ERIC Number: EJ1471581
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0039-8322
EISSN: EISSN-1545-7249
Available Date: 2024-12-16
When ChatGPT Can't Chat: The Quest for Naturalness
Erik Voss1; Hansun Zhang Waring1
TESOL Quarterly: A Journal for Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages and of Standard English as a Second Dialect, v59 n2 p1064-1075 2025
Significant advancements in voice chatbots have spurred interest into their role in second language learning (Conium, 2008), particularly their ability to assist in the development of learners' conversation skills in a target language. Many efforts have been made to explore AI's potential to act as conversation partners for language learners. Of central concern is its "naturalness" in such an endeavor (Yang et al., 2022). Despite the importance of gauging "naturalness" in researching human-AI interaction, we are yet to find a systematic way of doing so. In this report, drawing upon half-a-century of conversation analytic findings as well as 15 recordings of human-AI interaction, we propose a framework that features three principles of natural human interaction: emergence, indexicality, and recipient design. Our goal is to support empirical research aimed at improving "naturalness" of AI conversational partners with language learners.
Descriptors: Artificial Intelligence, Technology Uses in Education, Computer Mediated Communication, Man Machine Systems, Interaction, Models, Second Language Learning, Natural Language Processing
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York City, USA