Empowering EFL Learners and Teachers: Harnessing AI for Writing Instruction.

Activity: Talk or presentation typesPresentation

Description

Traditional peer assessment activities, such as analysis or feedback,
promote self-assessment and learning (Reinholz, 2016). AI may play
similar peer-supportive roles with English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
writing. Furthermore, writing instruction is a labor-intensive aspect of
language teaching. AI could reduce that burden. This ‘feedback on writing
processes and products’ presentation explores ChatGPT (OpenAI, 2023)
as a beneficial tool for learners and teachers in EFL writing classrooms.
A study was conducted with three classes of 15 to 25 first- and second year
EFL learners at two Japanese universities. Learners with proficiency
scores equivalent to CEFR A1 to B1 met two to four times weekly.
ChatGPT was used in five stages to enhance instruction: 1. To generate
typical EFL writing topics and genres, 2. to produce sample topic texts, 3.
to rewrite sample texts using stylistic genre conventions, 4. to generate
genre-typical feature analyses of the stylized texts, and 5. to revise
examples of students’ writing to make them more target-like.
Additionally, the presenters will highlight how learners interacted with AI generated
texts. Learners first read a ChatGPT writing genre exemplar,
before planning and writing short passages. Learners then engaged in
traditional peer assessment, analyzed and compared other students’
writing to an AI-revised version, before finally rewriting their own work
and receiving peer feedback. This exploratory study investigates
qualitative and quantitative differences between learners’ drafts before
and after analyzing the AI-generated revisions, and describes teachers’
impressions of affordances and limitations with using AI-generated texts
to guide EFL writing instruction.

References
- Reinholz, D. (2016) The assessment cycle: a model for learning through
peer assessment, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 41(2),
301-315, DOI:10.1080/02602938.2015.100898
- OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model].
https://chat.openai.com/chat
Period20 Oct 2023
Event title20th Technology for Second Language Learning (TSLL) Conference: Advancing Technologies — Expanding Research
Event typeConference
LocationAmes, United States, IowaShow on map
Degree of RecognitionInternational