Deep Learning Approaches Integrated with Intercultural Pragmatic Competence for Enhancing EFL Learners' Speaking Skills

Abstract

The development of EFL learners’ speaking skills remains challenging, as many learners continue to experience limited fluency, low confidence, insufficient opportunities for authentic communication, and difficulties in using English appropriately across different social and cultural contexts. These challenges indicate that speaking instruction requires not only linguistic practice but also learning approaches that promote meaningful understanding, higher-order thinking, and intercultural pragmatic competence. However, previous studies have largely examined Deep Learning Approaches and Intercultural Pragmatic Competence as separate concepts, resulting in fragmented evidence regarding their integration in EFL speaking instruction. This study aims to systematically synthesize previous research on the integration of Deep Learning Approaches and Intercultural Pragmatic Competence in EFL speaking instruction. A qualitative Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Relevant articles published between 2015 and 2026 were retrieved from Scopus, DOAJ, and Google Scholar and analyzed through thematic analysis and narrative synthesis. The findings reveal four major themes: publication trends and research characteristics, implementation characteristics, effects on EFL speaking development, and challenges, research gaps, and future research directions. The synthesis indicates that the integration of these two dimensions promotes meaningful, learner-centered, and contextual learning and is associated with improvements in speaking fluency, vocabulary, pronunciation, grammatical accuracy, confidence, and communicative appropriateness. However, implementation varies depending on learner characteristics, teacher readiness, instructional design, and learning environments. The review also highlights the limited availability of integrated pedagogical frameworks, assessment instruments, and longitudinal studies. Therefore, future research should focus on developing comprehensive instructional models and assessment frameworks while utilizing digital technologies to support authentic intercultural communication across diverse EFL contexts.