Using Alexa in Technology-Supported Task-Based Learning to Mediate EFL Texts: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Given the novelty of human--machine communication (HMC) in task-based language learning (TBLL), we conducted a multimethodological pilot study to explore the use of Alexa in out-of-class task-based learning to mediate texts in English as a foreign language. Fourteen Polish intermediate learners participated in the quasi-experiment and programme evaluation. The treatment was investigated with reference to its impact on the participants' mediating skill, their self-perceived acceptance of the technology, and the HMC process. Even though the statistical analysis of the pre- and post-tests revealed that the intervention had no effect on the students' ability to mediate texts, the findings from quantitative and qualitative analyses of the learners' logs, the Alexa app, poststudy questionnaires, and interviews were positive. Despite HMC breakdowns, the learners kept interacting with the technology by producing modified output through rephrasing and had very high opinions of the use of the tool in learning to mediate. The results enhance the understanding of the new phenomenon of voice assistance and its application in TBLL; however, longer-term research on the implementation of Alexa (and the like) is required in view of the limitations of the current research related to the short duration of the treatment and small sample size.