Tackling lexical challenges in the Spanish Business Communication classroom – (yesterday), today (and tomorrow?)

Abstract

With the advent of ChatGPT (and other AI-powered chatbots), students in Spanish Business Communication have ever more options to find solutions for lexical enquiries having become already a lot more accessible since the introduction of neural networks in online machine translation. Nevertheless, in order to advice students coherently on their use of AI-powered tools, it is important to know how much and how exactly they use these tools and what they think about them. This study conducted at Vienna University of Economics and Business shows clearly how much students draw on the help of AI-based tools, that they show clear preferences for certain tools and not for others, but at the same time that they are reluctant at trusting them. In addition, they lack strategies on how to evaluate results provided by AI-based tools and therefore sometimes worsen them. As a consequence, classes in Spanisch Business Communication should provide help for students in order to use the tools available on a more strategic and conscious basis.