Content area
Writing is a challenging aspect of second language acquisition, especially among English as a Foreign Language learners. This paper examines an online AI chatbot application that offers learners context-sensitive feedback on writing tasks, making it a valuable component of scalable online learning environments that promote learner autonomy. A transformer-based NLP system, using essays of the International Corpus of Learner English (ICLE), produced context-based and multi-layered feedback on grammar, vocabulary, and discourse-level characteristics. Changes in lexical diversity (MTLD), syntactic complexity (C/T), and cohesion were measured using a model of a simulated revision task. Findings indicated significant language gains and increased self-reliance among high-level learners through self-directed revisions. The results suggest the potential of chatbots as writing partners in blended and asynchronous learning settings. The following trends are anticipated for the future: classroom testing, provision of assistance to lower-level students, and hybrid AI-teacher feedback systems.
Details
Feedback;
Language acquisition;
Writing;
Multilayers;
Chatbots;
Student teacher relationship;
Autonomy;
English language learners;
Educational technology;
Learning environment;
English language;
English as a second language;
Machine learning;
Foreign languages;
Second language writing;
Vocabulary;
Artificial intelligence;
Human-computer interaction;
Learning;
Second language learning;
Computer assisted language learning;
Natural language processing;
Teachers;
Revisions;
Syntactic complexity;
Language;
Classrooms;
English as a second language instruction
1 Baotou Teacher's College, China
2 Baotou Medical College, China