The Impact of ChatGPT on the Writing Skills of ESL Students of a Public Sector College in Lahore

Abstract

The aim of this study was to study the impact of ChatGPT-based instruction on improving the writing skills of undergraduate ESL students in a public-sector college in Lahore. The study used a mixed-method sequential explanatory design, the research included a quasi-experimental phase and qualitative interviews. During the Qualitative Phase 30 students were Purposefully selected from the Semester One of BS English Course. They were further divided into Experimental and Control groups, and were given writing assignments on Functional English topics. The Experimental Group was asked to take assistance from ChatGPT alongside textbooks, whereas the Control Group relied solely on textbooks. Post test results revealed significant improvements in the Experimental Group across three dependent variables: content, grammar, and presentation, with average post-test scores of 62%, 61%, and 55%, respectively, compared to 50%, 48%, and 43% in the control group. During the qualitative phase of the study, semi-structured interviews were taken from two randomly selected students of Experimental Group. Both the students reported a positive experience, enhanced confidence, reduced time spent on assignments, and an emotionally supportive learning environment while working with ChatGPT. However, they acknowledged the necessity of supplementing AI with traditional resources to ensure accuracy and adherence to prescribed formats. This study suggests integrating AI into classrooms to complement traditional methods, it advocates for further research with larger populations, diverse educational contexts, and extended study durations to establish the broader applicability and effectiveness of AI in education. The study concludes that incorporating AI in our ESL classrooms is the need of the hour if teachers want to remain relevant with the younger generation.

     Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT, English as a Second Language