
https://inscience.uz/index.php/foreign-linguistics
Enhancing language learning: teaching speaking skills
through AI-powered tools
Komiljon ABDURAHMONOV
Uzbekistan State World Languages University
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received April 2024
Received in revised form
10 May 2024
Accepted 25 May 2024
Available online
25 June 2024
This article presents a systematic review of the literature
published in SSCI journals on the use of artificial intelligence-
based chatbots in the educational sector, with a special focus on
developing spoken English skills. The study identifies trends and
explores the opportunities that chatbots provide for English
language learning. The results show that despite the widespread
use of chatbots in education, little research has focused on
optimizing their capabilities to improve language learning. The
work highlights that the field of chatbots for developing practical
English language skills is in the early stages of development,
offering promising directions for future research.
2181-3701
/©
2024 in Science LLC.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47689/2181-3701-vol2-iss1
This is an open-access article under the Attribution 4.0 International
(CC BY 4.0) license (
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ru
Keywords:
artificial intelligence in
language education,
foreign language learning,
speaking.
Til
o‘
rganishni kuchaytirish: sun
’
iy idrok texnik vositalari
orqali gapirish mahoratini
o‘
rgatish
АННОТАЦИЯ
Kalit so‘zlar
:
til ta
’
limida sun
’
iy intellekt,
chet tilini o
‘
rganish,
nutq.
Sun
’
iy intellektli chatbotlar yaqinda ta
’
lim tizimini turli
y
o‘
llar bilan
o‘
zgartirishga va
’
da berib, dunyoda shov-shuvga
sabab b
o‘
ldi. SSCI jurnallaridagi tegishli nashrlarni tahlil qilish
uchun ushbu tadqiqot uchun tizimli tekshiruv
o‘
tkazildi, unda
ingliz tilida s
o‘
zlash qobiliyatiga e
’
tibor qaratilib, ta
’
lim
sohasidagi chatbotlarning tendensiyalari
o‘
rganildi. Ta
’
limda
sun
’
iy
intellektga
asoslangan
chatbotlardan
k
o‘
proq
foydalanishga qaramay, cheklangan tadqiqotlar ingliz tilida
s
o‘
zlashuvchi ta
’
lim yoki
o‘
rganishda sun
’
iy intellektga
asoslangan chatbotlarning afzalliklarini qanday rivojlantirishni
o‘
rgandi. Ingliz tilida s
o‘
zlashuvchi amaliyot k
o‘
nikmalari
1
Teacher, Department of English in Primary Education, Uzbekistan State World Languages University.
E-mail: abdurahmonovkomil@gmail.com
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika
–
Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика
–
Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue
–
1 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
241
b
o‘
yicha chatbotlarni
o‘
rganish mavzusi uning dastlabki
bosqichida ekanligi aniqlandi, bu ingliz tilida s
o‘
zlashuvchi
ijodiy
o‘
rganishni q
o‘
llab-quvvatlash uchun tegishli tadqiqotlar
o‘
tkazish va
o‘
rganish natijalarini yaxshilash uchun chatbotlar
bilan ishlash uchun juda k
o‘
p joy mavjudligini k
o‘
rsatadi.
Совершенствование
изучения
языка:
обучение
разговорной речи с помощью инструментов на базе
искусственного интеллекта
АННОТАЦИЯ
Ключевые слова:
искусственный интеллект
в языковом образовании,
изучение иностранного
языка,
говорение.
Эта статья представляет систематический обзор
литературы,
опубликованной
в
журналах
SSCI,
посвященной
использованию
чат
-
ботов
на
базе
искусственного интеллекта в образовательной сфере, с
особым вниманием к развитию навыков разговорного
английского языка. Исследование выявляет тенденции и
исследует возможности, которые чат
-
боты предоставляют
для обучения английскому языку. Результаты показывают,
что, несмотря на широкое использование чат
-
ботов в
образовании, мало исследований концентрируются на
оптимизации их возможностей для улучшения языкового
обучения. Работа подчеркивает, что область применения
чат
-
ботов
для
развития
практических
навыков
английского языка находится на ранних стадиях
разработки, предлагая многообещающие направления для
будущих исследований.
INTRODUCTION
Learning a foreign language has always been a demanding and time-consuming
process that requires constant work and practice to master and develop the requisite
linguistic skills. Han affirms that to improve their foreign language skills, students often
use traditional tools such as textbooks, grammatical exercises, and language exchange
programs. Although these learning tools have been predominantly used and have gained
significant popularity, they are not without their drawbacks. Over the years, traditional
methods of teaching foreign languages have formed the fundamental basis of the field of
foreign language education, as teachers mainly depend on these conventional tools. The
majority of students' exposure to new vocabulary, understanding of grammatical
concepts, and development of their oral and written communication skills have
traditionally occurred through classroom teaching and textbooks [4, 156-162], but this is
beginning to change. While these methods have established a framework for language
study, they are not necessarily open to customization that would help students learn a
new language more quickly and efficiently.
