Drill-and-practice chatbots for teaching English morphological affixation in international master's students

Abstract

Chatbots are increasingly used in language education, yet research has focused mainly on speaking, listening, vocabulary, grammar, and learner motivation, and findings on their learning effects remain inconsistent. Morphology, especially affixation, is still often taught through lectures and written exercises, which limits student participation and encourages memorization over conceptual understanding. Few studies have examined drill-and-practice chatbots for teaching English affixation, particularly among international master’s students who are also English teachers. This study therefore investigates how these students used a drill-and-practice chatbot to teach English affixation, how they adopted it in diverse classrooms, and how they responded to it. A descriptive qualitative case study was conducted over three months with twenty-two international master’s students who were also English teachers. Data were collected through an observation checklist, interviews, and digital documentation. The findings show three results. First, the chatbot comprised four stages: introducing affixes through songs, identifying affixes, substitution and expansion, and evaluation and review through quizzes and fun facts. Second, teachers’ experiences involved technical adaptation, structural success, and cultural discontent. Third, their culturally responsive approach included word formation, word translation strategies, and cultural competence in digital learning. The chatbot appeared to support morphological competence and teachers’ culturally responsive digital teaching. Its limitations include a small, specific sample and a qualitative design. Practically, teacher educators can integrate such chatbots into morphology instruction. Future research should use larger samples, varied proficiency levels, and experimental designs to test efficacy.