INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF GENERATIVE AI USE ON ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND LINGUISTIC PERFORMANCE AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

Abstract

The proposed study examines how the use of generative AI impacts undergraduate students in BS English programs in terms of English language proficiency and linguistic performance at University of the Punjab, University of Sargodha, University of Lahore, and University of Okara. It utilized a quantitative research design and a sample of 300 undergraduate students was used to collect the data through a structured questionnaire and standardized language proficiency tests. The researchers quantified the rate of use of generative AI and the association between it and the linguistic performance of students. The correlation and regression analyses were performed to analyze the correlation between the use of generative AI and language proficiency and linguistic performance. The results show that there is a statistically significant positive correlation between moderate usage of generative AI applications, including ChatGPT, and vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, and coherence in writing. Nonetheless, the findings also show that the overuse of such tools can adversely impact the independent language production abilities of students. The scholar identifies duality in generative AI as it is both a facilitative learning resource and a possible dependency. It provides valuable pedagogical implications on how AI technologies can be integrated into language education without compromising on the balance that leads to the development of independent linguistic competence.