Developing English proficiency and 21st-century skills through the integration of ICT and human interaction
This study aims to investigate the impact of engagement with eight young native English speakers on the attitudes of English learners towards using English in both face-to-face and online settings. The author conducted the research to prepare for Society 5.0 and examined the students' attitudes towards speaking English while interacting with native speakers once a month from April 2022 to January 2023. The 30-week program emphasized higher-order thinking skills and English proficiency by integrating ICT and human interactions. Using PeerEval software, the native speakers evaluated the students' presentations and provided feedback to improve their abilities. Assignments were shared via the group line. The participants (n=41) took the TOEIC pre- and post-test, which showed an improvement of 71 points to 639 (SD, 115). Finally, the progress of the participants' cross-cultural sensitivity and 21st-century competencies was measured by comparing pre- and post-questionnaire responses. After two semesters of observation, the activities changed students' perceptions of cross-cultural communication, presentation skills, and alternate worldviews, reducing foreign language anxiety.