Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: In this working paper we describe our preliminary exploration into students’ use of ChatGPT-4o (free tier) in university EFL classes in Japan in the 2024 academic year. We begin by briefly reviewing the literature in this emerging field, considering its implications and relevance to our specific teaching context, and note the current gaps in the literature regarding students’ use of AI in university EFL classes. Next, we explain the impetus for our initial inquiry and describe our specific teaching context. We then present some of the various ways to date that we have attempted to have students make use of ChatGPT-4o, and at the same time discourage them from using it in ways that may hinder their learning. We describe both the apparent successes experienced as well as the various challenges that have arisen in terms of student use of the application, the specificity required for request prompts, and the impact AI has had on our actions as teachers, such as in our evaluation of student learning. We conclude with proposals for further research that aim to clarify the role of ChatGPT in our future teaching and our students’ learning.
Authors: Paul R. Underwood, Miriam T. Black
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7208340963