Assessing the Effectiveness of Text-to-Speech Applications on Enhancing Listening Comprehension and Student Engagement: A Quasi-Experimental Studys

This study investigates the effectiveness of Text-to-Speech (TTS) applications in enhancing listening comprehension and student engagement among Indonesian senior high school students learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Recognizing the persistent challenge of limited authentic audio materials and low learner motivation in EFL contexts, this quasi-experimental research employed a non-equivalent control group design involving 40 tenth-grade students divided into experimental and control groups. Over a three-week intervention, the experimental group utilized the TTSMaker application, while the control group received conventional instruction. Data were collected through pre- and post-tests for listening comprehension and time-on-task observations to assess engagement, analyzed using Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). The results demonstrated substantial improvements in both listening comprehension (Partial Eta² = 0.937) and student engagement (Partial Eta² = 0.929), with the TTS intervention explaining 96.8% of the variance in post-test outcomes. These findings provide robust evidence that TTS technology effectively supports EFL learners by offering clear, consistent, and engaging auditory input that reduces cognitive load and promotes active participation. The study underscores the pedagogical potential of AI-based applications as accessible, cost-effective, and inclusive tools for improving English language instruction, particularly in resource-limited educational settings, and calls for further exploration of their long-term impacts and integration strategies in modern classrooms.

Text-to-Speech; listening comprehension; student engagement

1. Ahmadi, M. R. (2018). The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review. International Journal of Research in English Education, 3(2), 115–125. https://doi.org/10.29252/ijree.3.2.115 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Al-Jarf, R. (2022). Text-To-Speech Software for Promoting EFL Freshman Students’ Decoding Skills and Pronunciation Accuracy. Journal of Computer Science and Technology Studies, 4(2), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.32996/jcsts [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Amin, E. A.-R. (2024). EFL Students’ Perception of Using AI Text-to-Speech Apps in Learning Pronunciation. Migration Letters, 21(3), 887–903. www.migrationletters.com [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Anderman, E. M., Anderman, L. H., & Ormrod, J. E. (2024). Educational psychology: Developing Learners. In Pearson Education (8th Ed.). Pearson Education. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Brown, H. D., & Lee, H. (2015). Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Approach to Language Pedagogy. In Pearson Education (4th Ed.). Pearson Education. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Chen, M., Tan, X., Li, B., Liu, Y., Qin, T., Zhao, S., & Liu, T.-Y. (2021). AdaSpeech: Adaptive Text to Speech for Custom Voice. ICLR, 1–10. http://arxiv.org/abs/2103.00993 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Chiang, H.-H. (2019). A Comparison Between Teacher-Led and Online Text-to-Speech Dictation for Students’ Vocabulary Performance. English Language Teaching, 12(3), 77. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v12n3p77 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Cirocki, A., Indrarathne, B., & Mcculloch, S. (2024). Cognitive and Educational Psychology for TESOL A Guide for Practitioners. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-66532-5 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research Methods in Education. In Routledge (8th Ed.). Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Dida, H. A., Chakravarthy, D., & Rabbi, F. (2023). ChatGPT and Big Data: Enhancing Text-to-Speech Conversion. Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data, 2023, 31–35. https://doi.org/10.58496/mjbd/2023/005 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Fisher, C., Berliner, D., Filby, N., Marliave, R., Cahen, L., & Dishaw, M. (2015). Teaching behaviors, academic learning time, and student achievement: An overview. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 50(1), 6–24. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1100414.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Fitria, T. N. (2022). Utilizing Text-to-Speech Technology: Natural Reader in Teaching Pronunciation. JETLEE : Journal of English Language Teaching, Linguistics, and Literature, 2(2), 70–78. https://doi.org/10.47766/jetlee.v2i2.312 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Godwin, K. E., Seltman, H., Almeda, M., Davis Skerbetz, M., Kai, S., Baker, R. S., & Fisher, A. V. (2021). The Elusive Relationship Between Time on-Task and Learning: Not Simply an Issue of Measurement. Educational Psychology, 41(4), 502–519. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2021.1894324 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Huang, Y.-C., & Liao, L.-C. (2024). A Study of Text-to-Speech (TTS) In Children’s English Learning. Teaching English with Technology, 15(1), 14–30. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=166912http://www.tewtjournal.org [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Karakaş, A. (2017). English voices in ‘Text-to-speech tools’: representation of English users and their varieties from a World Englishes perspective. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 8(5), 108. https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.8n.5p.108 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Mackey, A., & Gass, S. M. (2016). Second Language Research: Methodology and Design. In Second Language Research: Methodology and Design, Second Edition (2nd Ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315750606 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Manu, G. A., & Masan, P. L. (2020). Aplikasi Text-to-Speech Untuk Meningkatkan Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris Bagi Siswa Disabilitas. Jurnal Pendidikan Teknologi Informasi (JUKANTI), 3(2), 17–26. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Masitho Istiqomah, D., Aisyah, R. N., & Ahsana El-Sulukiyyah, A. (2021). Developing E-learning Module by Using Text-To-Speech (TTS) in Telegram Bot for Listening Comprehension. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 626, 38–43. http://www.swiftelearningservices.com/blended- [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Matsuda, N. (2017). Evidence of Effects of Text-to-Speech Synthetic Speech to Improve Second Language Learning. JACET Journal, 61, 149–164. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Sherina, & Hasnawati. (2023). Pemanfaatan Text to Speech Pada Aplikasi E-Learning Sebagai Media Pembelajaran Interaktif Bahasa Inggris Berbasis Mobile. JURNAL SINTAKS LOGIKA, 3(1), 43–51. https://jurnal.umpar.ac.id/index.php/sylog [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Spanjers, D. M., Burns, M. K., & Wagner, A. R. (2008). Systematic Direct Observation of Time on Task as a Measure of Student Engagement. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 33(2), 120–126. https://doi.org/10.1177/1534508407311407 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Wang, Y., Xin, Y., & Chen, L. (2024). Navigating the Emotional Landscape: Insights Into Resilience, Engagement, and Burnout Among Chinese High School English As A Foreign Language Learners. Learning and Motivation, 86(February). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lmot.2024.101978 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Widyana, A., Jerusalem, M. I., & Yumechas, B. (2022). The Application of Text-to-Speech Technology in Language Learning. Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Language, Literature, Culture, and Education (ICOLLITE 2022), 85–92. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-91-6_14 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Woo, J. H., & Choi, H. (2021). Systematic Review for AI-based Language Learning Tools. Journal of Digital Contents Society, 22(11), 1783–1792. https://doi.org/10.9728/dcs.2021.22.11.1783 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Yudhistiro, K., & Silalahi, E. B. (2021). Peningkatan Kemampuan Pronunciation Vocabulary Untuk Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris Dengan Teknologi Text-To-Speech Dan Speech Recognition Di Sekolah Dasar YBPK Malang. JMM - Jurnal Masyarakat Merdeka, 4(1), 13–17. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Evaluating the Impacts of Mind Mapping Strategy on Developing EFL Students’ Critical Reading Skills
• Significance of Reading Instructions for Language Improvement in Children with Down Syndrome
• Prenasalised Consonants in Liangmai
• Metadiscourse Matters: Definitions, Models, and Advantages for ESL/ EFL Writing
• Blank Minds and Stuck Voices: Understanding and Addressing Cognitive Anxiety in High-Stakes ESL Speaking Tests