The Effects of ChatGPT-Supported Storytelling on English Speaking Performance among Vietnamese Secondary School Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

The growing use of generative artificial intelligence in English language teaching has created new opportunities for developing learners’ oral communication through interactive and learner-centred activities. However, empirical evidence concerning ChatGPT-supported speaking instruction among lower-secondary students remains limited, particularly in the Vietnamese EFL context. This study examined the effects of ChatGPT-supported storytelling on seventh-grade students’ English speaking performance and their acceptance of the technology. A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test controlgroup design was employed with 80 students from Dao Vien Secondary School, Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam. Two intact classes were assigned as an experimental group (n = 40), which received ChatGPT-supported storytelling instruction, and a control group (n = 40), which received conventional presentation-based instruction. The intervention lasted 10 weeks and used speaking activities based on three units from the Grade 7 Global Success English textbook. Speaking performance was assessed across five dimensions: fluency and interaction, vocabulary, grammar, content and relevance, and pronunciation, intonation, and stress. Students in the experimental group also completed an 11-item Technology Acceptance Model questionnaire. The experimental group’s overall speaking score increased from 10.83 to 12.40, a gain of 1.57 points, whereas the control group’s mean decreased from 10.90 to 9.88. Significant pre-test–post-test improvements were reported in all five speaking dimensions in the experimental group, with the largest gain occurring in vocabulary. Questionnaire results indicated positive perceptions of perceived usefulness (M = 4.03), perceived ease of use (M = 3.87), and intention to continue using the tool (M = 3.90). The findings suggest that ChatGPT-supported storytelling may be a promising supplementary approach to lower-secondary speaking instruction when implemented through structured communicative activities and active teacher mediation.