The Impact of Chatgpt on English as a Foreign Language Learners’ Writing Skills-An Experimental Study at Georgian Universities
Keywords:
ChatGPT, English as a Foreign Language (EFL), Writing Skills, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Language Learning, Educational Technology
Abstract
This study explores the impact of ChatGPT on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' writing skills. The integration of advanced AI tools like ChatGPT has transformed educational experiences, offering significant potential to enhance writing competence through personalized feedback and interactive writing practice. Conducted in a Georgian higher education context, the study involved 33 B2-level students divided into experimental and control groups over six weeks. The experimental group used ChatGPT for writing assistance, while the control group received traditional instruction. Results showed that ChatGPT significantly improved students' writing performance, highlighting its efficacy as an educational tool. However, concerns about ethical use and over-reliance on AI were noted, emphasizing the need for a balanced integration of technology in language learning.
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References
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24. Pourhoseingholi, M. A., Hatamnejad, M. R., & Solhpour, A. (2023). Does ChatGPT (or any other artificial intelligence language tools) deserve to be included in authorship list? Gastroenterology Hepatology Bed Bench, 16(1), 435–437.
25. Rasul, T., Nair, S., Kalendra, D., Robin, M., de Oliveira Santini, F., Ladeira, W. J., Sun, M., Day, I., Rather, R. A., & Heathcote, L. (2023). The role of ChatGPT in higher education: Benefits, challenges, and future research directions. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2023.6.1.29
26. Roose, K. (2023, January 12). Do not ban ChatGPT in schools. Teach with it. NYTimes. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/technology/chatgpt-schools-teachers.html
27. Sallam, M. (2023). ChatGPT utility in healthcare education, research, and practice: Systematic review on the promising perspectives and valid concerns. Healthcare. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11060887
28. Shoufan, A. (2023). Exploring students’ perceptions of ChatGPT: Thematic analysis and follow-up survey. IEEE Access.
29. Suaverdez, J. B., & Suaverdez, U. V. (2023). Chatbots impact on academic writing. Global Journal of Business and Integral Security.
30. Taecharungroj, V. (2023). What can ChatGPT do? Analyzing early reactions to the innovative AI chatbot on Twitter. Big Data and Cognitive Computing, 7(1), 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/bdcc7010035
31. Valero Haro, A., Noroozi, A., Biemans, O., et al. (2022). Argumentation competence: Students’ argumentation knowledge, behavior, and attitude and their relationships with domain-specific knowledge acquisition. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 135(1), 123–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2020.1734995
32. Wei, P., Wang, X., & Dong, H. (2023). The impact of automated writing evaluation (AWE) on second-language writing skills of Chinese EFL learners: A randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1249991.
33. Xiao, Y. (2023). Decoding authorship: Is there really no place for an algorithmic author under copyright law? International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law, 54, 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40319-022-01269-5
34. Yan, D. (2023). Impact of ChatGPT on learners in an L2 writing practicum: An exploratory investigation. Educational Information Technology, 28, 13943–13967. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11742-4
35. Yeadon, W., Inyang, O., Mizouri, A., et al. (2023). The death of the short-form physics essay in the coming AI revolution. Physics Education, 58(3), 035027. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/acc5cf
36. Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V. I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education—Where are the educators? International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0
2. Barrot, J. S. (2023). Using ChatGPT for second language writing: Pitfalls and potentials. Assessing Writing, 57, 100745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2023.100745
3. Bishop, L. A. (2023). Computer wrote this paper: What ChatGPT means for education, research, and writing. Research in Writing. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4338981
4. Campbell, M. (2019). Teaching academic writing in higher education. Educational Quarterly Review, 2(3), 608–614. https://doi.org/10.31014/aior.1993.02.03.92
5. Cotton, D. R. E., Cotton, P. A., & Shipway, J. R. (2023). Chatting and cheating: Ensuring academic integrity in the era of ChatGPT. Innovative Education and Teaching International, 00, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2023.2190148
6. Dwivedi, Y. K. (2023). So what if ChatGPT wrote it? Multidisciplinary perspectives on opportunities, challenges, and implications of generative conversational AI for research, practice, and policy. International Journal of Information Management, 71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102642
7. Grimaldi, G., & Ehrler, B. (2023). AI et al.: Machines are about to change scientific publishing forever. ACS Energy Letters, 8(1), 878–880. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.2c02828
8. Heitmann, P., Hecht, M., Schwanewedel, J., et al. (2014). Students’ argumentative writing skills in science and first-language education: Commonalities and differences. International Journal of Science Education, 36(18), 3148–3170. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2014.962644
9. Hern, A. (2022). AI bot ChatGPT stuns academics with essay-writing skills and usability. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/dec/04/ai-bot-chatgpt-stuns-academics-with-essay-writing-skills-and-usability
10. Hoang, G. (2023). Academic writing and AI: Day-5 experiment with cultural additivity. https://osf.io/u3cjx/download
11. Huang, J., & Tan, M. (2023). The role of ChatGPT in scientific communication: Writing better scientific review articles. American Journal of Cancer Research, 13(4), 1148.
