Does ChatGPT-based reading platform impact foreign language paper reading? Evidence from a quasi-experimental study on Chinese undergraduate students

A new kind of reading platform supported by ChatGPT has quickly become a popular research assistant among students due to its instant natural language interaction and question-answering capabilities. This study explored the effects of ChatGPT-based reading platform on student’s foreign language paper reading. A total of 64 undergraduate students were recruited to participate in this quasi-experimental study. Questionnaires and reading test were used to evaluate participants’ performance on dependent variables such as foreign language reading anxiety, cognitive load, critical thinking and academic reading achievement. Significant differences were discovered between two groups after intervention. Due to characteristics of ChatGPT-based reading platform, the experimental group students experienced less foreign language reading anxiety and cognitive load than the control group. Furthermore, they outperformed the control group in terms of critical thinking and academic reading achievement.