The Effect of ChatGPT Integrated with Role-play on Students’ Speaking Fluency and Confidence

Abstract

This study examined the effect of integrating ChatGPT with the Role-Play Technique on students’ speaking fluency and speaking confidence. The study was motivated by students’ difficulties in speaking English, particularly their limited fluency and low confidence during classroom speaking activities. A mixed-method research design was employed involving 35 eleventh-grade students at SMAS Nurul Iman Tanjung Morawa during the 2025/2026 academic year. The participants consisted of 17 students in the experimental group and 18 students in the control group. The experimental group used ChatGPT as a rehearsal partner before participating in face-to-face role-play activities, while the control group participated in conventional role-play without AI assistance. Data were collected through speaking tests, classroom observations, and a speaking confidence questionnaire. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk normality test, the Mann–Whitney U test, and effect size analysis using SPSS version 26. The findings showed a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in speaking fluency and speaking confidence. The Mann–Whitney U test produced significance values of 0.000 for both variables. The effect sizes were 0.87 for speaking fluency and 0.74 for speaking confidence, indicating large effects. The observation and questionnaire findings also showed greater participation, willingness to communicate, and confidence among students in the experimental group. The findings indicate that integrating ChatGPT as a rehearsal partner with the Role-Play Technique provided a supportive approach to developing students’ English speaking performance.