Exploring The Impact of AI Chatbots on Vocabulary Development of Teacher Education Students: A Narrative Inquiry

The development of one's vocabulary is essential to both linguistic ability and academic success. With the ubiquity of artificial intelligence, these Al chatbots provide interactive and adaptive learning experiences, present a novel alternative that may improve vocabulary acquisition and possess various educational applications in language learning, such as engagement improvement, instant feedback and personalized learning. The study aimed to explore students' experiences and perspectives on how Al chatbots might be used to improve vocabulary learning and closely investigate how Al chatbots affect teacher education students' vocabulary development. Using narrative inquiry approach, seven students served as participants of the study. The data gathered underwent the three-stage coding analysis to carefully examine, interpret and recognize the underlying themes and patterns from the narratives. There are different roles played by chatbots in enhancing vocabulary as perceived by the participants, such as study aids and resources for vocabulary development and fluency. These features significantly contribute to vocabulary enhancement among English language learners. Themes reveal that ease of navigation, dependability and instant feedback provided by chatbots make them an effective tool for vocabulary development. Participants further revealed improved fluency, grammar and overall language skills due to chatbot usage.