Speaking behind Avatars: EFL Students’ Experiences in AI-Assisted Lip-Sync Video Production for Monologue Speaking Practice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24903/sj.v11i2.2403Keywords:
EFL monologue speaking, students' experiences, AI lip sync video, avatarAbstract
Background:Many EFL students at junior high schools continue to experience speaking anxiety and low self-confidence, including when performing basic monologue speaking. While multimodal AI has increasingly been incorporated into EFL speaking instruction, its use in monologue practice is underexplored. In this context, employing AI Avatar Lip-sync tools may provide an engaging and comfortable speaking experience. Therefore, this study investigated learners’ affective, engagement, and technological experiences during the learning process.
Methodology: This convergent mixed-methods study involved 28 eighth-grade students. They were instructed to create AI-generated avatars and record monologues, which were automatically transformed into lip-synchronized animation videos using Pippit AI. Data on their detailed experiences were collected through classroom observations and a questionnaire, then analyzed using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. Both datasets were then integrated by examining areas of convergence, complementarity, and divergence, thereby providing a more comprehensive understanding of students’ learning experiences. Findings:Quantitative findings revealed high levels of affective (M = 3.95), engagement (M = 4.09), and technological (M = 3.79) experiences. Qualitative findings showed that students enjoyed creating their avatars and voluntarily repeated speaking practice. Additionally, they reported that speaking through avatars made them more relaxed because their faces were not exposed. Despite several technical challenges, students remained enthusiastic throughout the activity and expressed high satisfaction with the final videos.
Conclusion:The findings suggest that monolog speaking practice using AI avatar lip-sync has the potential to provide a positive experience across affective, engagement, and technological dimensions. Students reported high enjoyment and self-monitoring through repeated practice, while feeling more relaxed and comfortable when speaking without face exposure. Despite several technical challenges, students expressed high satisfaction with the outcome videos. These findings highlight the potential of AI avatar lip-sync automation in supporting EFL speaking practices.
Originality:Most existing studies on AI-assisted speaking predominantly focus on real-time, interactive communication skills, while the combination of recorded monologue practice and AI lip-sync avatar production in EFL junior high school contexts was underexplored. Accordingly, this study addressed the gap by examining students’ experiences with AI lip-sync avatar production for recorded monologue practice.
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