AI Language Models as Teaching Tools in EFL Writing Classes

Incorporating AI large language models (LLMs) into academic writing classes offers a valuable approach for enhancing the revision process. While much attention has been given to how generative AI can support students in brainstorming and organizing ideas, this paper shifts focus to examining how LLMs can assist students in acquiring new language structures and vocabulary during revision. This paper analyzes the results of using LLMs to provide feedback on six students’ writing samples. The author controlled the LLM prompts to generate feedback aimed at raising students’ awareness of individual language challenges. The pedagogical rationale for using LLMs is that receiving feedback from an LLM highlights gaps in a student’s ability to produce comprehensible output. Recognizing those gaps encourages metalinguistic analysis, deep processing of new vocabulary and reflection on L2 knowledge.