Insights into EFL Students’ Perceptions of the ‘ChatGPT Essentials’ Training Course for Language Learning

This paper introduces ‘ChatGPT essentials’, a pedagogically driven training course for pre-service English as a Foreign language (EFL) teachers at the College of Basic Education (CBE) in Kuwait. It responds to current ethical and academic integrity issues by empowering students to use ChatGPT both effectively and ethically. Prior to ChatGPT essentials training sessions, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five male undergraduate students in a Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) course to assess their familiarity with ChatGPT for language learning, followed by pedagogical and practical training sessions and a subsequent evaluation. The quantitative analysis indicates that the students generally valued the training on four levels (i.e., reaction, learning, behaviors, and results). Their perceptions and experiences have changed positively, indicating general positive attitudes towards using ChatGPT as a tool to develop their language skills. Qualitative data from post-training interviews and students’ reflective journals revealed that students valued the practical guidance on ethical usage and critical evaluation of ChatGPT practices, which enhanced their digital literacy skills and fostered responsible ChatGPT use. Such findings point to the benefits of implementing pedagogical training to enhance students’ ChatGPT usage.