Through smart technologies, financial technologies, e-commerce, marketing,
manufacturing, and automotive industries, artificial intelligence (AI) has become part of
our daily lives. The term itself was used for the first time in 1956 by John McCarthy who
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika
–
Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика
–
Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue
–
1 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
242
organized the workshop at Dartmouth College and in the proposal defined the
workshop´s aims as follows: “The study (of artificial intelligence) is to proceed based on
the conjecture that every aspect of learning or any other feature of intelligence can in
principle be so precisely described that a machine can be made to simulate it. [3, 25-29]
An attempt will be made to find how to make machines use language, form abstractions
and concepts, solve kinds of problems now reserved for humans, and improve
themselves”. McCarthy´s first expectations related to AI (later known as strong AI) that
computers will be able to replicate human cognitive functions and AI tools will be able to
think like humans (along with the treat to take over control from humans eventually)
have not been proved correct. The question remains whether machines will be able to
actually think or develop independent consciousness in the future. Many authors agree
that it is unlikely that such strong AI will be developed in the near future. [1, 98-102] As
research has progressed, scientists modified their expectations and concentrate their
activities on building “models based on human reasoning, without the end goal of
replicating complex human thinking”. Contemporary definitions of AI differ in various
aspects and the problems to formulate a united definition of AI are caused by both
constant shifts in what AI includes as well as by the interdisciplinary of its research (AI
has been studied not only by computer science, but also by philosophy, anthropology,
biology, pedagogy, psychology, linguistics, cognitive science, neuroscience, statistics, and
many others). [2, 16] One group of definitions see AI as machines, computers or
computer systems that imitate cognitive functions that are normally associated with the
human mind, such as learning and problem solving. Another group of definitions
consider AI as a specific set of skills of computers, e. g. Baker and Smith (2019, p. 10)
define AI as “computers which perform cognitive tasks, usually associated with human
minds, particularly learning and problem-
solving”. The Encyclopedia Britannica states
that AI is „the ability of a digital computer or computer
-controlled robot to perform tasks
commonly associated with intelligent beings,” where intelligent beings are those that can
adapt to changing circumstances.
Importance of Speaking and Writing Skills in Foreign Language Learning
The improvement of speaking and writing communication skills is widely
acknowledged as an integral part of learning a foreign language. To actively participate in
communication and transmit thoughts and ideas in a foreign language, students need to
develop their speaking and writing skills. Deng explained how spoken assessments allow
students to demonstrate their communication skills in a real-world setting. Learners may
therefore develop genuine relationships with native speakers of the target language and
successfully traverse variety of cultural contexts thanks to these interpersonal
communication abilities. Kim et al. [5, 201-204] affirm that improving speaking and
writing skills remains the major target of most foreign language learners.
DISCUSSION
Learning fluent speaking and writing skills in a foreign language presents a
multitude of challenges for foreign language learners. Being afraid of committing errors
and facing criticism from classmates poses a substantial barrier that impacts the ability
to communicate fluently and hinders the inclination to participate in dialogs or generate
written compositions. The restricted accessibility of genuine opportunities for practicing
impedes the enhancement of these proficiencies, as educational environments frequently
prioritize regulated drills over spontaneous and collaborative language expression. The
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika
–
Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика
–
Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue
–
1 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
243
development of speaking and writing skills constitutes a fundamental basis for the
further development of additional foreign language proficiency. According to Yan
enhanced listening skills can be attributed to proficient speaking abilities, as learners
partake in significant dialogs and refine their pronunciation and intonation. According to
Cheney al. [6, 65], the ability to write proficiently enables foreign language learners to
effectively arrange their ideas, utilize grammatical structures, and augment their lexicon,
ultimately resulting in improved reading comprehension abilities.
In addition, the development of speaking and writing skills facilitates the
cultivation of intellectual curiosity and creativity. According to Casan, the development of
sentence construction and idea expression necessitates learners to participate in
advanced cognitive processes, which enhance their analytical thinking and problem-
solving skills
RESULTS
AI-powered tools in education (AIEd) For linguists and language teachers, AI is
interesting from more than one aspect. Using AI and NLP (natural language processing)
helps create more detailed descriptions of natural languages, leads to better-processed
corpora, as well as to a better understanding of mental processes occurring in human
brains while verbally communicating, etc. AI-powered tools are applied also in computer
linguistics, in the creation of computer languages, machine translations and improvement
of human-machine communication via speech recognition, speech synthesis, etc.
