The Effect of ChatGPT Feedback on Enhancing Vietnamese Paragraph Writing Skills of Thai Students

<p>For second language (L2) learners at basic proficiency levels, paragraph writing presents significant challenges, and Thai students learning Vietnamese encounter similar difficulties. Grounded in L2 acquisition principles of noticing and modified output, this mixed-methods study investigated ChatGPT feedback’s impact on thirty Thai undergraduate students’ Vietnamese paragraph writing skills (topic sentences, supporting details, and concluding sentences). Their perceptions of this feedback approach were also examined. The fifteen-week intervention involved weekly writing tasks with structured ChatGPT feedback prompts. Quantitative data were collected through pretest, midtest, and posttest assessments, while qualitative data were gathered via semi-structured interviews with fifteen strategically selected participants. Results revealed statistically significant improvements in paragraph writing abilities (<em>p </em>< 0.05), with overall gains across all writing components and particularly notable improvements in the development of supporting details. Interviews demonstrated that students developed useful strategies for integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) feedback, including using ChatGPT as a keyword generator and example provider. Despite these positive outcomes, concerns regarding excessive AI dependence were identified. This research contributes valuable insights to AI-assisted language learning and offers practical implications for incorporating automated feedback tools in Vietnamese language instruction for non-native speakers, particularly in Thai educational contexts with large class sizes and limited instructor feedback opportunities.</p>