Enhancing Email Writing Skills through ChatGPT: Perceptions of Diploma Students

Abstract

Effective email writing is an indispensable communication skill for higher education students, functioning as a critical prerequisite for both academic discourse and future professional engagement. Recent advancements in generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly ChatGPT, offer a unique pedagogical approach to help students produce well-structured emails. However, traditional classroom settings often struggle to provide the individualised and timely feedback needed to cultivate optimal email-writing proficiency. Furthermore, a noticeable empirical gap persists regarding how specific demographics, particularly diploma students, perceive and interact with these AI writing tools. For these reasons, this study aims to investigate diploma students' perceptions of ChatGPT as an adjunctive tool for reinforcing their email writing competencies. Employing a quantitative analysis approach, this research utilizes a survey-based methodology structured upon a 5-point Likert scale to examine students' receptiveness to AI adoption, its perceived usability, and its subsequent impact on their writing processes. Beyond evaluating ChatGPT's efficacy in refining vocabulary, grammatical accuracy, and structural organization, the study also probes students' awareness of ethical challenges. The expected results are anticipated to provide valuable insights into diploma students' perceptions of ChatGPT as a supplementary tool for enhancing email writing skills, illuminating how they navigate the intersection of technological support and personalization. Ultimately, this study is expected to inform ESL educators and policymakers on the effective integration of AI-assisted writing tools, promoting their responsible and ethical use to support language learning while safeguarding human creativity and academic integrity.