ChatGPT AS A LEARNING TOOL IN AN UNDERGRADUATE ADVANCED ACADEMIC ENGLISH COURSE AT SOUTH EAST EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY

Abstract

The role ChatGPT and similar AI tools inevitably play in every single aspect of  contemporary life, including the field of foreign language teaching and learning can definitely not and should not be ignored and overlooked. Although the development of AI cannot be immediately and precisely forecasted, it is more than obvious that it is already dictating trends in foreign language learning. Given the heavy dependence of today’s generations on technology, integrating ChatGPT into English language curricula in tertiary education can significantly enhance student motivation. This paper explores the potential of ChatGPT as a language learning tool in the context of tertiary education and advocates for policy of inclusion rather than policy of banning state-of –the art technologies in the realm of tertiary education. It summarises and reports on the results and key findings from a student survey aiming to reveal how familiar is the undergraduate student population at South East European University (SEEU) with ChatGPT and shed light on students’ experience with it so far. The paper also briefly elaborates on the pioneer attempt for integration of the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT in the foreign language teaching process in the Advanced Academic English course at SEEU with the sole purpose of improving its quality and effectiveness.