ChatGPT, a general-purpose intelligent chatbot developed by OpenAI, has introduced numerous opportunities and challenges in the field of language education. With its remarkable ability to generate diverse forms of text, answer questions, and provide translations within minutes, ChatGPT has become an influential tool in the era of advanced AI technology. However, to what extent ChatGPT can be used to assist students in completing language learning tasks remains largely unexplored. Against this background, this study aimed to investigate students’ experiences with ChatGPT and their perceptions of its role in language learning through a small-scale qualitative study. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five students at a top-tier international university in China. Students’ responses revealed that ChatGPT has the potential to serve as a valuable learning partner and aid students in completing language-related tasks. Furthermore, participants exhibited critical judgment in evaluating the quality of ideas and outputs generated by ChatGPT, as well as the ability to modify prompts to maximize learning benefits. Such critical judgment offsets the potential threats to academic integrity posed by ChatGPT. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the potential of ChatGPT in language education by adding empirical evidence from students’ perspectives. This study supports the idea that ChatGPT can work as an effective tool for providing students with immediate feedback and personalized learning experiences. Such findings generate implications for future pedagogical practices in the new era by providing students with personalized guidance, designing technology-embedded language support, and developing students’ lifelong learning skills (e.g., autonomy and evaluative judgment) with the support of ChatGPT.

Expressing causation through complex grammatical constructions is a significant challenge for EFL learners, as these constructions often involve nuanced semantic and pragmatic considerations beyond simple grammatical rules. Periphrastic causatives represent a syntactic and semantic category that enables learners to articulate causal relationships concisely. Previous research has documented EFL learners’ underuse, overuse, and misuse of periphrastic causatives compared to native speakers, highlighting cross-linguistic influences and exposure effects. However, most studies focus on single native language (L1) backgrounds or specific proficiency levels, leaving gaps in understanding developmental trajectories across diverse L1s and a continuum of proficiency. Thus, this study investigates the development of periphrastic causative constructions with MAKE, HAVE, and LET in writings of Chinese, Swedish, and Spanish EFL learners across proficiency levels from A2 to C2 through a usage-based approach. Employing corpus analysis of token and type frequencies, the findings reveal the predominance of causative MAKE but distinct L1-influenced patterns. For HAVE and LET, nuanced interactions between L1, proficiency, and development emerged. High token frequencies facilitated chunk entrenchment, while increasing type frequencies promoted abstraction and productivity, reflecting a progression from formulaic to generalized usage. These findings align with usage-based principles, contributing insights into language development processes. Pedagogically, the results inform instructional design tailored to learners’ needs and paths across diverse L1s and proficiency levels.