Innovation in Language Learning

It's undeniable that the influence of AI is appearing in various sectors, including education. In the field of second language acquisition, intelligent chatbots have caught the attention of language educators because they can interact with learners in their target language instantly and realistically (Fryer et al., 2020; Lee et al., 2020). One of the most advanced AI-powered chatbots is ChatGPT ("generative, pre-trained transformer"). AI-powered chatbots can provide linguistic input and daily conversation practice (Huang et al., 2022), stimulate language learners' interest (Fryer et al., 2017; Gallacher et al., 2018; Kohnke, 2022a), and contribute to their overall growth (Kim et al., 2019). The efficacy of ChatGPT in second language learning, particularly in helping students acquire and activate newly learned vocabulary and strengthen their understanding of grammar rules, is yet to be fully understood. This is particularly important when such tools are used for post-writing assistance and as generators of grammar-focused and lexical activities in Arabic language education. This study aims to explore the impact of ChatGPT on Arabic language learning. It focuses on student experiences and perceptions within a flipped classroom setting for Arabic as a second language at the beginner proficiency level. It investigates students' perceptions of ChatGPT in providing post-writing feedback, examines student experiences with ChatGPT as a lexical and grammatical activity generator, and lastly, develops recommendations for implementing ChatGPT based on student insights.