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ELT FORUM 12 (3) (2023) 
  

Journal of English Language Teaching 

 
http://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/elt 

 

Implementing AI Replika in higher education speaking classes: Benefits and challenges 

 

Girindra Putri Dewi Saraswati1, Alief Noor Farida1, Yuliati1 

 
1-3Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia

 

Article Info 
________________  
Article History:  

Received on 22 October 

2023  
Approved on 30 

November 2023 

Published on 30 

November 2023 

________________  
Keywords: artificial 
intelligence; native speaker; 
speaking classes   
____________________ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstract 
___________________________________________________________________ 
The demand from students for native English speakers as interlocutors justifies the 

importance of this research. Because of the nation's location and financial constraints, 
speaking course participants are said to lack experience speaking with native speakers. 

Gaining a tangible understanding of how AI Replika can be used to replace native 
speakers’ role in becoming students’ source of native speaker is the anticipated outcome 

of this project. This study investigates the benefits and difficulties of using AI Replika 
in speaking classes. With the help of AI Replika, students may practice speaking 

English in real time or directly with the use of artificial intelligence. The features used 

by students can be either chatbot or speaking robot. This study used a descriptive 
qualitative methodology. A case study methodology is applied. Interviewing and 

participant observation were employed as data collection methods. Three basic types 
of triangulations are used in data validity techniques: theoretical, methodological, and 

source data triangulation. Based on the results, it shows that AI replica can be used as 
the alternative on the absence of native speaker in practicing speaking. However, the 

role of teachers in the classroom still cannot be replaced by the AI. Students feel that 

although AI Replika brings benefit for them to practice speaking before class, however, 
they still need teachers to explain the context of the speaking content. Students also 

feel that the AI Replika brings more literal meaning of an idea rather than able to 
understand the cultural meaning behind the talk. In the end, AI technology can 

improve language acquisition with a well-balanced approach, but real native speaker 
presence for more humanist approach is still needed. 

 

 
 © 2023 Universitas Negeri Semarang 

  
 Correspondent Address: p-ISSN 2252-6706 | e-ISSN 2721-4532 
B3 Building FBS Unnes  

Sekaran, Gunungpati, Semarang, 50229  
E-mail: girindraputrids@mail.unnes.ac.id 
  

mailto:girindraputrids@mail.unnes.ac.id


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INTRODUCTION  

Currently popular in education is the technical area of artificial intelligence (AI). AI may be used as a tool 

in the teaching and learning process to help students to practice (Jaiswal & Arun 2021). Furthermore, 

because AI allows for unfettered access, it was created to provide inclusive access to the area of education. 

Globally, peer learning experts and instructors have benefited from the deployment of AI apps as tools 

(Edwards & Cheok, 2018). AI can also facilitate sophisticated collaborative learning and personalize 

learning in a variety of ways. Unbeknownst to us, artificial intelligence has crept into everyday life through 

things like smartphone apps (Sánchez-Prieto, et. al., 2020). AI is a major factor in the autonomous 

acquisition of language skills in the field of English education, including online speaking, writing, and 

listening practice. AI generally serves as a buddy or partner when learning a foreign language (Ji, Han, & 

Ko, 2023). One such example is chatbots, which are now extensively utilized by language learners. 

 Looking at the current situation, studying the linguistic features of a language is no longer the only 

way to study languages. Acquiring language skills primarily involves comprehending and expressing both 

implicit and explicit meanings in communication. In a communication exercise, this message is 

communicated both orally and in writing (Sifakis, 2019). Accordingly, being proficient in English as an 

international language entail being able to utilize it as a tool for international communication in addition to 

having a strong vocabulary (Watterson, 2008). Therefore, speaking classes are now offered every semester 

by the English Education Study Program at the Faculty of Languages and Arts (FBS) UNNES in response 

to this demand. These courses are having a fixed structured so that students must go through them in phases. 

