CC BY
11
UDC 372.881.111.1
CHAT GPT FOR ENGLISH TEST PREPARATION
SADUAKASSOVA AIYM KAMBARKYZY
Student of Astana International University Astana, Kazakhstan
KHUMARKHAN ARAILYM
Senior lecturer at Astana International University Astana, Kazakhstan
Annotation: This study explores the benefits of utilizing ChatGPT for English test preparation, focusing on its role in enhancing students' writing, reading comprehension, and dialogue generation skills. The article highlights the personalized study plans, feedback mechanisms, and accessibility of study materials offered by ChatGPT. The study emphasizes the importance of considering limitations and verifying information from multiple sources for accurate test preparation.
Key words: Chat GPT, test preparation, teachers, students, AI.
In the rapidly evolving field of education, students are constantly seeking new methods to prepare for important exams. English language assessments such as the TOEFL, IELTS, or SAT are no exception. Proficiency in English can open doors to global opportun ities. ^atGPT is a cutting-edge AI language model developed by OpenAI that can act as a virtual tutor in today's digital era. According to the study conducted by A. Hajar and S. Abenova emphasizes that scholars face various challenges in learning English, which often prompt them to seek private teachers for assistance [1, p.124-142]. These challenges in learning English underscore the importance of adequate test preparation. Some of these challenges include low English proficiency, the need to prepare for standardized tests, the need for remedial support, lack of school support, and the desire for enrichment. Therefore, it is crucial for scholars to engage in effective test preparation methods to address these challenges and succeed academically.
Using ChatGPT for test preparation can be a valuable resource, especially for students who are unable to afford private tutors. It provides an accessible and free alternative for students to improve their academic performance and achieve their goals. By utilizing ChatGPT for test preparation, students can receive personalized and interactive study aids, practice tests, and real-time feedback.
AI Chat Bot for English test preparation offers numerous advantages. Firstly, it allows for personalized study plans tailored to individual strengths and weaknesses. This means that students can focus on the specific areas where they need improvement, maximizing their study time and efficiency. Secondly, Chat GPT provides access to study material anytime and anywhere. Scholars can study at their own convenience, whether it's late at night or in between some activities. Thirdly, AI offers instant feedback and explanations. Students can get immediate feedback on their answers and explanations for any mistakes they make. It helps to understand errors and learn from them more efficiently.
Bot has capability to generate different types of questions depending on the task of the test. For example, it can generate open-ended questions, multiple choice questions or true/false questions. The variety of question types generated by Chat GPT enhances student's test preparation experience. It allows scholars to practice answering to different types of questions, they may encounter in the actual exam, When it comes to writing tasks, AI Chat can be a waluable tool as well. It can provide personalized feedback on grammar, vocabulary, and overall language use, helping learners indentify their strenghts and weaknessess and make the imrovemets in tjeir writing skills. improving their readiness and familiarity with the test format. Furthermore, AI can assist in generating written responses to prompts or questions, helping them improve writing skills.
Chat GPT in speaking. Some tests consider speaking part, students can easily ask for questions for particular topics and ChatGPT can provide them with sample questions and even help practice their speaking skills by providing feedback and suggestions for improvement. The use of ChatGPT for dialogue generation in EFL chatbot systems can help students practice English in a safe, low-pressure environment, gain conversation experience, and receive feedback or corrections without feeling judged [ 2, p.65-70]. The flexibility of chatbots also allows students to practice anywhere and at any time outside the classroom, increasing their language exposure.
ChatGPT is helpful in preparing for writing assesments as well. With AI bot, scholars can get feedback and guidance for improving writing skills and techniques. It can generate text on various topics, including descriptive and recount essays, based on the user's input [3, p.44-59]. While it can structure essays with main points, explanations, and conclusions. This can be beneficial for students, who are preparing for standartisized essay tests such as SAT or TOEFL. But grammatical accuracy in the generated content can be a limitation, as ChatGPT might produce sentences with errors, it is still necessary for students to carefully review and revise the generated text for grammatical correctness.
ChatGPT is utilized for generating high-quality reading comprehension passages without the need for fine-tuning. ChatGPT can generate exercise questions based on provided passages, offering a practical and effective tool for creating educational materials and assessments in reading comprehension [4, p.610-625]. It can also provide explanations and answers to help students improve their understanding of the passages and strengthen their reading comprehension skills. By leveraging ChatGPT for test preparation in reading, students can benefit from its ability to generate high-quality reading comprehension passages.
