Effects of Different Types of Voice-Chat Activities on Korean EFL Students’ Fluency, Accuracy, and Complexity

The present study investigated the effects of two different types of voice-chat activities on fluency, accuracy, and complexity of Korean EFL students’ speaking performance. Participants of the current study were 181 students of English as a foreign language from a university in Korea. They joined in three different voice-chat activities (voice-chat with classmates, voice-chat with robots, and control). During an experimental period of sixteen weeks, participants had a voice-chat with either classmates or robots. Major findings were as follows: Firstly, regarding the changes in speaking performance, findings reveal that participants produced better output in fluency and accuracy, as a result of engaging in both voice-chat activities. Secondly, concerning the group differences in speaking performance, results indicate that voice-chat activities with robots had statistically significant impacts on fluency and accuracy, compared to the control group. Thirdly, in an interview, participants in both experimental groups showed positive attitudes towards learning English as a foreign language. They were able to reduce their stress and anxiety, while increasing their interest in English language learning, to be an outcome of taking part in voice-chat activities. Based on these findings, pedagogical implications are discussed for the effective use of voicechat activities in EFL settings.