Biography
Firdevs Bozdemir is an English teacher at a public secondary school in Van, Türkiye, and a thesis-based M.A. candidate in English Language Education at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University. She graduated with high honours from Boğaziçi University, Department of Foreign Language Education, in 2021. Before beginning her current position, she taught English at the secondary and high school levels, gaining experience with learners from different educational backgrounds. Her research and teaching interests include psycholinguistics, foreign language education, and affective factors that influence language learning. She is particularly interested in foreign language speaking anxiety, learner motivation, learner emotions, and the integration of innovative teaching approaches into English language classrooms. She has also explored topics such as AI-assisted language learning, mobile-assisted language learning, language attrition, and gamification in English language teaching. Her current master’s research investigates the effects of competitive gamified activities on the speaking anxiety of low-proficiency EFL learners. Through her research, she aims to contribute to the development of engaging, technology-enhanced, and learner-centred language learning environments that support both learners’ emotional well-being and their communicative competence.
Conference contributions 1
EXPLORING THE PEDAGOGICAL POTENTIAL OF PRAKTIKA:
A pilot study on AI-assisted speaking and foreign language anxiety
This pilot study, which adopts a mixed-methods research design, explores the instructional impact of Praktika, an artificial intelligence-supported speaking practice tool, on reducing foreign-language speaking anxiety among beginner-level high school students. Quantitative data were collected through an adapted version of the Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale from Horwitz et al. (1986), administered as pre- and post-tests. Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews exploring learners' affective responses, confidence in speaking, and perceptions of Praktika. The participants were comprised of 12 ninth graders in a state high school in Türkiye. Throughout the four-week intervention process, the students participated in speaking activities with Praktika besides regular classroom activities. The findings gathered from the quantitative analysis pointed to a significant decrease in participants' foreign language speaking anxiety scores after the intervention. Qualitative results indicated that students reported enhanced speaking confidence, reduced fear of negative evaluation, and a tendency to accept errors as a component of the learning process. Participants attributed these improvements to Praktika's non-judgmental atmosphere, immediate feedback function, and opportunity to practice at their own pace. Although this research is constrained by a limited sample and a short-term intervention, it offers preliminary evidence that Praktika can function as a beneficial complementary tool to reduce spelling anxiety and foster speaking proficiency.