Prevalence of ChatGPT Usage for Liberal Arts English Homework Assignments at a Korean University : A Case Study

The purpose of this study is to explore to what extent EFL learners enrolled at a Korean university are using ChatGPT to assist with homework assignments in courses taught in English. Preferences on the role this technology has in the future were also explored. 261 students completed a 20-item survey questionnaire from which data was subsequently analyzed using general qualitative analysis for open ended questions and descriptive statistics for multiple choice and Likert scale questions. If permission was granted, respondents were then contacted to discuss responses in greater detail through the use of email and video calls. Overall, the prevalence of ChatGPT was high; however, students placed in intermediate level English classes appear to rely on it more often than those placed in other levels. Despite this high prevalence, some respondents indicated they chose not to use ChatGPT due to factors such as ownership of the language learning process, distrust of this technology, and reluctance to rely on AI based technology. Moving forward, there are clear indications that changes need to be made in how ChatGPT is integrated into academic settings. Respondents from this context appear to desire a greater level of flexibility from their English instructors on how they are allowed to use it. Furthermore, there is a space for more robust guidelines from university administration on how students can use ChatGPT for homework assignments in an ethical manner. Administrational and educational implications of such findings are also discussed.