Assessing the Efficacy of Al-Driven Elsa in Enhancing Pronunciation Skills of EFL Learners in Vocational High Schoo

Abstract

This research assesses the efficacy of the ELSA (English Language Speech Assistant) tool, an AI-powered mobile application designed to enhance English pronunciation through personalized, real-time feedback. ELSA assists learners by analyzing their speech and providing corrections, focusing on common challenges such as stress, intonation, and articulation that EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners often encounter. The primary objective of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the ELSA tool in improving pronunciation skills among vocational high school students. The research was conducted at SMK Gema Buwana, involving 30 students from the vocational high school level. A qualitative and quantitative research method was employed, utilizing pronunciation tests as the main instrument. The process commenced with a pre test to establish students' baseline pronunciation abilities. After using the ELSA tool for 4 weeks, a post-test was administered to evaluate improvements in pronunciation.The students’ scores from the pre-test and post-test were compared to assess the efficacy of the ELSA tool. Additionally, expert linguistic validation was conducted on the recordings to ensure accuracy and consistency of findings. Results indicated that the ELSA tool significantly improved students' pronunciation, particularly in stress and intonation, while also boosting their confidence and motivation in using English. This research highlights the potential of AI-driven tools like ELSA to enhance pronunciation learning for EFL students in vocational high school settings