New students begin with Intensive Speaking classes, then Transactional Conversation, Casual 

Conversation, Factual Speech, and Critical Speech. Those speaking courses will enhance the students’ skills 

that are essential for anybody hoping to become a teacher. Although status quo show that lectures and the 

lecturers can currently serve as a means for students to learn how to speak, it is also believed that students 

also need some native exposure to build an English academic atmosphere as most students are in 

monocultural class or have similar cultural and linguistic backgrounds with their other friends. On the other 

words, mostly in Indonesian Higher Education, the classroom environment does not yet offer a context for 

natural cross-cultural communication. This is one of the challenges associated with learning spoken English 

in many literary works (Kapur, 2018). 

 Many applications are now being promoted by the AI community for learning spoken English. The 

Replika application is among them. Since its release in 2018, Replika, the most well-liked and highly rated 

social chatbot in the Apple and Google Play stores, has drawn millions of users. Replika describes its app as 

a "friend who is always listening" or "an AI version of yourself," and it is frequently used as a guide for self-

directed English language learning (Weber-Guskar, 2022). Replika is not like other companion chatbots that 

respond to user vocal cues; instead, its responses are predicated on Generative Pretrained Transformer 3 

(GPT3). GPT3 is a network language model created using a distinct dataset of user chats. This enables the 

program to choose a language response from the datasets over a million replies. As a result, Replika is more 

adaptable and has a larger word recognition range (Pentina, Hancock, & Xie, 2023). In short, Replika is an 

advanced AI that is well-developed to assist students to practice speaking and writing autonomously. It is 

considered suitable for students studying in Higher Education as their nature are mature, adaptable, 

independent, and organized (Knox, 1992). 

 In addition, the rapid advancement of AI technology has important implications for learning and 

teaching. Large investments have been made to integrate AI into teaching and learning (Cope, 2021). This 

investment is not only about profit orientation but also educational betting. AI developers know little about 

the science being studied and lack pedagogical knowledge for effective implementation of AI in teaching 

(Luckin & Cukurova, 2019). In addition, AI developers often fail to meet the expectations of their users, 

namely teachers (Cukurova, Kent, & Luckin, 2023). Making AI pedagogically relevant requires teachers to 

determine when and how AI plays a role in the teaching and learning process. Even though AI plays a very 

important role in autonomous learning outside the classroom, there is still a need for teachers to play a role 

in directing students' learning direction (Barnes, et. al., 2005). 

 The use of Replika in English language learning, both structured in the classroom and autonomously 

outside the classroom, has been widely used (Sánchez-Prieto, 2020; Kim, 2019; Lin & Mubarok, 2021). 

However, previous researchers still focused on the use of chatbot features in Replika. The chatbot feature is 

then discussed in relation to its implementation in learning to write and speak. In relation to this, Replika 

also has a real-time talking robot feature which allows students to practice speaking directly with 

pronunciation and language choices that are considered at a native-like level. The use of this feature in 

speaking classes has not been discussed in existing literature. Therefore, responding to the urgency of this 

research, namely the need for learners or students to practice spoken language with native speakers, the 

features of the AI Replika which is talking robot in speaking lectures is researched in this study. 



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 The AI Replika feature talking here are the chatbot or written conversation and AI speaking robot 

that allows users to have a real-time spoken conversation partner with a wide choice of themes and the 

robot's spoken language capabilities which are native-like or equivalent to native speakers. AI Replika can 

be used as a solution to students' lack of access to English native speaker exposure in learning. Here now, 

speaking English is no longer just theory and practice in the form of role playing, but is more about 

implementing the language in the context of native speakers orally. Research questions underlying this study 

are: (1) How is artificial intelligence (AI) Replika implemented as a replacement for the role of native 

speakers in speaking lectures? (2) What are the advantages of implementing Replika AI as a substitute for 

the role of native speakers in speaking lectures? (3) What are the challenges in implementing Replika AI as 

a replacement for the role of native speakers in speaking lectures? This research will examine the results of 

implementing AI Replika in speaking lectures. Using descriptive qualitative methods, this research will 

identify the implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) Replika as a substitute for the role of native speakers 

in speaking lectures, explaining the advantages and challenges in implementation practice in the field. This 

is done by studying good practices and comparing the results with previous theories about English speaking 

skills and theories about communication in the language, as well as the role of culture in conveying oral 

messages. 

