The Korean Association for the Study of English Language and Linguistics

Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics - Vol. 21

[ Article ]
Korea Journal of English Language and Linguistics - Vol. 21, No. 0, pp. 1085-1104
Abbreviation: KASELL
ISSN: 1598-1398 (Print) 2586-7474 (Online)
Received 05 Oct 2021 Revised 27 Oct 2021 Accepted 29 Oct 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15738/kjell.21..202110.1085

Development and Application of AI Chatbot for Cabin Crews
Hyejin Yang ; Heyoung Kim
(1st author) Researcher, Chung-Ang Univ. (hjyang1112@gmail.com)
(corresponding author) Professor, Chung-Ang Univ. (englishnet@cau.ac.kr)


© 2021 KASELL All rights reserved
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Funding Information ▼

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots have been attracting increasing research interest in recent years with particular attention to their development and integration into language classrooms. However, the attempts and discussions on how AI chatbots could support the learning of English for specific purposes (ESP) remain subpar. To address this gap, this article aimed to suggest possible ways to develop and apply AI chatbots for ESP, especially focusing on cabin crews’ English communication in their workplaces. A needs analysis consisting of ethnographic interviews and document analysis was conducted to identify the representative scenarios relevant to cabin crews’ duty, serving as the basis for the development of the AI chatbot. Thereafter, a pilot study was conducted with 24 cabin crews. Data were then analyzed based on thematic analysis, descriptive statistics, and frequency analysis using SPSS 24. The results revealed the cabin crews’ positive perceptions toward the chatbot, thereby supporting the educational value of the chatbot in the ESP field. The study also provided a list of implications for the future enhancement and application of AI chatbots for ESP.


Keywords: cabin crews, needs analysis, task design, chatbot, English for specific purposes

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (2020S1A5B5A01044015).


References
1. Atwell, E. S. 1999. The Language Machine. London: British Council.
2. Basturkmen, H. 2006. Ideas and Options in English for Specific Purposes. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. Mahwah, NJ: London.
3. Biber, D. 2006. University Language: A Corpus-Based Study of Spoken and Written Registers. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
4. Belcher, D. 2006. English for specific purposes: Teaching to perceived needs and imagined futures in worlds of work, study, and everyday life. TESOL Quarterly 40, 133– 56.
5. Brown, J. D. 2009. Foreign and second language needs analysis. In M. Long and C. Doughty, eds., The Handbook of Language Teaching. 269–293. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.
6. Chang, H. J. 2021. The ESP Learning through AI Chatbot Conversion. Proceedings of 2021 Joint International Conference on ELT, 54–55.
7. Chu, S. Y. and D. G. Min. 2019. A study of using task-based artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for further interaction in English and the analysis of students’ production. Primary English Education 25(2), 27–52.
8. Cowling, J. 2007. Needs analysis: Planning a syllabus for a series of intensive courses at a leading Japanese company. English for Specific Purposes 26(4), 426–442.
9. Dudley-Evans, T. and M. St. John. 1998. Developments in ESP: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
10. Fryer, L. K., M. Ainley, A. Thompson, A. Gibson and Z. Sherlock. 2017. Stimulating and sustaining interest in a language course: An experimental comparison of chatbot and human task partners. Computers in Human Behavior 75, 461–468.
11. Halliday, M. A. K., A. McIntosh and P. Strevens. 1964. The Linguistic Science and Language Teaching. London: Longman.
12. Hyland, K. 2011. Disciplinary specificity: Discourse, context and ESP. In D. Belcher, A. M. Johns and B. Paltridge, eds., New Directions in English for Specific Purposes Research, 6–24. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.
13. Kim, N. Y. 2017. Effects of types of voice-based chat on EFL students’ negotiation of meaning according to proficiency levels. English Teaching 72(1), 159–181.
14. Kim, H., D. Shin, J. Lee and H. Yang. 2019. A study of AI chatbot as an assistant tool for school English curriculum. Journal of Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction 19(1), 89–110.
15. Kim, H., Y. Cha and N. Kim. 2021. Effects of AI chatbots on EFL students’ communication skills. Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics 21, 712–734.
16. Kim, H., H. Yang, D. Shin and J. Lee. in press. Design principles and architecture of a second language learning chatbot. Language Learning and Technology.
17. Lee, J., H. Kim, D. Shin and H. Yang. 2019. A study on the conversation interaction with chatbot for foreign language learning. Multimedia-Assisted Language Learning 22(1), 132–153.
18. Long, M. 2005. Methodological issues in learner needs analysis. In M. Long, ed., Second Language Needs Analysis, 19–76. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
19. Min, J. and S. Lee. 2013. Self-perceived English competence, self-esteem, and interpersonal relations in cabin crew personnel. English Language & Literature Teaching 19(4), 121–139.
20. Molenda, M., J. Pershing and C. Reigeluth. 1996. Designing instructional systems. In R. Craig, ed., The ASTD Training and Development Handbook (4th ed.), 266–293. New York: McGraw-Hill.
21. Paltridge, B. and S. Starfield. 2012. The Handbook of English for Specific Purposes. Boston: Wiley-Blackwell.
22. Pawataungsunit, T. 2014. Small talk: Developing Thai airways cabin crew’s English speaking competency. The New English Teacher 8(1), 132–141.
23. Pham, X., L., T. Pham, Q. M. Nguyen and T. H. Nguyen. 2018. Chatbot as an intelligent personal assistant for mobile language learning. In Proceedings of the 2018 2nd International Conference on Education and E-Learning. 16–21.
24. Rybski, J. 1974. Flying like a butterfly from cloud to cloud: An ethnography of soaring in Minnesota. Unpublished paper, Department of Anthropology, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minn.
25. Shah, A., B. Jain, B. Agrawal, S. Jain and S. Shim. 2018. Problem solving chatbot for data structures. Paper presented at 2018 IEEE 8th Annual Computing and Communication Workshop and Conference (CCWC), Las Vegas, NV.
26. Shin, D., H. Kim, J. Lee and H. Yang. 2021. Exploring the use of an artificial intelligence chatbot as second language conversation partners. Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics 21, 375–391.
27. Spradley, J. P. 1980. Participant Observation. IL: Waveland Press.
28. Walker, A. and G. White. 2013. Technology Enhanced Language Learning: Connecting Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
29. Xiaoqin, L. and Z. Wenzhong. 2016. Towards an integrated approach to cabin service English curriculum design: A case study of China southern airlines’ cabin service English training course. Higher Education Studies 6, 30–38.
30. Yang, H., H. Kim, D. Shin and J. Lee. 2019. A study on adopting AI-based chatbot in elementary English-speaking classes. Multimedia-Assisted Language Learning 22(4), 184–205.
31. Yoon, Y. and M. Park. 2020. Artificial intelligence and primary English education: With special reference to chatbots. The Journal of Korea Elementary Education 31, 77–90.