Designing a task-based conversational agent for EFL in German schools: Student needs, actions, and perceptions

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As part of an iterative evaluation process incorporating student stakeholders within a task-based language teaching (TBLT) framework, we examine the design and early learner data of a conversational agent for English as a foreign language (EFL) in the German school context. Students (around age 12 and at an A2 proficiency level) from three 7th grade classes interacted with five tasks and completed a questionnaire assessing their needs and perceptions. Results of the needs analysis revealed that most students speak some English outside of class and that they wish for tasks targeting both authentic and curricular needs. The interaction logs showed a strong preference for typing over speaking and moderate automatic speech recognition (ASR) accuracy for the spoken interactions. Differing rates of task success and interest between the five tasks confirmed the importance of task characteristics. Despite some noted limitations, student perceptions were largely positive, with the tasks appearing more fun and more challenging for students who speak less English outside of class. Overall, our findings highlight the promise and challenges of designing a task-based conversational agent for the school EFL classroom, offering insights into balancing pedagogical and technological design, the demands of official curricula, and students’ authentic needs.