Enhancing EFL writing skills through artificial intelligence

Abstract

This study examines how artificial intelligence tools, specifically ChatGPT and Grammarly, contribute to the development of English as a foreign language (EFL) writing skills among university students. The research adopts a quasi-experimental quantitative design with pre- and post-tests and was conducted with sixth-semester students in the PINE program during the 2025 academic year. Participants completed two similar writing tasks before and after a four-week instruction period in which AI tools were used as guided support during the writing and revision process. The texts written by the students were evaluated using a rubric that took into account grammatical accuracy, textual cohesion, structure and organization, and clarity of ideas. The results show a statistically significant improvement in student writing performance after the intervention (p < 0.001), especially in coherence and grammatical control. ChatGPT contributed most to the overall organization of the text, while Grammarly mainly helped with sentence-level accuracy and the organization of ideas. The results suggest that artificial intelligence can function as an effective complementary resource in teaching writing in English as a foreign language when accompanied by pedagogical guidance, rather than being used as a substitute for teacher feedback.