Innovative Approach to Teaching EFL through a Game-Based Speaking Mobile Application

Abstract

Despite the growing body of research on mobile game-based applications, there is a notable lack of studies on teacher-developed game-based mobile applications. This study employed a research and development framework to explore the creation and implementation of a teacher-developed mobile game-based application aimed at improving speaking abilities. The study was conducted in three phases: a needs analysis with 287 participants (123 high school and 164 college students), the design and implementation of the application incorporating 21st-century skills, task-based language teaching, mobile-assisted language learning, automatic speech recognition, and game-like elements, and the final implementation with 16 participants (8 high school and 8 college students). Data were collected through surveys (for needs analysis and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT)), pre-and post-speaking tests, and interviews. Analysis methods included descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, the Mann-Whitney U-test, and thematic analysis. The findings revealed three significant insights: First, both high school and college students believed in the application’s efficacy in enhancing English language proficiency. Second, the SPEAK APP significantly improved speaking abilities, particularly in fluency and pronunciation, for both groups. Third, in-depth interviews highlighted the app’s key features and benefits, noting increased student self-confidence and suggesting improvements. Critical features identified included elements that promote critical thinking, enable experience sharing, facilitate English communication, and encourage interactive peer play. While the application was praised for its user-friendliness, concerns regarding the response time and accuracy of the speech recognition feature indicated areas for future refinement to enhance language learning outcomes.