 
METHODS 

The design of this research is case study. The case study is research that aims to produce detailed findings 

about a case by connecting the case with a theory that already exists and that the results of the findings 

cannot be generalized (Bryman, 2016). Case study research is focused on one selected phenomenon that 

wants to be understood in depth, by ignoring other phenomena. In other words, case study describes certain 

characteristics or problems (Denzin & Lincoln, 2011). One phenomenon discussed can be a school leader 

or educational leader, a group of students, a program, a process, a policy implementation, or a concept. 

Apart from that, this research is implementation research, namely research carried out with the aim of 

applying, testing and evaluating the ability of a theory/method applied in solving practical problems, so that 

it can be used for the benefit of humans, both individuals and groups (Desimone, et al., 2004). 

Implementation research in education is concerned with improving the quality of technical strategies and 

learning models to increase student interest and motivation in learning, the quality of learning media, or 

curriculum implementation. In relation to this research, what is being studied is the implementation of AI 

Replika in English speaking lectures. 

 This research is in the English Education Study Program, Faculty of Language and Arts, Universitas 

Negeri Semarang, with the research subjects are students of the English Education Study Program who are 

taking the Casual Conversation course in the Even 2022/2023 academic year. The students involved in the 

research were 39 students from class B who in the previous semester also attended speaking lectures with 

researchers, so it was hoped that the development of their speaking skills could be seen. In other words, the 

period of data collection was 1 semester or 4 months during the Casual Conversation class was conducted. 

The study target is related to the implementation of AI Replika. While the study objectives are related to the 

advantages and challenges of implementing AI Replika. This specifically examines the learning resources 

studied by students in relation to speaking courses, especially about how students learn to speak spoken 

English using AI Replika. 

 The data collection techniques applied in this research used participant observation and interview 

techniques. The participant observation technique was chosen because the researcher was involved as a 

research subject. The involvement of the teacher is because researchers were teachers of the Transactional 

Conversation course in the class studied. It is stated that participant observation allows researchers to 

participate as subjects and at the same time observe the object being studied (Reilly, 2010). This is used to 

gain a deeper understanding of the research object being studied. After collecting data through participant 

observation techniques, interviews were conducted to complete the data. Interviews were conducted outside 

learning hours. The subjects interviewed were students who were students of the Casual Conversation 

course. 

 The data validity technique applied in this research is the data triangulation technique as described by 

Denzin and Lincoln (2011) as a heuristic device for researchers. This data triangulation includes source data 

triangulation which uses numbers of data in research, theoretical triangulation which uses various 

perspectives to interpret a single group of data, and methodological triangulation which uses various 

methods to study a single problem. 

 The data analysis technique in this research applies data analysis techniques as used by Nasution in 

analyzing natural learning phenomena (Nasution, 1988). Likewise, such data analysis is in the writings of 

Miles and Huberman related to learning in the scientific context of educational psychology (Huberman & 



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Miles, 2002). This data analysis is known as interactive model analysis which includes data reduction, data 

presentation, and drawing conclusions/verification. The data analyzed is mainly about the implementation 

of Replika AI in English speaking lectures. 

. 

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 

This study is trying to find out the answers of three main questions, i.e. How is the implementation of AI 

Replika? What are the benefits of implementing the AI Replika in Speaking Classes? What are the challenges 

of of implementing AI Replika in the Speaking Classes? Though those questions can be answered based on 

two perspectives, the lecturers and students’ perspectives, this study explores more from the students’ 

perspectives.  
 

Implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) replika as a substitution for the role of native speakers in 

speaking lectures 

AI Replika in this study is not used to change the role of lecturers in teaching the students, it is more to help 

students in practicing their speaking after classes. However, the instructions are all made by lecturers on what 

kind of speaking topic should be performed by the students the following week. In the casual conversation 

class, lecturers were explaining about some theories related of conversation, degree of formalities, and how-

to maintaining communication, as well as some cultural content attached in a spoken conversation. Students 

were then given an opportunity to explore some videos of casual conversation as the background knowledge. 

