EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION OF USING HELLOTALK APPLICATION TO DEVELOP SPEAKING SKILL

Abstract

Speaking has long been viewed as one of the most challenging skills for EFL learners to master due to limited opportunities for authentic communication, anxiety, and low confidence in using English. Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) applications, such as HelloTalk, provide an alternative learning environment that enables learners to interact with native speakers and other users in real-world communication contexts. This study aims to examine EFL students’ perceptions of the HelloTalk application for improving their speaking skill. A quantitative descriptive survey design was employed, involving 200 Indonesian EFL learners, including senior high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate students who had used HelloTalk for English-speaking practice. Data were collected through a 15-item, closed-ended questionnaire with Likert-scale items and analyzed using SPSS descriptive statistics. The results showed that 200 EFL students generally had positive perceptions of HelloTalk, with responses predominantly ranging from agree to strongly agree across application features (80.88%), speaking improvement (82%), affective factors (77.5%), and user satisfaction (79.83%). These findings indicate that HelloTalk is an effective MALL platform for supporting the development of speaking skill among Indonesian EFL learners.