I Don’t Sound Like ChatGPT, ChatGPT Sounds Like Me!

Today, we are moving on from orthography and punctuation and delving into the intricate world of vocabulary. (Yes – I said it. And used an em dash to support it.)

A few weeks ago, I read an article on The Verge, You Sound like ChatGPT, that sent me flying off the handle.

The article discusses the impact AI has on the average speaker and their vocabulary, stating that “Words like “prowess” and “tapestry,” which are favored by ChatGPT, are creeping into our vocabulary, while words like “bolster,” “unearth,” and “nuance,” words less favored by ChatGPT, have declined in use.”

The same topic is also further discussed in another great article on Tech Radar.

If you’d like to learn more details, the articles contain references to all the original sources, but my post will mostly revolve around the findings of the researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, who analyzed a host of YouTube videos and podcasts before and after the ChatGPT era, as it directly ties into my experience as a former ESL teacher.

I should digress a bit here and rewind to 2023, the year I first had a crossover with ChatGPT. I was so impressed after our initial little talk because it knew all the right words. All the good words. All the smart words. And the little heart of a teacher inside me fluttered with joy.

(Sure, I don’t teach anymore but ask anyone who has ever been in a classroom, and they’ll tell you that once a teacher, always a teacher. Or as Monk would say, “It’s a gift – but it’s also a curse.”)

I’d been seeing the evidence of AI everywhere for years, and I was aware of the fact that Chat was permeating all spheres of our lives, but until I read the research, I never truly understood the ramifications and the full implications of it.

The following is a screenshot of “(C) Distinctive words associated with ChatGPT, termed the GPT words, measured by GPT scores. ChatGPT’s strong preference for delve was consistent across different versions” from the mentioned research.

No one can dispute the evidence – ChatGPT has indeed infiltrated every nook and cranny of our lives.

However, look at the words in question: delve, comprehend, boast, swift – meticulous?! These are all words my students had to master at a B/intermediate level. Otherwise, the Ubiquitous Overlord would not approve. (Then again, there’s the issue of “would have to” vs. “actually did,” but that’s a whole new wing of the circus.)

To deepen the wound even further, let me just ask you a simple question: Do you know how much time it takes for an ESL teacher to push words like “delve (into)” and “prowess” into an adult ESL student’s active vocabulary?

Years. It takes freaking years. Pretty much the same amount of time that is needed to explain that there are other words besides “big,” “nice,” and “ok” they can use. Or “see” or “show.” And that no – it’s not OK, and that yes – they do need them.

Sure, it takes much less to force them to cram these for an exam, but to actually use words of this caliber as part of their active vocabulary is, in many a sad case, freaking mission impossible, which usually results in, “Oh, we learned that? Last year / two years ago / insert-any-period-you’d-like? Come on, who remembers that!”

And mind you, we are talking about people who, in most situations, either have a college or university degree, so it’s not like they’re starting from scratch.

(And no, I didn’t mean to say that people with degrees are smarter, but rather they have more experience with learning, which is a skill in itself.)

So, yeah – if ChatGPT helps people improve their vocabulary, and God forbid – grammar skills, then as a former teacher, I more than welcome this horrendous side effect and insidious permeation in our daily lives.

If you’ve ever obtained a higher education degree, written an academic paper or study (yourself), or just worked in any industry where language skills are a prerequisite, then you know what I’m talking about.

The same goes for teachers trying to teach spelling, grammar, or vocabulary, especially to adult learners.

It’s even valid for self-taught speakers who put endless nights into reading all sorts of books, meticulously jotting down new words and their meanings in the narrow margins, and then revisiting them every now and then for years.

Yet perhaps even more than bashing the educated and well-word-versed for using “difficult” words, this little vocab stir-up has also raised the question of teaching – and proven to me what I’ve always known and how I’ve always structured my lessons:

Talk to your students, do not merely impart knowledge. Speak the language yourself. Tell them you’d like to delve into the topic of work ethics today, instead of telling them that “delve (into)” is a synonym of “explore”.

And to wrap up this grueling discussion – can we all just agree that confusing “language proficient” with “AI-generated” says more about us than it does about AI?

Much like with the em dash, ChatGPT has swiftly thrown us into a vicious language loop, where we are forced to delve deeper into questioning our own perceptions:

If it sounds smart → then it’s AI- generated → and if it’s AI-generated → then I don’t trust it → … But I’m digressing – that’s completely different research.

One thing is certain, though – the newly acquired increase in specific vocabulary bits and pieces still does not mean that all of the new vocab users have also acquired the actual meaning of “ChatGPT-favored words,” or that they use them prudently, appropriately, and deftly. But let’s face it – they didn’t do that before either.

Nevertheless, this whole debate not only made us point fingers at those who spent years polishing their vocabulary as imposters, but it also made us feel self-conscious about whether we’d be recognized as such.

So, it’s just like back to school again – and just like in school, the nerds always lose. Precisely because of their prowess.

What’s your selection of the finest posh, difficult, or – heaven forbid – ChatGPT-favored words?

Get in touch & let us know.

If you feel personally vested in the topic, share the post, and make more people delve into this amazing tapestry of language conundrums. 🤖