After the theory, students were all given the opportunities to practice speaking with pairs by exploring some 

role plays with either the given contexts by lecturers or with the contexts they created themselves while 

referring to the topic set by the lecturers. After finishing the activities, students were then being introduced 

to AI Replika. Students were first introduced to the chatbot features where they can explore some 

vocabularies used by the robot with the topic students previously chose. After finishing the chatbot 

exploration, students were introduced with the features of speaking robot where they can have the 

opportunities for a direct conversation discussing the topic, they chose themselves. The following week after 

students were given the opportunities to explore the AI, lecturers divided them into pairs and gave them a 

certain topic for them to explore the following week. This time, they will have to practice their speaking with 

the AI for a week before they practiced doing conversation with their peers. The practice of students with the 

robot to talk directly as their speaking practice was done for 4 weeks. After finishing the activities and the 

whole classes for 16 meetings including 2 meetings for exam days, students were interviewed for their 

perceptions of the benefits and challenges of using AI Replika, especially for their exposure of native-like 

accent, pronunciation, vocabulary choices, and the cultural talk. 

 In general, students feel happy and delightful to have a speaking partner which can suit their time and 

make them feel freedom. Most of the students feel they can talk freely with the robot, though the internet 

connection sometimes limits them from having a fluent conversation with the robot. The robot also can not 

naturally engage into a conversation which context is not programmed for them. As students are all coming 

from Indonesia with the culture based on Indonesian context, sometimes conversation is not smooth between 

them and the robot. Therefore, based on the interview conducted with the students, it is summarized that the 

implementation of AI Replika in the speaking classes will be helpful for the students if the lecturers or 

facilitators can modify with several activities in the classroom as follows: 

 

Lecturers to set clear instruction 

Students feel that without a clear instruction from the lecturers, AI Replika will not play a significant role for 

them. Some students also feel confused on how to start a conversation with the Replika. An instruction from 

the lecturers can help them to start talking with their AI Replika. Instruction here means a clear context and 

goals delivered by the lecturers on each topic so students have a direction on what should be asked and what 

should be discussed with the AI Replika. 

 

 

Lecturers to integrate speaking practice with the students’ peers 

Though all the students mentioned how grateful they are with the presence of AI Replika to help them 

practice speaking, speaking with robot is not always pleasant. Some students mentioned that when they are 

not in campus and the Wi-Fi provider is not considerably strong, the AI Replika Robot they are having 

conversation with will not able to provide response. Therefore, some students do not enjoy talking with 

robots but prefer to have a chat with the chatbot features. In the classroom, the vocabularies they obtain from 



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the chatting session with the Replika can be implemented in the conversation that students have with their 

peers. 

 

Lecturers to provide cultural knowledge 

While Replika may not completely mimic the nuances of human conversation, it can still expose students to 

different language styles. However, students’ cultural context and idiomatic expressions may not always be 

accurately reflected. Students also experience absence of the Cross-Cultural Understanding Course. This 

cultural knowledge also includes degree of formality in English so students can practice different contexts 

with the AI. One student said that the conversation she had with the robot is not pleasant as Robot talk about 

improper content during the conversation. It happens that the language choice chosen by students also bring 

different meaning to the AI. 

 

Lecturers to provide feedback to the student’s activity with the AI Replika 

AI Replika is a machine, lecturers need to allow their time to check the progress that the students make and 

provide feedback to the process. Lecturers can also give students suggestion on how frequent they should 

practice with the AI Replika what kind of further activity students can do to follow up their activity with the 

AI Replika. Students also need to be motivated by their mentor or lecturers that what they are doing is good 

that they will feel confident to have use AI Replika for their independent practice. Some students mentioned 

that they still need their lecturer’s affirmation to make sure that what they are doing is correct. 

 

Lecturers to tell students about Privacy Considerations 

One student mentioned an unpredicted comment by telling us on how important is to keep privacy and data 

security issues in mind. He mentioned on how using both chatbot and the talking robot are very interesting 

for him till he wants to do it endlessly and start to ask questions outside the topic given by lecturers. He 

wondered on what happened if the chatbot asked him private questions and he answered in detail to response 

along with some honest information that he has about the specific questions. It triggers us to remind students 

to keep their privacy in secret especially if Replika or similar tools collect user data. We suggest students to 

ensure compliance with relevant privacy regulations and obtain appropriate permissions if necessary. 

