From App to Fluent: A Bibliometric Analysis on the Impact of English Conversation Application on ESL Learners’ Skills

Purpose. This study examined the research landscape surrounding the use of English conversation applications (ECAs) and their impact on the speaking fluency of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. It addresses the gaps in the existing literature by identifying influential studies, recurring themes, and emerging trends using bibliometric techniques. Design/methodology/approach. A bibliometric analysis was conducted of 175 peer-reviewed articles sourced from the Scopus database (2015–2025). The data were analyzed using VOSviewer to visualize citation networks, co-authorship, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic clusters. The inclusion criteria focused on articles within the Social Sciences published in English. This study applied citation thresholds and thematic mapping to ensure analytical rigor. Findings. The findings reveal steady growth in scholarly interest in ECAs, with key contributions highlighting their effectiveness in enhancing ESL learners’ fluency, pronunciation, confidence, and conversational competence. Research has been clustered around interactional linguistics, cognitive processing, corpus-based analysis, and digital communication. Core themes included turn-taking, prosody, discourse markers, and sociocultural influences on language use. Practical implications. This study provides actionable insights for educators, curriculum designers, and app developers. This underscores the value of integrating ECAs into language instruction, tailoring them to diverse learner profiles, and supporting real-time feedback mechanisms. Policymakers and researchers should address underrepresented contexts and align technological tools with pedagogical goals. Originality/value. This is the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of ECAs in relation to ESL speaking fluency. This study offers a macro-level synthesis of research trends and contributes to the theoretical and practical understanding of how technology-mediated conversation supports fluency development. This study serves as a foundational resource for future inquiry and applications in language education.