Enhancing Pronunciation Proficiency via Listening Practice for Specific information with the help of ELSA Speak: Evidence from Foundation-Level Students at SLIIT City Uni, Sri Lanka

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of English Listening skills for specific information (ELSSI) on English pronunciation (EP) among 40 Foundation semester 2 students at SLIIT City Uni. A mixed approach of questionnaires and experimental tests as research instruments, along with the AI tool, ELSA Speak, was applied to this group. Participants received structured, listening-based practice over the past few days by employing the ELSA Speak AI application. The Data were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Thematic analysis. Therefore, the results show a statistically significant improvement, based on the means of the inclusive posttests (83.49) being higher than the pretests (77.20), highlighting the effectiveness of targeted listening activities in enhancing pronunciation. The increase in the mean score was discovered after the listening treatments by the researchers. An increase in student scores was observed following the treatment. Positive feedback of the sample demonstrated the above-mentioned points. These results lead to the suggestion that ELSSI can help with the development of oral proficiency, while mobile-assisted language learning tools (ELSA Speak) play a crucial role when focusing on the improvement of oral proficiency, further offering valuable insights for educators and language enthusiasts around the world.