Incorporating ChatGPT in the ESL Composition Classroom: A Literature Review and Teacher Experimentation in a Sri Lankan Context

Abstract

ESL teachers especially in higher education where students have easy access to ChatGPT on their PCs and smartphones are faced with the dilemma on how to harness the sudden and numerous possibilities and potential of ChatGPT and possible harms to the way writing is taught and learnt. When viewed mainly as a threat, ChatGPT can become a taboo word whispered and its functions secretly shared among students and kept out of the teacher’s realm. This is a review of the findings from recent research on ChatGPT in education and its impact on language education with a focus on teaching ESL writing. Articles were gathered through an online search for articles published up to 1st June 2023. The search was narrowed down to articles on education, higher education and teaching English composition. The practical suggestions from the literature were implemented and found to be practical and productive. This highlighted the need for integrating ChatGPT in ESL writing activities and for building teacher expertise in this regard.