Qorri Fadhilah, Ernita Daulay

Students’ Views on the Use of the BoldVoice Application in Enhancing English Speaking Skills

Introduction

Students’ views on the use of the boldvoice application in enhancing english speaking skills. Discover junior high students' positive views on the BoldVoice app for enhancing English speaking. Improves pronunciation, intonation, and confidence with AI feedback.

Abstract

Background – Speaking is one of the most challenging English skills for students due to limited practice, anxiety, and difficulties in pronunciation and intonation. The integration of technology through AI-based tools such as BoldVoice offers new opportunities for improving speaking performance in formal education. Purpose – This study aims to explore students’ perceptions of the BoldVoice application in enhancing their English-speaking skills, specifically focusing on pronunciation, intonation, and speaking confidence. Method/Approach – This qualitative descriptive research involved 30 ninth-grade students at SMP Al-Hidayah, Medan, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires with a four-point Likert scale and semi-structured interviews, then analyzed descriptively and thematically. Findings – The results show that the BoldVoice application is perceived positively by students in helping them improve their pronunciation and intonation, as well as in building their confidence to speak English. Real-time feedback and interactive features were found effective in supporting students’ learning, although some still faced challenges in spontaneous speaking. Conclusions – The BoldVoice application can serve as a useful supplementary tool in English language learning, especially in improving phonetic accuracy and student motivation to speak. Novelty/Originality/Value – The novelty of this study lies in its focus on junior high school students within a formal classroom setting, which has rarely been explored in previous research involving AI-based language learning tools.

Review

This study, "Students’ Views on the Use of the BoldVoice Application in Enhancing English Speaking Skills," offers a timely and relevant exploration into the integration of AI-based tools in language education. Addressing common student challenges in English speaking, such as limited practice and anxiety, the research specifically investigates the perceptions of 30 ninth-grade students regarding the BoldVoice application's effectiveness in improving pronunciation, intonation, and speaking confidence. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach with data gathered through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, the findings consistently indicate a positive reception among students. The application's real-time feedback and interactive features were particularly noted as beneficial, leading to the conclusion that BoldVoice serves as a valuable supplementary tool for enhancing phonetic accuracy and student motivation. One of the significant strengths of this study lies in its focused methodology and clear articulation of its novelty. The choice of a qualitative descriptive design, complemented by both Likert-scale questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, effectively captures the nuances of student perceptions, providing richer insights than a purely quantitative approach might. Furthermore, the explicit claim of novelty—investigating AI-based language learning tools within a junior high school, formal classroom setting—is well-justified and addresses a recognized gap in the existing literature. This focus on a specific, often under-researched demographic provides valuable context-specific data, making the findings particularly useful for educators and curriculum developers working with similar student populations. While the study offers compelling insights, it also implicitly highlights areas for further consideration. The qualitative nature, while robust for its stated purpose, means the findings, though insightful, are specific to this particular group and setting. Future research could explore these perceptions with a larger, more diverse sample or through a mixed-methods design incorporating pre/post-intervention speaking assessments to quantify improvements more objectively. The finding regarding students still facing "challenges in spontaneous speaking" after using BoldVoice also presents an interesting avenue for subsequent investigation, perhaps exploring how AI tools could evolve or be combined with other pedagogical strategies to bridge this gap. Nevertheless, this paper makes a valuable contribution to the growing body of literature on technology-enhanced language learning, demonstrating the practical utility and positive impact of AI applications like BoldVoice in fostering foundational speaking skills among young learners.

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