Speaker
Description
Young Vietnamese learners often study English as a school subject but have limited opportunities to use the language meaningfully in everyday contexts. This lack of regular speaking practice may affect children’s willingness to communicate, confidence, and ability to respond spontaneously in English. As English education in Vietnam increasingly emphasizes communication and real-life language use, emerging technologies such as conversational AI and social robotics may offer new ways to create additional speaking opportunities beyond the classroom.
This pilot study investigates the use of an AI companion robot prototype designed to support young Vietnamese learners’ English speaking practice through short, story-based, and bilingual interactions. The study examines three research questions: how robot-mediated interaction influences children’s willingness to speak English; what forms of bilingual scaffolding appear to support children’s comprehension and responses; and how parents perceive the usefulness and limitations of using an AI companion robot for at-home English practice.
The study adopts a small-scale mixed-methods design. Young Vietnamese learners at A1 to A2 levels participate in several short speaking sessions with the robot. The activities include daily-life topics, simple personal questions, guided speaking prompts, and story-based interaction tasks. Data are collected through audio or video recordings of child-robot interactions, interaction logs, observation notes, and parent questionnaires or interviews. Quantitative indicators include the number of speaking turns, English responses, task completion, prompt repetitions, and instances of Vietnamese support. Qualitative analysis explores children’s engagement, confidence, response patterns, and parental perceptions of the interaction.
Rather than positioning AI as a replacement for teachers, this study examines how a child-facing companion robot may function as a supplementary environment for low-pressure English speaking practice at home. The expected findings may provide insights into how robot-mediated interaction can encourage young learners to speak more frequently, reduce speaking anxiety, and receive gentle language support in familiar contexts. The study contributes to discussions on technology-enhanced language learning, young learner pedagogy, and the development of more interaction-rich English learning environments in Vietnam.
Biography
Huyen Nguyen is an MBA student with an interest in educational technology, child-facing conversational AI, and young learner engagement. Her current work focuses on the design and pilot evaluation of robot-mediated speaking activities for Vietnamese children learning English at A1-A2 levels.
| Affiliate type | Others |
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