Improving grammatical accuracy through ChatGPT: A study of University Students in Riobamba

Resumen

The present research analyzes the main challenges faced in the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language within the Ecuadorian educational context. Despite the Ministry of Education’s efforts to implement strategies aimed at improving educational quality, limitations related to insufficient resources, limited methodological guidance, and teachers’ technological constraints continue to hinder the development of students’ linguistic competence. In this context, the integration of innovative tools represents a necessary alternative to strengthen foreign language acquisition. In recent years, artificial intelligence-based resources have gained increasing relevance, with ChatGPT emerging as one of the most widely used tools due to its potential to provide personalized interactions and immediate feedback. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the benefits of using ChatGPT to enhance grammatical accuracy among university students in Riobamba. The research adopted a mixed-method approach, including diagnostic tests, guided activities with ChatGPT assistance, and post-intervention assessments to evaluate improvements in grammatical precision. Findings reveal significant progress in students’ written production, particularly in reducing morphosyntactic errors and in the more accurate use of complex structures. This study contributes to the discussion on the integration of artificial intelligence into higher education, highlighting the potential of ChatGPT as a pedagogical support in the teaching of English as a foreign language in Ecuador.