Description
This article investigates how Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbots shape
learners’ code-switching between Vietnamese (L1) and English (L2) in EFL
speaking practice. Although chatbots are increasingly used to provide personalized interaction and feedback, little is known about their influence on bilingual communication and its implications for speaking development. The purpose of this study is to examine how chatbot-assisted interaction affects the frequency, functions, and learners’ perceptions of code-switching, and how these dynamics relate to improvements in speaking proficiency. The research was conducted with beginner-level EFL learners at Sununi Academy, a private English language center in Vietnam. A quantitative design was adopted, (n =150, Sununi Academy) with Likert-scale questionnaires and SPSS analyses to capture learners’ communicative strategies and perceptions. Findings reveal that learners code-switch primarily to overcome lexical gaps, clarify meaning, or express affective nuances. Over time, reduced reliance on L1 during chatbot interaction fostered greater fluency and confidence. The study underscores the dual role of chatbots as both facilitators and regulators of code-switching, offering theoretical and pedagogical implications for EFL instruction.
Thông tin các tác giả
- Phùng Thị Bích Ngọc, ThS., đang công tác tại Trường Đại học Ngoại ngữ - Tin học Tp.HCM, 828 Sư Vạn Hạnh, Quận 10, Tp. HCM, email: phungngocsherri@gmail.com
- Phạm Ngọc Diễm, TS., đang công tác tại Trường Đại học Sài Gòn, 273 An Dương Vương, p. Chợ Quán, Tp.HCM. Email: pndiem1977@sgu.edu.vn
Từ khóa
AI chatbots, Code-switching, Speaking skills, EFL learners
