Virtual Booth

English speaking proficiency is essential for Malaysian secondary school students preparing for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) Speaking examination. However, limited classroom time restricts individual practice opportunities and personalised feedback, while existing general-purpose AI applications may not replicate the examination's specific format and assessment criteria. This study aimed to develop and evaluate SPMSpeak.ai, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform that facilitates independent speaking practice through authentic examination simulation and immediate feedback.

SPMSpeak.ai simulates SPM Speaking Paper Part 2 (Individual Long Turn), providing randomly generated tasks, 20 seconds of preparation, and one minute of speaking time. The platform evaluates responses across four components: Vocabulary, Grammar, Communicative Competence, and Overall Spoken Performance, with a maximum score of 24 marks. It also generates personalised feedback on pronunciation, fluency, pauses, sentence structure, vocabulary usage, and grammatical accuracy. A pilot study involving 29 secondary school students examined changes in speaking performance and students' perceptions of their speaking confidence following independent practice.

The findings indicated an approximately 55% increase in average speaking scores from pre-test to post-test. Furthermore, all 29 participants (100%) agreed or strongly agreed that the platform improved their confidence in speaking English. These findings suggest that SPMSpeak.ai has potential to support speaking development, formative assessment, and self-regulated learning beyond the classroom.

Future development should incorporate SPM Speaking Part 3 collaborative discussions, progress tracking, teacher dashboards, and support for other assessments, including MUET Speaking. An affordable digital subscription model may further support operational sustainability and accessibility. This innovation contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) by expanding opportunities for independent English speaking practice.

Keywords: Artificial intelligence, SPM Speaking, English language learning, formative assessment, self-regulated learning