ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDENTS’ PERCEPTION ON USING CHAT GENERATIVE PRE-TRAINED TRANSFORMER (CHAT GPT) FOR INDEPENDENT LEARNING

Abstract

In the current era of education, classroom learning is not enough to fulfill students' educational needs, especially for foreign language learners. Students are strongly encouraged to do self-learning, which is useful for adding learning skills and increasing knowledge. Chat GPT is a promising new innovative technology in education, especially in facilitating learning. This research aims to investigate EFL students' perceptions of using Chat GPT as an alternative tool for their independent learning. The research subjects were 5th semester English students of class B, IAIN Palangka Raya. The research method used a descriptive-qualitative approach. The main instrument used was an structured interview.. The sample taken is 25% of the content of the entire class with using random sampling technique. The results revealed a variety of student perceptions of the use of Chat GPT in their learning. Most of the respondents reported that Chat GPT is quite efficient for self-study. Chat GPT can improve their writing skills and increase their vocabulary size. Chat GPT also helpful in the translation process. However, some respondents also voiced concerns about the dependency on technology, the accuracy of translation, and the quality of learning outcomes from Chat GPT itself. In conclusion, chat GPT can be used as an alternative learning medium for improving writing skills and increasing the number of vocabulary items owned by students.