INTEGRATION OF AI-BASED TOOLS IN TEACHING ENGLISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES: EVIDENCE FROM A MIXED-ROLES CROSS-CULTURAL STUDY
Keywords:
Keywords: ESP, artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, Grammarly, ELSA Speak, mixed-roles design, cross-cultural study, experimental research, native-speaker perspectives, higher education, Uzbekistan.Abstract
Abstract: This article presents a comprehensive study of the integration of AI-based tools (ChatGPT, Grammarly, ELSA Speak) into teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP). Adopting a mixed-roles cross-cultural design, the study engaged 40 participants: 20 ESP learners from Chirchik State Pedagogical University (Uzbekistan) participated in a six-week quasi-experimental intervention, while 20 native-speaker students from the University of Warwick (United Kingdom) completed a parallel survey on AI in language education. The experimental group of Uzbek learners achieved modestly higher proficiency gains than the control group across all four language skills: writing (12% vs. 7%), speaking (10% vs. 6%), reading (11% vs. 8%), and listening (8% vs. 6%). The AI-based group also reported significantly higher motivation (4.6 vs. 3.8 on a 5-point Likert scale), engagement (4.7 vs. 3.6), and learner autonomy (4.5 vs. 3.4). British native-speaker respondents expressed broadly favorable views on AI in language education while raising concerns about authenticity, over-reliance, and academic integrity. The findings support a hybrid approach to ESP teaching that combines the structured guidance of traditional methods with the motivational and individualization benefits of AI-based tools, accompanied by explicit AI-literacy training for both teachers and learners.
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