EFL Student Engagement with ChatGPT in College Reading Classes via Prompts and Perceptions

• Published in: Korea Journal of English Language and Linguistics Vol. 25; pp. 686 - 706
• Main Author: Yang, Hyejin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 한국영어학회 01.05.2025
• Subjects: 영어와문학
• ISSN: 1598-1398; 2586-7474
• DOI: 10.15738/kjell.25..202505.686

This study explored EFL students’ interactions with ChatGPT, focusing on their prompting practices and perceptions towards ChatGPT in a college English class. A total of 36 university freshmen enrolled in English classes at a university participated in this study. Conversation logs from Weeks 4, 9, and 13 and Week 14 questionnaire responses were collected. Eleven prompt types were identified and analyzed for frequency, and Chi-squared tests examined prompt usage differences over time. Questionnaire data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests, while qualitative responses were interpreted using grounded theory to examine students’ opinions. Findings showed that students generated 11 prompt types, with information requests related to assigned passages being most frequent and increasing over time. Prompts for word definitions and sentence editing were also common, though their usage varied across three worksheets. Students revealed positive attitudes toward ChatGPT, valuing its fast responses, ease of use, and support for reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammar skills. However, challenges such as repetitive inquiry patterns, information overload from ChatGPT, and limited support for advanced grammar concepts were noted. The study underscores the importance of fostering prompt literacy in AI-supported language classes, helping students craft precise prompts and engage actively with ChatGPT. Despite limitations, the findings highlight ChatGPT’s potential as a supplementary tool for language learning. Future research should expand to diverse student groups, use standardized assessments, and conduct longitudinal studies to track changes in language proficiency and ChatGPT usage over time, further enhancing its integration into language education. KCI Citation Count: 0