Abstract
This study explores students’ perceptions of AI benefits in GBA-based fractured story speaking tasks across different stages of the teaching cycle and identifies challenges and limitations students encounter when using AI for speaking practice. While AI is increasingly integrated into language education, limited research explores its pedagogical impact when embedded in genre-based speaking activities, particularly in EFL (English as a Foreign Language) settings. This qualitative case study involved 32 tenth-grade students in West Java, Indonesia, and examined how an AI tool, i.e., ChatGPT, influenced their fluency, pronunciation and content structure in spoken English tasks. The study used classroom observations, students’ reflection using Google Form, focus group semi-structured interviews, and students’ conversation log with AI to collect the data. The study used thematic analysis to analyze the data. The findings reveal that students perceived AI as a valuable aid in idea generation, pronunciation improvement, and confidence building. They valued AI’s instant feedback and flexibility, though concerns emerged about technical issues and inappropriate AI responses. This study offers evidence-based recommendations for effective AI integration in genre-based speaking instruction. Future research needs to investigate how AI-mediated genre-based instruction can be pedagogically balanced with teacher support to foster deeper genre awareness and sustained speaking proficiency.