“I No Longer Need a Tutor”: Saudi EFL Students’ Independent Use of ChatGPT for Essay Writing and Grammar Learning

This study examined the independent use of ChatGPT by EFL students outside the classroom. It focused on how these Saudi EFL students used ChatGPT for essay writing and grammar learning without prior instruction. The study aimed to answer the following research questions: (1) How do EFL students use ChatGPT for essay writing? (2) How do EFL students incorporate ChatGPT into grammar learning? Eight participants were recruited using snowball sampling from a specific university in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected via semi-structured and stimulated-recall interviews, along with screen recordings of the student’s interactions with ChatGPT, and were analyzed thematically. The findings revealed that Saudi EFL students adopted two distinct approaches to using ChatGPT for essay writing. The first was a comprehensive, process-oriented approach in which students refined their ChatGPT use throughout various stages of the writing process. The second was a product-oriented approach in which students primarily relied on AI-generated essays and utilized the AI Humanizer feature. The findings also identified specific features that students adapted to enhance their grammar learning. The study concludes with pedagogical implications for EFL learning, highlighting the need to assess students’ writing processes, monitor their progress, and instruct them on the ethics of AI use and acceptable applications in academic settings. It provides valuable insights into how EFL students leverage ChatGPT for both essay writing and grammar learning.