ChatGPT as a Learning Strategy: A Study on High School EFL Students' Engagement in Language Acquisition in Saudi Arabia

This study investigates the role of ChatGPT as a learning strategy in enhancing engagement and language acquisition among Saudi high school EFL students. It employs quantitative and qualitative research approaches to gather students’ perceived engagement and learning strategies while using ChatGPT in the learning process. The study results showed that Saudi high school students highly perceived the efficacy of ChatGPT as a learning aid and its role in promoting English acquisition in an EFL setting. Qualitative findings highlight five key factors necessary for the effective use of ChatGPT as a learning aid in the EFL classroom: (i) enhancing its interactivity as a classroom tool; (ii) positioning it as an intelligent learning companion; (iii) advancing its technical development for EFL-specific contexts; (iv) improving the quality of its conversational AI experience; and (v) increasing its accessibility and ease of use. Based on these findings, the study suggests integrating AI-driven tools like ChatGPT to support language competence development in Saudi EFL classrooms while looking for enhancements in its features.