Non-academic learner socialisation with ChatGPT and its influences on learning English argumentative writing logic

Abstract ChatGPT-assisted learning has been increasingly implemented and shown effectiveness at cognitive and affective levels. In this learning approach, learners may have non-academic socialisation with ChatGPT behaviourally by producing non-academic prompts and emotionally by developing a sense of relatedness with it, which, considering the reported benefit of non-academic learner socialisation, may contribute to the effectiveness of ChatGPT-assisted learning. So far, research on such non-academic socialisation and its impact remains limited. To fill in the gap and thereby enhance the understanding of ChatGPT-assisted learning, we explored the extent and nature of non-academic socialisation with ChatGPT among EFL learners and its effects on learning outcomes in English argumentative writing. We developed a GPT-4-powered bot for learning English argumentative writing logic and asked 40 EFL university students to use it for a 45-to-75-min period. We analysed their prompts and surveyed their senses of relatedness to measure their behavioural and emotional non-academic socialisation with ChatGPT. Pre-post tests, writing tasks, and questionnaire surveys were administered to assess their learning outcomes regarding logical knowledge, logical quality, and self-efficacy in English argumentative writing. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted. Findings indicate that EFL learners had upper-intermediate levels of non-academic socialisation with ChatGPT due to ChatGPT’s excellent capabilities of language understanding and generation, fostering social presence and homophily, and stimulating positive emotions among learners. The socialisation enhanced learning outcomes in English argumentative writing, especially logical knowledge, by improving feedback acceptance, motivating strategy application, and triggering a flow. Based on the findings, we recommend long-term ChatGPT-assisted learning of English argumentative writing logic with spontaneous non-academic socialisation and a distinct, engaging bot persona.