Using ChatGPT for test preaparation in the area of listening can be beneficial. It can provide a conversational interface for users to engage with virtual chatbots. This interaction exposes users to various accents, speech patterns, and vocabulary, aiding in improving comprehension. The integration of Chat GPT and similar AI technologies offers personalized and interactive educational content, catering to diverse learning styles and fostering independent inquiry among students. Additionally, combining ChatGPT with CNN models can provide a comprehensive English listening experience through personalized feedback and tailored practice for specific areas of improvement [5, p.280-290].
According to the recent research in the Netherlands by Joost De Wintor [6]. ChatGPT was able to achieve grades comparable to human students on national high school exams in the Netherlands. The improvements seen in the newer version, GPT-4, further suggest the potential for ChatGPT to be a valuable tool for English test preparation. However, it is important to consider limitations such as the level of the exam not being equivalent to a native language exam and the need for further research on its performance in different types of verbal tests. Overall, while the study demonstrates the potential benefits of using ChatGPT for English test preparation, further investigation and consideration of its limitations are necessary.
It is advisable to invest in the premium version, as it provides access to the most accurate and reliable resources for English test preparation. The basic version costs $20 per month(approximately 8 863 tenge), while the team version is priced at $25(approximately 11079). Additionally, ChatGPT can be utilized not only for English tasks but also for various science subjects such as mathematics and biology. The typical cost of an English lesson is 2160 tg at the job market, totaling 26,000 tg per month for three lessons per week. While there is no time limit for the utilization of Chat GPT. Below is a pie chart with cost comparison (Figure 1). Using ChatGPT for preparing for English tests is strongly advised due to its precision and dependability. Moreover, the premium version offers extra perks such as personalized learning tools, immediate feedback, and a supportive study environment.
Figure 1-Cost Comparison
However, despite the continuous improvements and robust training process of ChatGPT 3.5, there may still be instances where it does not provide accurate information. It is important for English test preparation purposes to use ChatGPT as a supplemental tool for inspiration and feedback rather than relying solely on its information. While ChatGPT can be a valuable resource for English test preparation, it is important to acknowledge that its ability to provide accurate information may still have limitations. To mitigate the potential issue of ChatGPT not always providing accurate information for English test preparation, it is advisable to use multiple sources and cross-reference the information provided by ChatGPT. This can include consulting textbooks, reputable online resources, or seeking guidance from qualified instructors. But the new version of ChatGPT 4 incorporates a robust training process and continuous improvement mechanisms to enhance its accuracy.
Using ChatGPT for English test preparation is highly recommended, especially considering the accuracy and reliability of the resources available in the paid version.
Overall, ChatGPT can be a valuable tool for test preparation in the area of listening, reading, speaking and listening, providing personalized and interactive content to improve comprehension. ChatGPT's responses may not always be 100% accurate. It is important for users to verify information provided by ChatGPT through other reliable sources to ensure accuracy. Questions should be asked correctly and prompts designed thoughtfully to maximize the effectiveness of using ChatGPT for test preparation
To condude, using ChatGPT for test preparation could be advantageous for Kazakhstan. It can help students practice and improve their language skills. Unfortunelty, not all students may know the correct use of chat gpt so they can be preapred for exams by familiarizing themselves with the format and style of questions typically found in exams. Teachers should provide guidance and resources to help students effectively utilize ChatGPT for test preparation.
LITERATURE
1. Anas Hajar and Saule Abenova, The role of private tutoring in admission to higher education: Evidence from a highly selective university in Kazakhstan, Hungarian Educational Research Journal 11.-2021.- 2. 124-142.
2. Julio Christian Young, Makoto Shishido, Investigating OpenAI's ChatGPT Potentials in Generating Chatbot's Dialogue for English as a Foreign Language Learning// (IJACSA) International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications.-2023. -Vol. 14.-No. 6.-p.65-70.
3. Tira Nur Fitria, Artificial intelligence (AI) technology in OpenAI ChatGPT application: A review of ChatGPT in writing English essay// Journal of English Language Teaching, p.44-59.
4. Changrong Xiao, Sean Xin Xu, Kunpeng Zhang, Yufang Wang, Lei Xia, Evaluating Reading Comprehension Exercises Generated by LLMs: AShowcase of ChatGPT in Education Applications// Proceedings of the 18th Workshop on Innovative Use of NLP for Building Educational Applications (BEA 2023). -2023.- p.610-625.
5. Runmei Xing, Advancements in English listening education: Chat GPT and convolutional neural network integration// Journal of Pedagogical Research. -2023. -Vol. 7.- Issue 5.-p.280-290.
6. Joost De Wintor, Can ChatGPT Pass High School Exams on English Language Comprehension// International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education. -2023.
