The Future of Education

The rapid rise of large language models such as ChatGPT is altering the landscape of English language education, influencing how learners approach writing, speaking, reading, and vocabulary work. Despite this shift, little is known about how English Language Teaching (ELT) majors—who must balance their roles as students and future educators—engage with these tools across different skill areas. To address this gap, the present study adopts a mixed‑methods design to explore what motivates ELT students to use ChatGPT, drawing on a broad theoretical base that includes Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the Hedonic Motivation System Adoption Model (HMSAM), Self‑Determination Theory (SDT), Flow Theory, and Cognitive Load Theory (CLT).The quantitative phase involved 100 randomly selected ELT students studying in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, while qualitative insights were gathered from interviews with 12 students recruited through snowball sampling. The findings indicate that intrinsic motivation, perceived usefulness, hedonic appeal, and ease of use strongly shape students’ intentions to work with ChatGPT. Writing stood out as the skill that students found most intrinsically and hedonically engaging, particularly because the tool helped reduce anxiety and support idea development. Speaking‑related motivation was tied largely to affective benefits such as increased confidence and reduced communication apprehension. In contrast, reading and vocabulary use were driven more by practical, efficiency‑oriented considerations. Interview data also revealed persistent ethical concerns, including plagiarism, over‑dependence, and fairness in assessment, alongside reflections on the pedagogical possibilities of AI. Overall, the study underscores the importance of strengthening AI literacy, establishing ethical guidelines, and rethinking assessment practices within ELT programs. It contributes a skill‑specific, theoretically grounded perspective on how future English teachers navigate AI‑mediated learning environments

Keywords: ChatGPT in ELT; Learner Motivation; Technology Acceptance; Language Skills; AI Literacy; Ethical Concerns

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