Speaking is one of the most essential skills in English learning, yet it remains challenging for many students, particularly in EFL contexts with limited opportunities for practice. In Indonesia, speaking classes are often teacher-centered, leading to difficulties in fluency, pronunciation, and confidence. At SMA Aziziah Palembang, these problems were evident, with students showing low speaking performance and engagement. This study examined the effectiveness of the ELSA Speak application combined with the Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) strategy in improving students’ speaking skills. A quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test control group was used, involving two tenth-grade classes. The experimental group received ELSA Speak-based treatment, while the control group followed traditional methods. Speaking was assessed in fluency, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and comprehension, using a rubric adapted from Brown (2004). Results showed the experimental group’s mean score increased from 14.75 to 15.75, with the minimum score improving from 8 to 9 and the maximum from 20 to 22, representing a 6.78% improvement, especially in pronunciation and fluency. The control group’s increase was minimal (13.53 to 13.69; 1.18%), indicating limited impact from conventional teaching. However, statistical analysis revealed no significant difference between groups (p > 0.05), possibly due to the short treatment period and limited smartphone access for practice. The findings suggest that ELSA Speak with MALL strategy has potential to enhance speaking skills. Future studies are recommended to apply longer treatment durations, provide more comprehensive materials, and ensure better technology access.

Keywords: ELSA Speak, Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL), speaking skills, pronunciation, fluency.