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Article History

Received: 16 June 2024

Accepted: 27 February 2025

First Online: 15 March 2025

Competing interests

: The authors declare no competing interests.

: This study was conducted as part of the author’s PhD research under the supervision of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and it complies with the ethical standards set by the Ethics Committee for Research Involving Human Subjects at UPM (JKEUPM). The ethical approval for this study was granted under reference number JKEUPM-2022-910 on 15 December 2022, with approval valid until 15 December 2023. The study involves university students from a Chinese university and investigates the effects of the artificial intelligence mobile application Liulishuo on speaking performance. Data collection activities, such as questionnaires and speaking tests, were included in the approved research plan. Prior to the study’s initiation at Jilin Technology and Business University, written permission was obtained from the university, confirming institutional support for the research and its application to the doctoral thesis at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Formal ethical approval was granted by Universiti Putra Malaysia, and the study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki’s guidelines, ensuring compliance with both international ethical standards and local regulations. By securing institutional approval from Jilin Technology and Business University, the study ensured it met the ethical and regulatory requirements of both the home institution (UPM) and the host institution (Jilin Technology and Business University).

: Written informed consent was obtained from all adult participants prior to their involvement in the study. The consent process was conducted in April 2023 by the principal researcher. Participants were provided with an information sheet detailing the study’s objectives, procedures, potential risks, data usage, and confidentiality measures. Participants explicitly consented to participation, data collection, data usage, and publication of research findings. All participants were assured that their anonymity would be maintained throughout the study and that their personal data would only be used for research purposes. This study employed a quasi-experimental research design, where participants were assigned to either an experimental or control group. The experimental group used an AI-powered mobile application (Liulishuo) as part of their English-learning process, while the control group followed traditional methods. This study did not involve any medical, psychological, or high-risk interventions. No vulnerable individuals, such as minors, patients, or refugees, were included in this study. No financial or material incentives were provided to participants. Participants were informed that their participation was voluntary, and they had the right to withdraw at any stage without any consequences. Participants were informed that there were no foreseeable risks associated with their participation in this study.