Kavy: Fostering Language Speaking Skills and Self-Confidence Through Conversational AI

Cognitive augmentation is the process of enhancing one's abilities, including learning a new language. For this, we could utilize conversational chatbots. Conventional chatbots such as Siri, have predominantly been based on the question-and-answer model, where a communicator seeks a specific answer to accomplish a specific task. The conversational capabilities of chatbots offer great potential to promote English language learning, particularly in developing countries, such as Sri Lanka, where many young adults lack confidence in speaking English. This is due to limited exposure to conversational-style learning and a lack of opportunity to practice without social anxiety which is often rooted in the fear of making mistakes. In this paper, we developed a conversational chatbot, Kavy, as a companion to help them practice English. We investigated, in a study with 40 users, if Kavy could improve a communicator's proficiency (e.g., verbal expression, conversation length, quality of speech) and self-confidence using both poetic and non-poetic conversational styles. We found that the users were highly motivated by the poetic version, with its use resulting in a significant increase in vocabulary. Nevertheless, a poetic chatbot may present challenges, with several users reporting that they find the poetic version confusing. We see this pioneering work as a first and promising approach that should be continued to be investigated in the future.