Leveraging Artificial Intelligence in Writing: ELT Students’ Perspectives and Experiences

TLDR

This study concludes that AI significantly enhances students’ writing skills by providing real-time vocabulary, alternative word choices and immediate grammar corrections, and implies that teachers can incorporate AI tools into their writing curricula to provide students with real-time feedback and personalised writing support.

Abstract

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) in English Language Teaching (ELT) has opened new possibilities for enhancing students’ writing skills. This study investigates the effectiveness of AI in improving writing performance, alongside students’ experiences and their perceptions of using such technology in the classroom. The research addresses existing gaps in understanding how AI tools contribute to developing writing skills. A mixed-method approach was used, combining surveys and interviews to collect both qualitative and quantitative data from 66 ELT students of a private university in Kudus, Indonesia. The objective of employing this research design is to provide a comprehensive understanding of how AI is transforming writing instruction by examining both student insights and performance outcomes. Quantitative data was gathered through pre-tests, post-tests, and surveys to assess students' writing proficiency and their views on AI-assisted learning. Qualitative data was collected through a questionnaire. The findings reveal that the pre-test and post-test results significantly differ (Sig = 0.00), indicating a marked improvement in writing skills. Specifically, the average pre-test score was 78.06, while the post-test score increased to 87.72, demonstrating improved learning outcomes. In addition, students perceived positively and viewed the integration of AI as advantageous, recognising its role in offering useful resources and assistance to enhance their writing skills. This study concludes that AI significantly enhances students’ writing skills by providing real-time vocabulary, alternative word choices and immediate grammar corrections. The findings indicate that students using AI tools demonstrated improved lexical variety, greater grammatical accuracy and increased writing confidence. This implies that teachers can incorporate AI tools into their writing curricula to provide students with real-time feedback and personalised writing support.