Exploring EFL Students' Perceptions of Authentic Online Conversation through Episoden and Speaky for Speaking Practice

Abstract

This qualitative case study addresses the limited comparative research on Episoden and Speaky by exploring senior high school EFL students’ perceptions of using these two authentic online conversation applications to support their speaking practice. Thirty-five eleventh-grade students used both platforms to converse with native English speakers and fellow learners abroad, either through live face-to-face video calls (Episoden) or through voice notes, voice calls, and text chat (Speaky). Data were collected through an open-ended, semi-structured questionnaire and analysed using inductive thematic analysis, in which responses were open-coded and grouped into broader categories to identify recurring patterns. Nearly all students described initial anxiety when first speaking with an unfamiliar interlocutor, which most reported as diminishing with repeated exposure: 27 of the 35 responses were coded as reporting perceived gains in speaking confidence and motivation, while 8 were coded as reporting little or no perceived change. Episoden was perceived as more spontaneous but more anxiety-inducing, whereas Speaky was perceived as more flexible and comfortable for less confident speakers; accent comprehension, limited vocabulary, unstable internet connectivity, and sustaining conversation topics were identified as recurring challenges. All 35 students expressed willingness to continue the activity, provided teachers offer adequate guidance and do not make live video conversation mandatory. These findings offer comparative, learner-derived evidence on how differing modes of authentic online conversation are perceived to support EFL speaking confidence, with implications for sequencing platform use in the Indonesian senior high school context.