 

Lecturers and Students to stay informed and keep updated 

Lastly, students also need to be informed that AI that can help them to practice speaking independently is 

AI Replika. They will always need to broaden their knowledge by watching videos or by regularly checking 

for updates or improvements to Replika or similar AI tools. The field of conversational AI is growing rapidly, 

and new features may improve the suitability of these tools for language learning. 

 The idea of integrating Replika as a substitute for native speakers in speaking classes can be an 

innovative and effective language learning approach. As mentioned by Cope, Kalantzis, & Searsmith (2021), 

education world is now getting familiar with the use of AI in the teaching and learning process. However, 

this integration must be done thoughtfully, considering the strengths and limitations of AI tools. AI Replika 

can provide valuable opportunities for pronunciation practice, vocabulary expansion, and conversation 

simulation, creating a dynamic and engaging learning environment (Weber-Guskar, 2022). While Replika 

adds a technological dimension to language learning, it should not completely replace human interaction. 

The personal and cultural nuances in human conversation, as well as the ability to navigate real-world 

scenarios, are important aspects that may not be fully captured by AI. Therefore, it is recommended to 

complement Replika interactions with opportunities for students to engage with native speakers and 

participate in group activities. Regular feedback and evaluation by the lecturers also are key components of 

this integration. Providing constructive feedback regarding language accuracy, fluency, and communication 

skills allows students to perfect their oral language abilities (Luckin & Cukurova, 2019). In short, successful 

implementation of Replika in the speaking classroom requires a balanced approach, combining the benefits 

of AI technology with the irreplaceable value of human interaction. By carefully designing exercises, setting 

clear goals, and maintaining focus on student progress, educators can harness Replika's potential as a support 

for students’ independent practice. 

 

Advantages in implementing replika AI as a substitute for the role of native speakers in speaking lectures 

From the interview conducted with the students, we then identified the students’ perception about the 

benefits and challenges in implementing AI Replika as their ‘native-like speaking buddy’. Some benefits 

include how AI Replika is effective and practical for students to independently learning speaking. Most 

students mentioned that by using AI Replika, they can learn how to think and speak like native speaker. 

Though they realize that the native-like model is a robot that can only answers based on the program inputted 



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to them, but at least they can have an interactive practice instead of one way learning using YouTube videos, 

for example. Some misinterpretation by robots also makes them realize that their content of spoken 

conversation or their language choice might not be familiar to the robot as the program cannot read it. It 

makes them have the capabilities to paraphrase their sentences to obtain a suitable meaning and objectives 

of the conversation. Some other answers related to advantages of Replika for the students are: 

 

Accessible Practice 

All of students mentioned how Replika provides them with an easily accessible platform for language 

practice. Students can be flexible to do the conversation at their own place and their most convenient time. 

They can also do the speaking practice while resting, lying on their bed, and it can be paused and continued 

whenever the students need. AI Replika provides more frequent and flexible language practice. Replika's 

anytime accessibility allows learners to practice speaking whenever they have the motivation or free time. 

This continued availability supports a more consistent and immersive language learning experience. 

 

Personalized Learning 

Replika's AI capabilities enable personalized interactions. The tool can adapt to individual learning styles, 

providing customized practice and feedback tailored to each student's needs, which may be challenging in a 

traditional classroom environment. Some students mentioned that they feel reluctant to raise their hand in 

the classroom to practice while given chances by their lecturers. Some students also mentioned that some 

context provided by the lecturers sometimes is out of their knowledge or understanding. It makes them feel 

shy to raise their hand and practice. Using AI Repplika allows them to personalize their learning based on 

the topic that they like and familiar. 

 

Pronunciation Improvement 

Talking with robot of AI Replika brings students to improve their pronunciation through repetition and 

feedback. Based on most students AI Replika can assist students in improving their pronunciation. AI can 

provide instant feedback on pronunciation accuracy, helping learners perfect their spoken language skills. 

Several students also mention that AI Replika make them aware that some of their pronunciations are 

incorrect which makes robot cannot understand them. By constantly trying to get an accurate answer from 

the robot, students learn how to pronounce well and correctly at the same time. 

