ChatGPT and AI Tools in ESL/EFL Writing Instruction

The rapid proliferation of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), particularly OpenAI's ChatGPT, has transformedpedagogical paradigms across global higher education, presenting both innovative opportunities and complexchallenges for English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing instruction.This systematic literature review synthesizes contemporary peer-reviewed research published between 2023 and2026 to critically examine the pedagogical benefits, ethical dilemmas, and instructional challenges associated withintegrating GenAI tools into L2 writing contexts. Following the PRISMA framework, a rigorous screening of academicdatabases (Google Scholar, ERIC, and Scopus) yielded 25 high-quality empirical and theoretical studies. Findingsindicate that GenAI functions as an effective cognitive partner, providing immediate formative feedback, expandingacademic vocabulary, lowering writing anxiety, and facilitating pre-writing brainstorming (Alsaedi, 2024; Deep et al.,2025). Conversely, the unguided adoption of AI writing assistants induces severe risks, including academicdishonesty, automated plagiarism, student cognitive atrophy, over-reliance, and the invalidation of traditionalproduct-based writing assessments (Perkins, 2023; Su & Yang, 2025). To address these tensions, the review outlinesstrategic pedagogical implications, recommending a shift toward process-oriented writing assessments, thecultivation of student and teacher AI literacy, and the formulation of ethical prompt engineering practices. Finally,future research directions are identified, emphasizing the need for longitudinal studies on L2 language retention andcross-cultural comparisons of AI policies in tertiary education.