he Effects of Intelligent Voice Assistant on Speaking Anxiety and Speaking Self-Efficacy of Junior High School Students

siti zulaiha, ph.d, dr.syaadiah arifin, m.pd;

his study examines how junior high school students' speaking anxiety and self-efficacy are affected by using Intelligent Voice Assistants (IVAs). Indonesian EFL learners frequently experience speaking anxiety and diminished self-efficacy stemming from insufficient safe and supportive speaking practice. IVA ought to furnish a low-pressure, non-judgmental atmosphere for the practice of spoken English. This quantitative correlational study recruited 111 students from Al-Azhar 2 Pejaten Junior High School in Jakarta. Students' IVA utility, speaking anxiety, and speaking self-efficacy were evaluated by questionnaires. Spearman correlation and simple linear regression were conducted using Jamovi 2.3.21. The findings show a strong relationship between speaking anxiety and the perceived usefulness of IVA., implying that increased utility diminishes speaking apprehension. The speaking self-efficacy of students had a favorable correlation with the perceived utility of IVA. Regression analysis indicates that IVA moderately accounts for the diversity in speaking anxiety and self-efficacy. In summary, Intelligent Voice Assistants alleviate anxiety and enhance self-efficacy, hence boosting students' speaking abilities. Notwithstanding modest results, IVA may serve as an adjunct in EFL speaking instruction.