 

Vocabulary Expansion 

AI Replika also broadens students’ horizon on new vocabularies. Students argue that AI Replika can 

introduce and reinforce new vocabulary in context. This AI can provide explanations, synonyms, and usage 

examples, thereby contributing to a richer and more varied vocabulary for language learners. 

 

Increased Confidence 

Having a conversation with Replika can increase students' confidence in speaking. The non-judgmental 

nature of AI can create a low-pressure environment, allowing students to practice without fear of making 

mistakes. More importantly, AI Replika which allows students to access anytime and anywhere make 

students’ independent learning become private. Some students who claim to have high anxiety level think 

that this private and personalized practice with AI can boost their confidence in doing speaking practice. 

 

Cultural Exposure 

While not a perfect substitute for human cultural context, Replika can expose learners to different language 

styles and expressions. This exposure broadens their understanding of language use in a variety of contexts. 

The confused AI Replika or the disconnect answers from Replika make most of students aware that their 

way of producing English is not quite understandable based on the context of Native country which makes 

them voluntarily change the context to suit their speaking needs. 

Replika's interactive nature can make language learning more engaging and fun. Students may find the 

conversational aspect of interacting with AI interesting and motivating. AI Replika knows almost every topic 

and context in speaking which make Replika is entertaining. Some students also mentioned that Replika 

offers consistent and immediate feedback on language usage. This real-time feedback loop can speed up the 

learning process by immediately addressing errors and reinforcing correct language patterns. 

 In the field of language education, Replika is present as a versatile tool that offers a multitude of 

benefits for learners. It is easy-to-access platform transforms language practice, allowing students to engage 

in conversations at their own pace and convenience, encouraging more frequent and flexible language 

practice (Pentina, Hancock, & Xie, 2023). What sets Replika apart is its AI capabilities, which enable 



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personalized interactions tailored to individual learning styles. This adaptability ensures that students receive 

tailored practice and feedback, a feature that is often difficult to replicate in a traditional classroom 

environment. Beyond the constraints of the physical environment, Replika excels at honing pronunciation 

skills through repetition and instant feedback, contributing to the refinement of spoken language skills. It also 

serves as a guide to vocabulary expansion by introducing and reinforcing new words in context, increasing 

the richness and diversity of the learner's linguistic repertoire. Additionally, Replika's non-judgmental nature 

creates a low-pressure environment that increases students' confidence in speaking, which is an invaluable 

asset in language acquisition. Its flexibility and effectivity ensure that students can practice speaking 

whenever the motivation strikes, fostering a consistent and immersive language learning experience. 

Providing consistent and immediate feedback on language use becomes a catalyst for accelerated learning, 

addressing errors promptly and reinforcing correct language patterns. Although Replika introduces students 

to different language styles and expressions, it is important to realize that Replika does not replace the 

irreplaceable human element. Cultural exposure, increased engagement through interactive learning, and the 

ability to track progress over time are significant benefits, but for a comprehensive language learning 

environment, AI Replika implementation must be complemented by human interaction and real-world 

cultural experiences. In addition, culture is beyond machine algorithm. It is complex and very person related 

(Watterson, 2008). It is However, it is considered suitable enough for one of individual practice tool for 

students in Higher Education as it suits the character of students at higher education who are independent, 

innovative, and adaptive (Cope, Kalantzis, & Searsmith, 2021). 

 

Challenges in implementing AI replika as a substitute for the role of native speakers in speaking lectures 

Along with the benefits, students also mentioned some challenges they found while using AI Replika. All 

students mentioned that AI Replika needs speedy internet connection especially for talking interactively with 

robot. However, the chatbot features is friendlier for students’ finance. Others feel that the fee for regular 

subscription for enjoying all features in the AI Replike also cost them a fortune, so some prefers to use the 

basic mode which is the AI Replika chatbot. Some other challenges faced by students are as follows: 

 

Lack of emotional intelligence 

Students complained that Replika, like many other AI tools, lacks true emotional intelligence. It can be 

difficult to understand and respond appropriately to the emotional nuances inherent in human 

communication, limiting its effectiveness in certain aspects of language learning, such as empathetic or 

nuanced conversation. However, they are all aware that the lack ness is the limitation of robot that they can 

only see in human. 

