“I Feel Like Talking With a Friend”: Exploring the Potential of Empathetic Spoken Dialogue Systems in Assessing Interactional Competence in L2 Oral Assessment
Randomized trial compares interactional competence in L2 learners using empathetic and neutral spoken dialogue systems, highlighting their emotional support potential.
Key Points
The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of empathetic spoken dialogue systems in enhancing interactional competence in second language learners during oral assessments.
Twenty-five L2 learners interacted with both an empathetic spoken dialogue system (E-SDS) and a neutral spoken dialogue system (N-SDS).
Learners' oral performances were analyzed regarding interactional competence features across the two systems.
Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather learners' perceptions of the E-SDS.
The E-SDS elicited higher frequencies of specific interactional competence features compared to the N-SDS.
Learners perceived the E-SDS as a competent and emotionally supportive interlocutor.
Concerns regarding system design and technical limitations were raised by learners.