AI-driven Spelling Aid: Filling Spelling Gaps and Cognitive Load among Pakistani ESL Learners

Abstract

With the growing involvement of AI in language learning, understanding spelling variation among students, especially the ESL learners, becomes crucial. The main goal of this research is that AI tools (ChatGPT and Grammarly) act as a helping tool for reducing spelling variations, overcoming difficulties between both English varieties, and also lessening the Cognitive load of Pakistani ESL learners by giving quick feedback. A mixed-method approach is conducted in this research. The Cognitive Load Theory is applied in this research, which states that our working memory can only hold little information at a time and we must avoid overloading it and therefore maximize learning (Sweller, 1988). The study's findings underscore that AI-based tools have a significant impact on ESL learners’ ability to recognize and apply correct spellings across variations of British and American English. Furthermore, the results of this study demonstrate that Pakistani ESL learners have a positive attitude towards AI tools that overcome spelling errors and cognitive load. Despite growing research on AI in language learning, less emphasis has been given to its significance in addressing spelling errors across English variations. The significance of this research paper highlights how AI assists ESL learners in managing language variation without creating dependency.