The effect of artificial intelligence-assisted speech applications on Turkish speaking skills

This research was conducted to determine the effect of artificial intelligence-assisted speech applications (ChatGPT) on theTurkish speaking skills of 6th-grade middle school students. A quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group was used in the research. The study group consisted of 60 students (30 experimental, 30 control) studying in the 6th grade of a public middle school in the Gebzedistrict of Kocaeli during the 2024-2025 academic year. A 12-week experimental treatment was carried out using artificial intelligence-assistedspeech applications in the experimental group and traditional speaking activities in the control group. Effective Speaking Scale, Speaking Self-Efficacy Perception Scale, and Speech Anxiety Scale were used as data collectiontools. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, dependent samples t-test, and ANCOVA were used for data analysis. There sults showed that artificial intelligence-assisted speech applications were more effective than traditional methods in improving students' effectivespeakingskills, increasingspeaking self-efficacy perceptions, and reducing speaking anxiety. In the experi mental group, more significant improvements were observed especially in the "Presentation" and "Voice" sub-dimensions of effective speaking skills, in the "Affective" sub-dimension of speaking self-efficacy perception, and in the "Physical" sub-dimension of speakinganxiety. Additionally, significant positiv erelation ships were found between effective speaking skills and speaking self-efficacy, and negative relation ships with speaking anxiety. Based on theseresults, it is recommended that artificial intelligence-assisted speech applications be used effectively in Turkish language courses.