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Abstract
Against the backdrop of the “IELTS craze” in Vietnam and the rapid integration of generative AI into language education, this study examines Vietnamese EFL preservice teachers’ perceptions of the validity of using ChatGPT to assess IELTS Writing Task 2. Guided by Kane’s (2013) argument-based validation framework and Hattie and Timperley’s (2007) model of effective feedback, two research questions are addressed: how preservice teachers perceive the validity of ChatGPT-generated scores, and how they perceive the validity of ChatGPT-generated feedback. A qualitative design was adopted, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten fourth-year students majoring in English Language Teaching Education at a university in Hanoi. All participants had completed a language testing course, had at least two years of IELTS Writing Task 2 tutoring experience, and had used ChatGPT in their assessment practice. Thematic analysis revealed that ChatGPT was perceived as reasonably accurate for Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy, but less reliable for Task Response and Coherence and Cohesion, where it tended to inflate scores and overlook weaknesses in argumentation. Participants also noted prompt sensitivity, sycophantic score adjustment, and cross-session memory effects. Feedback was valued for speed but criticised as generic, mechanically worded, and misaligned with learner proficiency. These findings have significant implications for TESOL, particularly in developing AI literacy among preservice teachers and informing responsible integration of AI-based tools in language teacher education.
Keywords: ChatGPT, IELTS writing assessment, preservice teachers, assessment validity, AI literacy
Biography
Nguyen Phuong Ha is a final-year student in the High-Quality Programme of the Faculty of English Language Teacher Education at the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (ULIS-VNU) — one of the most selective teacher education programmes in northern Vietnam. She holds an IELTS 8.0 Overall (Listening 9.0, Reading 8.5) and was awarded a full scholarship for a student exchange programme at Fukuoka, Japan. She has been recognised among the Top 10 Outstanding Students at VNU level under the “Five-Good Student” commendation. Her academic work includes a peer-reviewed publication on the application of artificial intelligence in education.
Alongside her studies, Phuong Ha is the founder of Chill Chill Cũng 9 (formerly The Navigator), an online English teaching platform with over 300,000 followers across social media and consistently over 2,000 live viewers per broadcast. The platform maintains a 90%+ success rate for students gaining admission to their first-choice secondary school. She brings over four years of hands-on teaching experience spanning IELTS preparation, Grade 10 entrance exam coaching, and communicative English for learners of all ages. She previously served as a lecturer at Langmaster, where she was among the two youngest hires and was awarded Runner-Up in the Outstanding Teacher competition.
Her research interests centre on the integration of generative AI into language education and assessment, with a particular focus on AI literacy in preservice teacher training. She has served as Vice President of the ULIS Student Union and Head of the Faculty of English Language Teacher Education Student Association, and represented VNU at the ASEAN–China Forum in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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