3771-Article Text-12123-1-10-20250507
3771-Article Text-12123-1-10-20250507
1 Maret 2025
p-ISSN : 2615-2800 , e-ISSN : 2615-4404 DOI: 10.23887/jpbi.v13i1.3771
The use of technology in teaching and learning English significantly helps students in the
learning process. Media such as the ELSA Speak app are among the information and
communication technology (ICT) resources used to improve language skills, this review
focuses on previous studies on the use of ELSA Speak to develop EFL/ESL learners'
pronunciation skills. This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of ELSA Speak in
improving pronunciation skills among English language learners. This study follows the
guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
(PRISMA) to obtain results. The findings reveal that ELSA Speak, with its interactive
features, significantly improves learners' pronunciation skills. The practical implication of this
study is that EFL/ESL teachers are encouraged to integrate ELSA Speak into their teaching
practices to support the student pronunciation learning process.
1. INTRODUCTION
The correct pronunciation of English words cannot be underestimated. Correct
pronunciation plays a fairly important role in oral language skills, namely listening and
speaking. Incorrect pronunciation will cause communication to be ineffective because it can
lead to misunderstandings. Good and correct pronunciation is pronunciation that involves
mastering English phonology in order to produce precise and accurate sounds in every word,
phrase, sentence, and conversation. Because the pronunciation of one word itself can be
different if the word is in the sentence and its pronunciation is influenced by other words in
the sentence (Rinaepi et al., 2022). In the era of globalization, this skill is very important
because the need to communicate across cultures is increasing and can affect a person's
identity and their togetherness in society (Chun, 2019). Correct pronunciation can directly
affect fluency in English by improving the understanding of speakers and listeners
(Rizakhodjayeva & Abdulamit, 2021). Teaching pronunciation is very important for all
language learners because it makes them understand the sound system, stress, intonation,
and rhythm patterns, which are not found in learning grammar and vocabulary. Because
understanding grammar well and a lot of vocabulary will be useless if the pronunciation is
wrong and changes the meaning of a word (Cокирська, 2023).
However, the challenges in teaching pronunciation need to be considered. Using
correct intonation, appropriate emphasis, English consonants, and other phonetic skills is a
difficulty that many students experience (Nguyen, 2023). Moreover, lack of learning
resources, lack of interest in learning English, and the influence of the mother tongue
exacerbate difficulties in teaching pronunciation (Astina et al., 2020). In particular, in middle
school students, the influence of the first language and lack of practice are their main
challenges (Praistiana & Budiharto, 2020). The lack of practice is due to the limited time of
teaching in the classroom. Hence the need for innovative teaching tools that can provide
accurate feedback and learning experiences tailored to specific individual needs and
characteristics.
In recent years, artificial intelligence (henceforth, AI) technology has proven to have
many benefits for improving English language education. AI has been used in many aspects
of teaching in English including translation, writing, listening, and oral instruction, which helps
in the modernization of English education (Yang, 2020). Educators, including educators in
primary, secondary, higher education, and non-formal education, have shown a positive view
of AI technology in teaching and learning ESL, despite challenges in its implementation
(Santosa et al., 2023; Zulkarnain & Yunus, 2023). The existence of tools for smart English
education has changed the development of teaching methodologies, made teaching more
efficient, effective, and quality, and improved students' overall English language skills
(Enzelina et al., 2023; Yu, 2021). More specifically, AI technology plays a very important role
in providing a more individualized learning experience tailored to different individual
characters which makes learning more effective (Ju & Qu, 2021). AI technology is now widely
used in applications, for example, applications that use AI to analyze student performance
directly and in real life, provide personal feedback to correct mistakes, and improve learning
efficiency with traditional methods (Juniantini et al., 2024)
The English Language Speech Assistant (henceforth, ELSA Speak) application is one
of the AI applications that has gained popularity recently. ELSA is an English pronunciation
teaching app that was created to help users speak confidently and clearly. ELSA Speak uses
AI speech recognition technology that has been proven to excel in providing immediate
feedback after the user speaks that is tailored to the user's individual pronunciation ability
(Aswaty & Indari, 2022). More than 10 million people have used ELSA Speak to improve their
English pronunciation, taking advantage of its advanced features and user-friendly interface.
ELSA Speak provides several features that can train oral articulation to match speech
patterns and sound like native speakers (Aryanti & Santosa, 2024). One of the ways ELSA
Speak does is that, for example, if a user makes a mistake in pronunciation, the app will ask
the user to repeat the wrong pronunciation of the word by providing the option to re-record it
in order to achieve a higher score (Ridhon & Daulay, 2023). This is one of the attractions of
this application, this application can adjust to the user's speech pattern so that the feedback
provided is appropriate and makes it an effective choice for EFL/ESL learners (Dhivya et al.,
2023).
Previous research and user feedback highlight the benefits of ELSA Speak in English
language learning. Not only limited to one aspect ELSA Speak can also improve other
language skills, namely, improving listening skills, speaking, reading, and writing skills in
English (Dhivya et al., 2023). ELSA Speak can also improve the articulation of English
vocabulary. This means that ELSA Speak assists users in pronouncing English words more
clearly and precisely which will contribute to oral communication skills (Ridhon & Daulay,
2023). ELSA Speak has also been proven to improve pronunciation skills because ELSA
Speak has a feature that allows learners to get accurate feedback regarding their
pronunciation, so learners know which areas they need to improve (Manurung et al., 2024).
This has been researched and proven at the secondary school to university levels for English
as a foreign language and a second language (Samad & Ismail, 2020; Rinaepi et al., 2022).
