Impact of Artificial Intelligence Integration in Adapting Narrative Essays into Multimodal Videos on EFL Students' Writing Literacy

Abstract

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in language education has gained increasing scholarly attention. However, empirical studies exploring its pedagogical use in transforming students’ written texts into multimodal representations to enhance writing literacy particularly in EFL contexts remain limited. Addressing this gap, this study investigates the impact of AI-assisted adaptation of narrative essays into multimodal videos on EFL students’ writing literacy development. Grounded in multimodal literacy theory which views meaning making as the composition of multiple semiotic resources and sociocultural theory which conceptualizes learning as mediated through tools and social interaction, this study adopts a qualitative case study design. The participants consisted of 12 second-semester undergraduate students enrolled in an English as Foreign Language (EFL) Writing course at a university in West Java, Indonesia, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through classroom observations, document analysis of students’ narrative essays and AI-generated videos, semi-structured interviews, and students’ reflective learning journals. AI-powered video generation tools were utilized to transform narrative texts into multimodal compositions integrating visual, audio, and textual elements. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns related to students’ writing literacy development. The findings indicate that AI-supported multimodal transformation facilitated students’ deeper understanding of narrative structure, including plot development, character construction, and conflict resolution. Furthermore, the process enhanced students’ metacognitive awareness of writing. Students also reported higher motivation and engagement compared to traditional text-based writing tasks. This study contributes to AI-enhanced language pedagogy by proposing a pedagogical framework for integrating multimodal literacy in EFL writing instruction.