Chat GPT as a tool for debate-based language learning: an experimental study

Chat GPT is an emerging technology that can improve language learning outcomes and experiences by offering personalized feedback and guidance to learners and enabling access to authentic and diverse language resources. However, this tool also poses ethical and social challenges, such as how to ensure the students’ active participation, critical evaluation, and cultural sensitivity. This paper investigates how Chat GPT can help to enhance the students' communicative skills using a debate-based learning approach. An experimental study was carried out, in which a group of intermediate learners of Italian as a second language of different origins and backgrounds were divided into two subgroups, using Chat GPT as a reference for preparing their arguments respectively for and against a given topic. Both subgroups also interacted with a jury composed of other students, who assessed their performance and provided feedback. The jury also used Chat GPT to deepen their knowledge of the topics and to generate questions for the debaters. The linguistic skills of the learners were measured before and after the intervention, using a pre-test and a post-test consisting of reading comprehension tasks based on texts related to the topics of the debate. The learners were also required to summarize the topic and to express personal opinions on the texts. The texts were used as a baseline and as an outcome measure to evaluate the improvement of the learners’ communicative skills. Feedback from the learners about their experience with Chat GPT and the debate method was also collected. The results showed that the learners were highly motivated, engaged and satisfied with the learning process.The qualitative analysis revealed that Chat GPT was able to generate coherent, relevant and natural responses to the learners’ arguments, as well as to provide feedback, corrections and suggestions, howevernthe tool also exhibited some limitations, such as occasional errors and lack of precision in its responses. The implications of the findings for language teaching and learning, as well as the ethical and social challenges posed by artificial intelligence in education, will be discussed. The paper will conclude with some recommendations for future research and practice on the use of Chat GPT for language learning.