Optimizing ESL Learners’ Speech Act Performance
The Role of AI-Powered Chatbots in Pragmatic Competence Development
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21806147 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Gohar Rahman (0000-0002-7921-7813, National University of Modern Languages), Badri Abdulhakim D M Mudhsh (0000-0003-4945-8621, University of Applied Science and Technology), Badri Abdulhakim Mudhsh, Mohammad Almutairi (Public Authority for Applied Education and Training), Marouan Kouki (0000-0001-5699-0910, Northern Border University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Pages | 3187-3198 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Theory and Practice in Language Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1799-2591 • E-ISSN: 2053-0692 |
| Publisher | Academy Publication (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.17507/tpls.1510.05 |
| OpenAlex | W4414707620 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
This mixed-methods study investigates the effectiveness of AI-powered chatbots in enhancing the pragmatic competence of Pakistani undergraduate ESL learners, focusing specifically on the production of contextually appropriate speech acts-requests, apologies, and refusals. A total of 50 students, ranging from A2 to B2 proficiency levels (CEFR), participated in a four-week intervention involving scripted and open-ended interactions with a Google Dialog flow chatbot designed to simulate real-life conversational scenarios. Quantitative results from pre- and post-intervention assessments, based on validated pragmatic tasks, revealed significant improvement in speech act appropriateness (p
Anxiety · Chatbot · Communicative competence · Dialog box · Dialog system · Politeness · Speech act · AI in Service Interactions
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |