The Effects of ICTE Robot on Students’ English-Speaking Skills: A Mixed-Methods Study on Non-English Majors at Nguyen Tat Thanh University

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54855/ijaile.26323

Keywords:

ICTE Robot, AI Chatbots, Speaking, Feedback

Abstract

Amid Vietnam's growing emphasis on English as a second language, educators continue exploring AI-powered tools to help learners speak accurately, naturally, and fluently. While prior studies have examined well-known chatbots such as ELSA, Google Assistant, and ChatGPT, few have investigated a customized chatbot within a mixed-methods design. This study addressed that gap by examining the impact of the ICTE robot, a custom-built AI chatbot, on the speaking performance and perceptions of 24 non-English-major students at Nguyen Tat Thanh University. Pre- and post-tests adapted from the PET speaking rubric assessed vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and discourse management, while semi-structured interviews with nine participants explored their experiences. Paired-samples t-tests revealed significant gains in vocabulary, pronunciation, and discourse management, though grammar showed no significant improvement. Interviews indicated that students valued the ICTE robot's voice-based and multimodal features, reporting greater confidence, stronger vocabulary retention, and improved pronunciation, while also noting technical issues such as speech-recognition errors and connectivity problems. These results suggest customized AI chatbots can meaningfully support EFL speaking development, highlighting the need for improved feedback accuracy and expanded grammar practice.

Author Biographies

  • Pham Thi Ngoan, Nguyen Tat Thanh University

    Ngoan Pham is currently an official lecturer at Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Vietnam. She has five years of experience in teaching students at the tertiary level. She has been in charge of instructing both English-majored and non-English-majored students. Her research interests include methodology, CALL, AI application in English teaching, and testing and assessment.

  • Pham Vu Phi Ho

    Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Vu Phi Ho, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was previously Vice President of Ba Ria – Vung Tau University and Vice President of Van Hien University, Vietnam. He created and designed ICTE Robots for language learners and IELTS practice. Pham has published more than 80 research articles in both local and International Journals, such as Computer-Assisted language Learning, SAGE Open, System, and Journal of Psycholinguist Research (25 Scopus/15 ISI), and 10 books and course-books, 3 edited books (2 Scopus-indexed) published by Springer Nature (2) and IGI Global (1) of which 3-course books were used for both the undergraduate and graduate levels at Van Lang University, HCMC Open University, Vietnam, and Lourdes College, Higher Education Department, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. He has international teaching experience at Suranaree University of Technology in Thailand and Gyeongju University in South Korea. He is the President of AsiaCALL. He is now the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of TESOL & Education. He is a managing editor of CALL-EJ (Scopus Q1), an editorial staff member for the Suranaree Journal of Social Science (Scopus Q3), and a peer reviewer for some international Journals indexed in ISI/Scopus, such as Computer Assisted Language Learning, Open Sage, Elsevier, and Frontiers (Scopus), (ISI), (Google Scholar).

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Published

08/31/2026

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 2 (2026): AI in Language Education

Section

Research Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Pham Thi Ngoan, Pham Vu Phi Ho (Author)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Pham, T. N., & Pham, V. P. H. (2026). The Effects of ICTE Robot on Students’ English-Speaking Skills: A Mixed-Methods Study on Non-English Majors at Nguyen Tat Thanh University. International Journal of AI in Language Education, 3(2), 33-54. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijaile.26323

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