The use of stimuler to facilitate students with AI tutoring system for English speaking skill practice

The use of AI applications has shown their potential to facilitate students’ English speaking skill development through real-time interaction, however, research specifically examining students’ lived experiences and learning challenges during AI-based speaking practice remains limited. This qualitative descriptive study explores the learning experiences and challenges faced by students at An-Najiyah high school in Surabaya while using the Stimuler application during one week of intensive use. With the participation of five 11th-grade students selected by a screening questionnaire, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, analyzed thematically using Schmitts’ (2018) experiential framework, and validated through investigator triangulation. The findings indicate that Stimuler provides a positive learning experience that enhances students’ self-confidence and linguistic abilities. Interestingly, cognitive barriers such as speech pauses and unclear feedback did not hinder the learning process. In fact, they functioned as triggers within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), which encouraged high-level cognitive activities and resilience. This study reveals that the students are able to transform the system’s limitations into opportunities for self-evaluation and critical self-directed learning. The findings suggest that Stimuler can potentially be used in classroom teaching to stimulate the development of students’ speaking ability. However, teachers should assist the students in coping with the challenges of the platform and equip them with the ability to transform the limitation of the system into higher level cognitive stimulation and learning autonomy.