Investigating EFL Students’ Writing Problems Through the Lens of Grammarly
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1507.09Keywords:
Grammarly, L2 writing, EFL students, corrective feedback, automated writing evaluationAbstract
Writing is the most challenging skill for EFL students who are confronted with grammatical issues. Recently, automated writing evaluation (AWE) has been dramatically used in the EFL writing context. This study aims to analyse the types of writing errors composed by EFL students by using Grammarly as an AWE tool. The four main types of writing errors investigated in this study are correctness, clarity, engagement, and delivery. This study employed a qualitative design, including a document analysis of 27 EFL students’ written productions before and after using Grammarly. The findings of this study revealed that grammatical correctness issues were primarily found in the form of ungrammatical sentences and incorrect phrasing, followed by engagement issues, namely word choice errors. However, misplaced words or phrases, comma misuse within clauses, and incorrect punctuations were found at a lower frequency. These findings are consistent with previous studies suggesting that Grammarly can improve grammatical accuracy and writing fluency. The conclusions of this study suggest using Grammarly as a supplementary tool in EFL writing classrooms, in addition to instructing students on how to use it effectively. The limitations of this study include a small sample size and the use of data collected from a single session, highlighting the need for further research in this area.
References
Bailey, D., & Lee, A. R. (2020). An explanatory study of Grammarly in the language learning context: An analysis of test-based, textbook-based and Facebook corpora. TESOL International Journal, 15(2), 4-24.
Calma, A., Cotronei-Baird, V., & Chia, A. (2022). Grammarly: An instrumental intervention for writing enhancement in management education. The International Journal of Management Education, 20(2022), 1-11.
Dizon, G., & Gayed, J. M. (2021). Examining the impact of Grammarly on the quality of mobile L2 writing. The JALT CALL Journal, 17(2), 74–92.
Dizon, G., & Gayed, J. M. (2024). A systematic review of Grammarly in L2 English writing contexts. Cogent Education, 11(1), 1-14.
Dizon, G., & Gold, J. (2023). Exploring the effects of Grammarly on EFL students’ foreign language anxiety and learner autonomy. The JALT CALL Journal, 19(3), 299-316.
Ebyary, K. E. (2022). Native and non-native speakers’ reactions to Grammarly-flagged errors: Implications for L2 teaching of writing. Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching (e-FLT), 19(2), 113-129.
Fan, C., & Wang, J. (2024). Configurational impact of the self-regulated writing strategy, writing anxiety, and perceived writing difficulty on EFL writing performance: a fsQCA approach. Scientific Reports, 14(1), 1-15.
Gass, S., & Selinker, L. (2008). Second language acquisition: An introductory course (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.
Guba, M. N. A., Awad, A., & Qub, A. A. (2024). 14(3). World Journal of English Language, 14(3), 1-13.
Jomaa, N., & Jibroo, H. (2024). Corrective feedback of Grammarly in enhancing L2 writing by EFL Kurdish students. Bulletin of Advanced English Studies (BAES), 9(1), 1-15.
Llausas, S. M., Ruiz, E., Ayycan, S. M., & Evardo Jr., O. J. (2024). A systematic literature review on the use of Grammarly in improving the writing skills of ESL/EFL students. International Journal of Multidisciplinary: Applied Business and Education Research, 5(9), 3507-3516.
Martinez-Carrasco, R., & Chabert, A. (2023). Writing on steroids? Accuracy of automatic corrective feedback in L2 competence development. Bellaterra Journal of Teaching & Learning Language & Literature, 16(3), 1-25.
Mohammad, T. (2024). Challenging traditional EFL writing classroom using AI mediated tool: A paradigm shift. World Journal of English Language, 14(2), 211-219.
Obsioma, R. B. (2021). Utilizing automated written communicative feedback in the language learning context: An analysis of the Grammarly results of ESL researchers’ conference abstracts. International Peer Review Journal, 15, 40-52.
O’Neill, R., & Russell, A. M. T. (2019). Grammarly: Help or hindrance? Academic learning advisors’ perceptions of an online grammar checker. Journal of Academic Language & Learning, 13(1), A88-A107.
Prompan, J., & Piamsai, C. (2024). The Effects of Peer Feedback and Self-Regulated Learning on Thai EFL Students’ Writing Ability and Self-Regulation. LEARN Journal: Language Education and Acquisition Research Network, 17(1), 100–132.
Promsupa, P., Varasarin, P., & Brudhiprabha, P. (2017). An analysis of grammatical errors in English writing of Thai university students. HRD Journal, 8(1), 93-104.
Rababah, L. M., & Talafah, D. M. (2024). Unlocking writing potential: Assessing the impact of Grammarly on Jordanian EFL students’ writing proficiency. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(5), 1486-1492.
Ramamuthie, V., & Aziz, A. A. (2022). Systematic Review: The Effectiveness of Digital Tools to Improve Writing Skill of ESL Students. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(3), 408–427.
Sanosi, A. B. (2022). The impact of automated written corrective feedback on EFL learners’ academic writing accuracy. The Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, 10(2), 301-317.
Su, Y., Qian, J., & Luo, M. (2024). A correlation study of automated writing evaluation system (Grammarly) and Chinese EFL learners’ writing self-efficacy in their self-regulated learning. Journal of Electrical Systems, 20(3), 1874-1895.
Tambunan, A. R. S., Andayani, W., Sari, W. S., & Lubis, F. K. (2022). Investigating EFL students’ linguistic problems using Grammarly as automated writing evaluation feedback. Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 12(1), 16-27.
Thangthong, P., Phiromsombut, J., & Imsa-ard, P. (2024). Navigating AI writing assistance tools: Unveiling the insights of Thai EFL learners. THAITESOL JOURNAL, 37(1), 111-131.
Thi, N. K., & Nikolov, M. (2022). How teacher and Grammarly feedback complement one another in Myanmar EFL students’ writing. Asia-Pacific Edu Res, 31(6), 767-79.
Zhang, S. (2021). Review of automated writing evaluation systems. Journal of China Computer-Assisted Language Learning, 1(1), 170-176.
Zinkevich, N. A., & Ledeneva, T. V. (2021). Using Grammarly to enhance students’ academic writing skills. Professional Discourse & Communication, 3(4), 51-63.