These findings highlight the significant role ELSA Speak plays in improving English language
proficiency among EFL/ESL learners, particularly pronunciation.
Although many studies on ELSA Speak applications have been conducted, there is still
a gap in the systematic literature review regarding what are the benefits for EFL/ESL
learners' pronunciation skills and how the perception and level of user satisfaction among
EFL/ESL learners who use ELSA Speak applications. This paper aims to fill this gap by
conducting a systematic literature review of previous research published from 2020 to 2024
on the application of ELSA Speak applications for EFL/ESL learners. The main goal is to find
out how ELSA Speak apps can improve pronunciation skills and find out the perception and
satisfaction level of users among EFL/ESL learners. From the objectives of this study, the
research questions of this research are:
1. What are the benefits of using the ELSA Speak applications on EFL/ESL learners'
pronunciation skills?
2. What is the perception and level of user satisfaction among EFL/ESL learners who
use ELSA Speak applications?
2. RESEARCH METHOD
In examining the benefits and perceptions as well as the level of satisfaction in using
the ELSA application in the context of teaching English as a foreign and second language,
the research reviewed was a study published in the range of 2020 to 2024. The design of this
study uses a systematic literature review that applies the Preferred Reporting Items for
Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (Page et al., 2021). The
PRISMA framework is applied to clarify the structure and visualize the process of
identification and selection of results in this article. This PRISMA model is used to determine
eligibility criteria, data collection protocols, data details, study information sources, and
overall findings.
All research articles analyzed in this systematic literature review (SLR) were obtained
from an electronic database platform, namely Google Scholar, the search for articles on
Google Scholar used a specific keyword, namely, "benefits of ELSA Speak applications for
EFL/ESL learners." The timeframe chosen for this SLR is the 2020 and 2024 ranges. The
review process involves three main steps: first conducting a database search by keyword,
then applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, then selecting appropriate articles. From this
search process, 200 articles were found in the database. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are
then applied to determine articles that fit this study.
Data screening uses an inclusion and exclusion criteria system. The inclusion criteria
are used to determine articles that are in accordance with the scope of this SLR article, while
the exclusion criteria are used to filter out articles that are less in accordance with the scope
of this research. After the selection process from the database using inclusion and exclusion
criteria, 13 articles were found to be suitable for the research topic and used in this study.
Figure 1, depicts a visual representation of the search and selection process.
Of the thirteen articles that met the inclusion criteria, the majority discussed the use of
the ELSA Speak application in an effort to develop pronunciation skills for EFL/ESL learners.
The findings from these articles show how ELSA Speak can help users improve their English
pronunciation skills, providing direct feedback and accurate suggestions for improvement.
Most of this research was conducted in Indonesia, which means that the country has a great
interest and attention in this application. The research article used covers various levels of
education, especially at the high school and college levels. Of the thirteen studies, ELSA
Speak was used in several countries in Asia. Most studies come from Indonesia and there
are also from other countries such as India.
in other countries to develop EFL/ESL students' pronunciation skills, but they did not meet
the inclusion criteria of this study.
In this study, thirteen articles were reviewed related to the use of the ELSA Speak
application on EFL/ESL learner’s pronunciation skills. From these articles, it was found that
the use of ELSA Speak significantly improved the pronunciation skills of EFL/ESL learners.
With a systematic literature review design, several articles from the 2020-2024 range were
used regarding the use of ELSA Speak in English learning for EFL/ESL learners.
The benefits of using the ELSA app on pronunciation skills for EFL/ESL learners
ELSA Speak applications have been shown to significantly develop pronunciation skills
among EFL/ESL learners. Various studies have shown its effectiveness in various
educational contexts, for example, research conducted in one of the vocational schools in
Indonesia showed a significant improvement in students' English pronunciation skills.
Likewise, studies conducted at other institutions have proven that ELSA Speak is effective in
enhancing student’s pronunciation skills for second-year high school students and first-year
college students. ELSA Speak is said to improve voice articulation when prociting English
words which can improve students' pronunciation skills. ELSA Speak also helps improve
listening skills, followed by speaking, reading, and writing which show complete benefits for
language learners. Specific improvements include better articulation of English vocabulary
and the ability to identify pronunciation skills, which helps target areas that need
improvement. In addition, the Dictionary speech assistant feature from ELSA Speak has
proven to be very beneficial for teaching pronunciation skills and maintaining a positive
learning attitude among students.
satisfaction levels. Few studies have highlighted students' perceptions and experiences in
depth, such as a study conducted on vocational schools in Indonesia that said there needs to
be a better understanding of user satisfaction and attitudes towards ELSA Speak. In addition,
research from Ridhon and Daulay (2023) states that barriers beyond internet-related
problems are not explored, showing a gap in understanding the broader challenges and user
satisfaction levels. Some studies also focus on specific institutions, age groups, or sample
sizes, which limits the generalization of their findings regarding user satisfaction. Therefore,
while the ELSA Speak app has proven to be beneficial for pronunciation improvement, future
research should aim to fill this gap by digging deeper into learners' experiences, challenges,
and overall satisfaction with the app to provide a more comprehensive understanding of its
impact on language learning.
challenges that hinder the implementation of this application. The use of ELSA Speak as a
medium or learning tool must be supported by an appropriate pedagogical approach that can
combine various methods with resources. Theoretically, the findings of this study support the
theory of language learning that emphasizes the importance of repetitive practice and direct
and personalized feedback. ELSA Speak with its features that can provide direct and
personalized feedback is in line with this theory.
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