The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Enhancing EFL Students’ Writing Skills: A Case Study at the Faculty of Arts, Alasmarya Islamic University
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65405/gff29h77Keywords:
artificial intelligence, EFL writing, writing skills, AI-assisted writing, writing development, university students, learner autonomyAbstract
This study investigates the role of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in enhancing English language writing skills among university students studying English as a foreign language (EFL). EFL learners frequently encounter challenges in developing writing proficiency, including limited language proficiency and academic vocabulary, grammatical inaccuracies, inappropriate punctuation, collocational errors, and low confidence in writing. A quantitative research design was employed to examine students’ perceptions of and experiences with AI-assisted writing. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 40 EFL students majoring in English at Al-Asmariya Islamic University. The questionnaire addressed demographic characteristics, effective AI integration and application strategies, the contribution of AI tools to specific writing sub-skills, students’ perceptions and concerns, and potential over-reliance on AI technologies. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, with the assistance of Microsoft Excel.
The findings demonstrate that AI tools are generally perceived to have a positive impact on the development of EFL writing skills. In particular, students reported that AI tools contribute to improvements in sentence structure, paragraph organization, collocational knowledge, and mechanical and linguistic accuracy. The findings further indicate that AI tools can enhance students’ motivation and provide useful supplementary support during the writing process. However, concerns regarding over-reliance highlight the need for careful and purposeful use of AI technologies. Overall, the study concludes that AI tools can function as effective supplementary resources for EFL writing instruction when integrated in a structured and pedagogically appropriate manner. Such integration can maximize the benefits of AI while supporting learner autonomy and independent writing development.
Downloads
References
Alahmadi, F. (2023). Artificial intelligence in writing development. World Journal of English Language, 13(2), 1–12.
Alangari, T. S. (2025). The effect of AI-assisted learning on EFL writing proficiency: Quasi-experimental and cluster analysis. Educational Process: International Journal, 14(1), 7–22.
Alghasab, M. B. (2025). English as a foreign language (EFL) secondary school students’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for developing writing skills: Unveiling practices and perceptions. Cogent Education, 12(1), Article 2420530.
Al-Raimi, M., & Al-Amri, S. (2024). The use of artificial intelligence tools in teaching writing. Journal of English Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 6(1), 45–60.
Al-Sofi, B. B. M. A. (2024). Artificial intelligence-powered tools and academic writing: To use or not to use ChatGPT. Saudi Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2(1), 12–25.
Alzahrani, F. K. J., & Alotaibi, H. H. (2024). The impact of artificial intelligence on enhancing EFL writing skills among high school students. Journal of Educational and Human Sciences, 34, 226–240.
Bae, Y. (2024). The effect of feedback types on learner engagement and writing performance in an EFL context. English Teaching, 79(1), 3–25.
Banawan, M. (2023). The future of intelligent tutoring systems for writing. In I. I. Bittencourt, M. Cukurova, K. Muldner, R. Luckin, & E. Millán (Eds.), Augmented intelligence and intelligent tutoring systems (pp. 345–360). Springer.
Cohen, L., Manion, L., Morrison, K., & Bell, R. (2011). Research methods in education (7th ed.). Routledge.
Dewi, U. (2022). Grammarly as automated writing evaluation: Its effectiveness in improving students' writing accuracy. Lingua: Jurnal Bahasa & Sastra, 18(2), 125–138.
Dizon, G. (2024). A systematic review of Grammarly in L2 English writing: Trends, findings, and implications. Cogent Education, 11(1), Article 2397882.
Du, J. (2024). A systematic review of AI-powered chatbots for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners: Pedagogical roles and research trends. Computers in Human Behavior, 153, Article 108236.
Duong, T. N. A. (2025). An AI chatbot for EFL writing: Students' usage tendencies, perceptions, and writing performance. The Journal of Educational Research, 118(1), 112–128.
Ekizoğlu, M. (2025). The role of AI assisted writing feedback in developing EFL students' writing skills. Discover Education, 4, Article 15.
Fitria, T. N. (2021). Grammarly as AI-powered English writing assistant: Students' alternative for improving writing skills. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning, 2(2), 65–75.
Hsu, H. L. (2026). Examining the impact of feedback from automated writing evaluation tools on learners' grammar accuracy. CALICO Journal, 43(1), 81–107.
IOSR Journals. (2019). EFL student's writing skills: Challenges and remedies. IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education, 9(6), 66–70.
Kim, S., & Kim, H. (2022). The effect of AI-based collaborative writing tools on EFL students' writing quality and motivation. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 25(3), 45–58.
Li, Z., & Hegelheimer, V. (2021). Mobile-assisted language learning: Investigating the effects of AI-based writing feedback on EFL learners' writing performance. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 34(5–6), 678–705.
Liu, C. (2022). Reconceptualizing the impact of feedback in second language writing: An engagement perspective. System, 108, Article 100987.
Lo, C. K., Yu, P. L. H., Xu, S., Ng, D. T. K., & Jong, M. S. (2024). Exploring the application of ChatGPT in ESL/EFL education and related research issues: A systematic review of empirical studies. Smart Learning Environments, 11, Article 50.
Mekheimer, M. (2025). Generative AI-assisted feedback and EFL writing: A study on proficiency, revision frequency and writing quality. Discover Education, 4(1), Article 170.
Miranty, R. M., & Widiati, U. (2021). Automated writing evaluation (AWE) in higher education: Indonesian EFL students' perceptions about Grammarly use across student cohorts. Pegem Journal of Education and Instruction, 11(4), 126–137.
Nihdatul, P., Maulidiyah, A., Bahijah, I., Wongso, O., Irenes, P. D., Salwa, & Rahmawati, E. (2025). Students’ overreliance on AI tools in academic writing. Journal of English Language Teaching and Literature, 8(1), 15–28.
Oewi, T. (2022). Grammarly as an AI writing support system: A review of the literature. Liberty University.
Pohanyar, Q. Z. (2024). Negative effects of AI dependence in writing. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 7(3), 55–63.
Pratama, R. M., & Hastuti, D. P. (2024). Writing skills and grammar development in the AI era. English Education Journal, 14(2), 200–215.
Sharipova, G. S. Q. (2025). Balancing AI use in education: Teachers' and students' perspectives. Central Asian Journal of Education and Innovation, 3(1), 45–50.
Song, H., & Song, M. (2023). Challenges of writing feedback in EFL learning: Teachers’ and students’ perspectives in the era of AI. Education and Information Technologies, 28(9), 11205–11228.
Stadnik, M., Ćošković, A. L., Banko, T., & Ružak, D. (2021). AI tools in language learning: A case study of Croatian students. Journal of Language and Education, 7(2), 115–130.
Tran, T. T. H. (2024). The role of writing in English language education in the digital age. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 4(1), 88–102.
Wei, P., Wang, X., & Dong, H. (2023). The impact of automated writing evaluation on second language writing skills of Chinese EFL learners: A randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1249991.
