Exploring the Impact of AI Chatbots on Academic Writing Accuracy in First-Year EFL Students: Case Study at ENS Ouargla

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of AI-powered chatbots on academic writing accuracy among first-year English language students at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Ouargla, Algeria. In response to the increasing presence of artificial intelligence in educational settings, the research explores how AI tools can support novice EFL writers in improving the quality of their written production. Using a quasi-experimental design, a total of 50 students were purposefully selected and divided into two groups: a control group that received traditional teacher feedback and an experimental group that used an AI chatbot as a supplementary writing aid throughout the drafting and revision stages. The study measured four key dimensions of writing accuracy including grammatical accuracy, lexical appropriateness, coherence and cohesion, and mechanical correctness (including spelling and punctuation). Quantitative analysis of pre-test and post-test writing tasks revealed that students in the AI-assisted group outperformed those in the control group across all dimensions, with particularly noticeable gains in grammatical accuracy and coherence. Qualitative observations further indicated that students using the chatbot demonstrated greater autonomy, engaged more actively in self-correction, and produced more polished drafts. The findings underscore the potential of AI-based tools to enhance writing instruction in Algerian higher education, especially in contexts where large class sizes and limited instructional time challenge individualized feedback. The study also highlights important pedagogical implications, suggesting that AI chatbots can be integrated as supportive scaffolding rather than replacements for teacher guidance. Overall, this research contributes to ongoing discussions in applied linguistics regarding technology-enhanced language learning and offers practical insights for EFL practitioners seeking to enrich writing pedagogy.