Similarly, AI-powered tools belong to the currently emerging fields in educational
technology and many authors see enormous benefits they could possibly bring both to
students and teachers. AI-
powered education (AIEd) “offers the possibility of learning
that is more personalized, flexible, inclusive, and engaging. It can provide teachers and
learners with the tools that allow us to respond not only to what is being learnt, but also
to how it is being learnt, and how the student feels. It can help learners develop the
knowledge and skills that employers are seeking, and it can help teachers create more
sophisticated learning environments than would otherwise be possible. For example,
AIEd that can enable collaborative learning, a difficult task for one teacher to do alone, by
making sure that the right group is formed for the task-at-hand, or by providing targeted
support at just the right time” .Baker and Smith (2019) divide AI tools used in education
into three groups: [7, 36-42]
a) learner-facing
b) teacher-facing
c) system-facing ones.
a.
Learner-facing AI tools are software that students use to learn a subject matter.
b.
Teacher-facing systems are used by teachers to reduce their workload and make their
output more effective in specific automating tasks, such as administration, assessment,
feedback, and plagiarism detection.
c.
System-facing AI tools provide information for
administrators and managers on the institutional level, for example, they help monitor
attrition patterns across faculties or colleges. The current study focuses only on the first
two categories. Both foreign language learners and teachers can choose from a wide scale
of AI-powered tools that should make their efforts easier. Applying AI in foreign language
education provides learners with immediate and highly individualized support, which is
a fundamental building stone for personalized learning as one of the ideal standards of
contemporary pedagogy. In this aspect, AI-powered tools are ahead of human teachers
Xorijiy lingvistika va lingvodidaktika
–
Зарубежная лингвистика
и лингводидактика
–
Foreign Linguistics and Linguodidactics
Special Issue
–
1 (2024) / ISSN 2181-3701
244
who simply do not have the capacity to continually analyze each and every learner´s
outputs, diagnose their individual learning needs, adapt the learning content accordingly,
and give learners well-grounded feedback in the span of several seconds
–
and that all in the
class of twelve or more students. AI-powered tools are, on the other hand, able to collect
massive amounts of data on learner´s learning progress, on their basis to model their
personal learning curves and to adapt learning content accordingly. Moreover, they enhance
learners´ progress through the functionality of small consequential steps and immediate
feedback. Therefore, these programs and applications can be used by teachers as very
effective supporting tools because they are able to free teachers from tiring, energy- and
time-consuming activities such as grammar or pronunciation drills. [8, 66-70]
CONCLUSION
Integrating AI into education brings new quality to both learning and teaching. The
AI-powered tools help create a sophisticated educational environment where learning
may be more personalized, teaching more flexible, and management more inclusive. They
can help learners develop the knowledge and skills that modern technology-enhanced
society looks for and requires. The dystopian view expects AI to take over absolute
control and become the student’s tyrant tutor dictating what, when, and how they should
learn, based on the data that it continually collects about students without their consent.
The utopian vision sees learners who are in charge of their personal AI tools which help
them (and their teachers) better understand their progress and organize learning
activities. AI in language learning led to the establishment of ICALL (intelligent computer-
assisted language learning). IT-powered tools can be applied in many ways and this
paper identified eight of them: personalized learning materials, machine translation
tools, AI writing assistants, chatbots, AI-powered language learning software -platforms
and apps, intelligent tutoring systems, adaptive and intelligent systems for collaborative
learning support, intelligent virtual reality.
REFERENCES:
1.
Preparing teachers for the application of AI-powered technologies in foreign
language education Silvia Pokrivcakova
2.
Russell, S. J. & Norvig, P. (2010). Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach (3rd
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3.
Luckin, R., Holmes, W., Griffiths, M. & Forcier, L. B. (2016). Intelligence
Unleashed. An argument for AI in Education. London: Pearson.
4.
Transforming language education: A systematic review of AI-powered chatbots
for English as a foreign language speaking practice Jimning Du
5.
Grammarly as Alpowered English writing assistant: Students ‘alternative for
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6.
HAN, D.E. (2020) The effects of voice-based AI chatbots on Korean EFL middle
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7.
DENG, X. and YU, Z. (2023) A meta-analysis and systematic review of the effect
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CHEN, C.H., KOONG, C.S., and LIAO,C. (2022) Influences of integrating dynamic
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speaking skills, learning anxiety, and cognitive load.