12. Jia, F., Sun, D., Ma, Q., & Looi, C. K. (2022). Developing an AI-based learning system for L2 learners’ authentic and ubiquitous learning in English language. Sustainability, 14(23), 15527. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315527
13. Kasneci, E., Seßler, K., Küchemann, S., Bannert, M., Dementieva, D., Fischer, F., Gasser, U., Groh, G., Günnemann, S., & Hüllermeier, E. (2023). ChatGPT for good? On opportunities and challenges of large language models for education. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/5er8f
14. Khalil, M., & Er, E. (2023). Will ChatGPT get you caught? Rethinking plagiarism detection. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/fnh48
15. Kohnke, L. (2023). L2 learners' perceptions of a chatbot as a potential independent language learning tool. International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation, 17(3), 214–226. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMLO.2023.128339
16. Kung, T. H., Cheatham, M., Medenilla, A., et al. (2023). Performance of ChatGPT on USMLE: Potential for AI-assisted medical education using large language models. PLOS Digital Health. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pdig.0000198
17. Latifi, S., Noroozi, O., & Talaee, E. (2021). Peer feedback or peer feedforward? Enhancing students’ argumentative peer learning processes and outcomes. British Journal of Educational Technology, 52, 768–784. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13054
18. Lee, I. (2017). Classroom writing assessment and feedback in L2 school contexts. Singapore: Springer Singapore.
19. Liu, C., Hou, J., Tu, Y. F., Wang, Y., & Hwang, G. J. (2021). Incorporating a reflective thinking promoting mechanism into artificial intelligence-supported English writing environments. Interactive Learning Environments, 31, 3340–3359. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2021.1927115
20. Lo, C. K. (2023). What is the impact of ChatGPT on education? A rapid review of the literature. Education Sciences, 13(4), 410. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13040410
21. Lund, B. D., & Wang, T. (2023). Chatting about ChatGPT: How may AI and GPT impact academia and libraries? Library Hi Tech News. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-01-2023-0009
22. Nazari, N., Shabbir, M. S., & Setiawan, R. (2021). Application of artificial intelligence-powered digital writing assistant in higher education: Randomized controlled trial. Heliyon, 7, e07014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07014
23. Pavlik, J. V. (2023). Collaborating with ChatGPT: Considering the implications of generative artificial intelligence for journalism and media education. Journalism & Mass Communication Educator, 78(1), 84–93. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776958221149577
24. Pourhoseingholi, M. A., Hatamnejad, M. R., & Solhpour, A. (2023). Does ChatGPT (or any other artificial intelligence language tools) deserve to be included in authorship list? Gastroenterology Hepatology Bed Bench, 16(1), 435–437.
25. Rasul, T., Nair, S., Kalendra, D., Robin, M., de Oliveira Santini, F., Ladeira, W. J., Sun, M., Day, I., Rather, R. A., & Heathcote, L. (2023). The role of ChatGPT in higher education: Benefits, challenges, and future research directions. Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.37074/jalt.2023.6.1.29
26. Roose, K. (2023, January 12). Do not ban ChatGPT in schools. Teach with it. NYTimes. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/12/technology/chatgpt-schools-teachers.html
27. Sallam, M. (2023). ChatGPT utility in healthcare education, research, and practice: Systematic review on the promising perspectives and valid concerns. Healthcare. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11060887
28. Shoufan, A. (2023). Exploring students’ perceptions of ChatGPT: Thematic analysis and follow-up survey. IEEE Access.
29. Suaverdez, J. B., & Suaverdez, U. V. (2023). Chatbots impact on academic writing. Global Journal of Business and Integral Security.
30. Taecharungroj, V. (2023). What can ChatGPT do? Analyzing early reactions to the innovative AI chatbot on Twitter. Big Data and Cognitive Computing, 7(1), 35. https://doi.org/10.3390/bdcc7010035
31. Valero Haro, A., Noroozi, A., Biemans, O., et al. (2022). Argumentation competence: Students’ argumentation knowledge, behavior, and attitude and their relationships with domain-specific knowledge acquisition. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 135(1), 123–145. https://doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2020.1734995
32. Wei, P., Wang, X., & Dong, H. (2023). The impact of automated writing evaluation (AWE) on second-language writing skills of Chinese EFL learners: A randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1249991.
33. Xiao, Y. (2023). Decoding authorship: Is there really no place for an algorithmic author under copyright law? International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law, 54, 5–25. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40319-022-01269-5
34. Yan, D. (2023). Impact of ChatGPT on learners in an L2 writing practicum: An exploratory investigation. Educational Information Technology, 28, 13943–13967. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11742-4
35. Yeadon, W., Inyang, O., Mizouri, A., et al. (2023). The death of the short-form physics essay in the coming AI revolution. Physics Education, 58(3), 035027. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6552/acc5cf
36. Zawacki-Richter, O., Marín, V. I., Bond, M., & Gouverneur, F. (2019). Systematic review of research on artificial intelligence applications in higher education—Where are the educators? International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-019-0171-0
Published
2025-03-23
How to Cite
Pipia, E., & Gurgenishvili, T. (2025). The Impact of Chatgpt on English as a Foreign Language Learners’ Writing Skills-An Experimental Study at Georgian Universities. European Scientific Journal, ESJ, 39, 429. Retrieved from https://eujournal.org/index.php/esj/article/view/19269
Section
ESI Preprints
Copyright (c) 2025 Ekaterine Pipia, Tamar Gurgenishvili
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
