Exploring Tertiary Vietnamese EFL Students’ Engagement in Vocabulary Learning through the Use of an AI Tool

Abstract

The utilization of AI tools in language teaching is increasingly popular worldwide. Existing literature suggests that educators have integrated AI tools into their teaching methodologies to enhance student learning. Among the tools, POE is currently being used by several Vietnamese ESL teachers. Nonetheless, students’ engagement in and their perception of the effectiveness of the tool still needs to be explored. Hence, this research was carried out to assess student engagement in utilizing this AI chatbot for students’ vocabulary learning and their perceived usefulness and benefits. With a mixed-method approach, the study was conducted at a public university in Vietnam with a sample of 31 English-majored students. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. The quantitative data were analyzed with the use of repeated-measures ANOVA (RMA), while the qualitative data were analyzed following thematic analysis guidelines. The findings revealed that most of the participants found the tool useful, and they were actively engaged in learning vocabulary using this tool. The research outcomes propose valuable insights for university EFL teachers regarding the integration of AI tools like POE into curricula to optimize students’ learning experiences with innovative language instruction.