Saudi EFL Learners’ Perceptions and Usage of AI Applications‎in Enhancing English Speaking Skills

This study explores Saudi EFL students' familiarity with, perceptions of, and usage patterns of AI applications to enhance their speaking ‎skills, considering gender and academic track differences. A structured questionnaire has been created to capture the participants’ perceptions, attitudes, and practices related to using AI applications in developing their English-speaking skills. The results indicate a high level of ‎familiarity and positive perceptions of AI tools among students, yet their actual usage remains moderate. This discrepancy suggests the ‎existence of barriers that impede the full integration of AI applications into language learning practices.‎ Gender-based analysis reveals that female students exhibit higher familiarity, perception, and usage of AI applications compared to their ‎male counterparts. Furthermore, differences among academic tracks indicate that health students adopt AI applications at a higher rate than ‎engineering students. The study underscores the potential of AI applications in enhancing EFL students' speaking proficiency while identifying challenges that limit their widespread adoption‎.