Usage of Chat GPT in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Classrooms: Faculty Member’s Perspective for its Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

This paper investigates the beliefs and thoughts of the faculty members on the merits and the challenges of using ChatGpt in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classroom. It is carried out to measure Chat Gpt’s educational impact on the students. It is a descriptive research design that gathers quantitative and qualitative data from thirty-six faculty members from Arizona State University and Galala University. The questionnaire consists of closed-ended and open-ended items as it aims to identify ChatGPT’s benefits and problems. The results indicated that most English as a Foreign language professors hold a negative impression of ChatGPT's effect on English language teaching and learning in higher education as many challenges arose at its usage. Some professors showed concerns regarding certain items such as plagiarism and overreliance on chatbots, with the least effort exerted by the learners. Most of the professors are aware of the positive aspects and the opportunities that ChatGPT can provide as the materials, resources, motivation, and time. No difference was reported in the professors' perception of the benefits of using ChatGPT about gender or nationality. The findings highlighted the importance of training teachers on how to engage students positively with Chat GPT while using it effectively in the classroom.