Bridging the Oral Proficiency Gap: Intelligent Chatbots as Conversational Partners in Tertiary EFL Learning

Abstract

This study investigates the pedagogical impact of integrating intelligent chatbots into the undergraduate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum at the Universidad Estatal de Bolívar in Guaranda, Ecuador. Employing a quantitative, quasi-experimental research design with a pre-test and post-test control group structure involving 76 B1-level undergraduate students (38 in the experimental group and 38 in the control group), the research evaluates gains across core dimensions of communicative competence. The experimental group engaged in systematic, AI-mediated conversational practice, while the control group followed traditional instructional methods. The findings reveal a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group's overall communicative performance (t(74)=11.89,p<0.001), particularly demonstrating substantial gains in oral fluency and lexical variety. The results suggest that intelligent chatbots serve as effective, low-stakes conversational scaffolds that mitigate foreign language anxiety and enrich language learning in resource-constrained regional universities.