The Impact of ChatGPT on English Language Teaching, Learning, and Assessment: A Rapid Review of Literature

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the impact of ChatGPT on English language teaching, learning, and assessment. Specifically, it aimed to answer the following questions: 1) How can ChatGPT enhance English language learning, teaching, and assessment? and 2) What are the issues associated with ChatGPT in terms of language teaching, learning, and assessment? Utilizing Rapid Literature Review as a methodology guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, this study found that ChatGPT can support and enhance English language learning by providing meaning-focused inputs, offering scaffoldings during the production of meaning-focused outputs, giving feedback on the accuracy of learners’ language outputs, and facilitating fluency development through extensive language practice. Moreover, this study also found that ChatGPT can enhance English language teaching by assisting teachers in designing bespoke lesson plans, facilitating language learning inside and outside language classrooms, developing customized instructional materials, assessing L2 learning, and giving immediate, individualized feedback. However, despite the benefits it can provide to English language teachers and learners, its use in the classroom is faced with many issues such as inaccurate responses, academic dishonesty and plagiarism, skills deterioration, generic responses, inherent biases, privacy breaches, non-emotionality, technical limitations, educational inequity, and teacher job security threat. Detailed results and implications for policymaking and language teacher development are discussed.