The Impact of ChatGPT’s Immediate Feedback on EFL Learners Writing Accuracy versus Appropriateness

The Impact of ChatGPT’s Immediate Feedback on EFL Learners Writing Accuracy versus Appropriateness

This study investigated the impact of OPenAI’s ChatGPT-3.5 immediate feedback on the writing improvement of English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ writing accuracy versus appropriateness. To this end, 60 upper-intermediate General IELTS candidates from Iran University of Medical Sciences’ Language Department were recruited based on convenient sampling. After checking for their homogeneity, they were divided into control and experimental groups. The study employed a quasi-experimental pre-test, treatment and post-test design. The experimental group was treated differently on assignment feedback it via Artificial Intelligence (AI). Results of independent-samples t-tests, paired-samples t-tests, and MANOVA analyses revealed positive impacts of ChatGPT’s instantaneous feedback on the participants’ writing accuracy and appropriateness. The findings suggest that AI immediate feedback can significantly enhance EFL writing performance while considering the importance of human intervention and guidance. However, the study also identified challenges related to overreliance on AI tools and the limitations in capturing nuanced language aspects. The implications of this research contribute to the understanding of how AI technology can be utilized to improve EFL writing instruction, informing pedagogical practices and highlighting the need for a balanced approach that combines AI tools with human support.