| Summary: | COVID-19 pandemic and its ongoing worldwide effects are transforming the way we live, learn, and work across sectors. That is why some autonomous ways of learning spoken English are worth trying. This study aimed to investigate the effect of technology using Voki as a technique to improve ESL speaking skills among students. Moreover, this study is to examine the students’ perceptions using Voki to improve speaking skills during COVID-19 outbreaks in the 21st-century classroom. A mixed-method approach will be utilized in this study to validate the effectiveness of Voki and the learners' perceptions of Voki in improving speaking skills. The sample consists of 100 undergraduate students from public universities in Malaysia who were the subjects of the experimental study (experimental n=50; control n=50). The quantitative research method has employed in this study which involved data collection via a questionnaire, experimental pre-test, and post-test method. The qualitative method was applied through the semi-structured instrument. Stratified purposive sampling by grouping respondents into groups and strata, 10 percent out of 100 samples were interviewed. The outcomes of the study can be used to allow the educators to be more innovative and more creative in their teaching using technologies, especially during pandemic COVID-19 outbreaks. The impact of this study can be beneficial for both educators and learners. The findings concluded that Voki helped in enhancing speaking skills, increasing confidence level, reduce anxiety in speaking English, improve pronunciation and fluency in speaking. They also have positive perceptions towards the use of Voki to improve speaking skills during the COVID-19 outbreak in the 21st-century classroom. © 2023 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.
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