The Impact of ChatGPT on the Development of Vocabulary Knowledge of Saudi EFL Students

Abstract

This research was piloted to systematically compare the impact of ChatGPT-generated exercises versus traditional exercises on Saudi EFL students’ vocabulary size and the strength of word families. It aimed to answer the following questions: 1) To what extent does the integration of ChatGPT-generated exercises impact Saudi EFL students’ vocabulary size of word families? 2) To what extent does the integration of ChatGPT-generated exercises impact Saudi EFL students’ vocabulary size and strength of word families? This research holds significance because it provides educators with empirical results of the impact of ChatGPT’s role and function on the second language vocabulary development process. Sixty male Saudi students at Jouf University were selected by stratified random sampling. The design of this research is experimental. Consequently, samples were randomly assigned to different experimental conditions and groups (i.e., control and treatment groups). Computer-Adaptive Test of Size and Strength, as developed by Laufer and Goldstein (2004), was administered to both groups at the beginning and end of their studies in the IELP course with an interval of four months. The collected results from all participants (N=60) from both groups and in both intervals (i.e., pre-test and post-test) were clearly and concisely imported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences SPSS. Multivariate Analysis of Variance was conducted. Results revealed that Saudi EFL students’ vocabulary development improved significantly in both groups. However, participants in the experimental group who experienced ChatGPT-generated exercises notably surpassed that of the control group in terms of vocabulary size and strength of word families.