Speaker
Description
It is well acknowledged that learner autonomy is a key element in supporting EFL learners' successful speaking competence in the fast-pace advancement of artificial intelligence, especially ChatGPT. Promoting autonomy in speaking practices is, however, still particularly challenging, especially in teacher-centered settings. This study, conducted in Vinh University, aims to investigate the challenges lecturers encounter in facilitating EFL students using ChatGPT to take ownership of their speaking abilities. A qualitative approach was utilized, with semi-interviews as the instrumentation to investigate their perceived difficulties. The results indicated that lecturers’ concerns may be related to the overdependence of ChatGPT, limited pronunciation assessment and digital distraction. The study is anticipated to shed light on the challenges of developing autonomous speaking abilities and draw attention to implications for curriculum design, preparation for teachers, and institutional support, thus hopefully better promoting autonomy-oriented pedagogy in EFL classes in digital era.
Keywords: perceived challenges, learner autonomy, speaking skills, ChatGPT