 

Limited understanding of cultural context 

Some students see the limited understanding of cultural context is the disadvantage of using AI Replika. AI 

Replika which cannot fully understand the intricacies of cultural context can result in misinterpretation of 

cultural nuances and idiomatic expressions. This will be considerably dangerous if the students feel 

demotivated only after having miscommunication with the AI Replika. 

 

Overemphasis on fakeness  

Some numbers of students also think that AI Replika feel is unnatural for speaking practice. It leads to a 

robotic and unnatural speaking style for them, as they may unintentionally imitate patterns and phrases used 

by the AI, which may not always align with actual spoken language. Students than feel like they are not 

producing a natural spoken English. 

 

Dependence on technology 

Several numbers of students feel that they are afraid that they will be too comfortable with technology as they 

can explore emojis and all features like dressing up the Replika which is addictive. They started to do regular 

updates and maintenance since it is critical to the effectiveness of AI tools. Outdated algorithms or lack of 

updates can lead to reduced performance and effectiveness in language learning. 

Replika's adaptability is based on predetermined algorithms, and Replika may have difficulty dynamically 

adapting to unexpected changes in conversation or responding effectively to non-standard language use, 

thereby limiting its ability to adapt to a variety of learning scenarios. Over-reliance on Replika can create a 

dependency on technology, potentially hindering a learner's ability to communicate effectively in real-world 

and offline scenarios where technology is not available. 

 

Limited speech recognition accuracy 



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Several students commented that they may still face challenges in accurately capturing varying accents, 

speech rates, and subtle variations in pronunciation. Some students cannot understand AI Replika robot 

because they think the robot is too fast in talking to them. 

 

Inability to provide contextualized real-world scenarios 

While Replika can simulate conversations, it may struggle to provide authentic and contextually relevant 

scenarios that learners might encounter in real-life situations, thereby limiting the practical application of the 

students’ language skills. 

 It is understandable that along with the positive side of certain technology, there are also some negative 

sides of it. Replika, after all cannot replace the depth of understanding and cultural nuance that emerges from 

human interaction (Edwards & Cheok, 2018). While this can be a valuable complementary tool, learners still 

need exposure to authentic conversations with native speakers to develop truly comprehensive language 

proficiency. Although the integration of Replika AI into language learning environments provides a series of 

promising benefits, it is important to be aware of and address the challenges that arise with its use, particularly 

in the context of speaking practice. Despite its technological sophistication, Replika faces limitations such as 

a lack of emotional intelligence and an inability to fully understand the nuances of cultural context (Lin & 

Mubarok, 2021). The risk of students adopting artificial and unnatural speech styles, potential privacy issues 

regarding data handling, and reliance on technology for language proficiency are some of the challenges 

educators and students may face. Additionally, the static adaptability and speech recognition accuracy of 

these tools pose potential obstacles in providing dynamic, context-rich speaking practice. Balancing Replika's 

strengths with a differentiated understanding of these challenges is critical to creating a comprehensive 

language learning experience that combines the strengths and limitations of this innovative AI tool. After all, 

students need an image that they can follow, that can only be obtained from the presence of actual lecturers 

and native-like model (Barnes, et al., 2005). 

 

CONCLUSION 

This study is conducted to find out how is the implementation of AI Replika in the classroom, what the 

benefits are, and what the challenges are. As many as 39 students from English Education Study Program 

at Universitas Negeri Semarang studying in 2nd semester participated in the study. This paper explores 

about the student’s perspectives on the use of AI Replika as their individual practice tool for 4 months 

application. In conclusion, the implementation of Replika as a substitute for native speakers in speaking 

lectures is promising, but it requires careful attention to the advantages and challenges involved. With a 

balanced approach, the use of AI technology can enhance the language learning experience, but it still needs 

to be complemented by irreplaceable human interaction to achieve deeper language understanding and 

proficiency. 

 

FUNDING STATEMENT 

We deliver our gratitude to the Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang for the funding 

that we received to accomplish this project in the frame of the program “Dana DIPA FBS 2023” under the 

grant agreement number 11.6.6/UN37/PPK.02/2023. 

 

 

 

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