AI as a writing feedback companion: Student beliefs

Abstract

Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Grammarly may have a significant impact on second language learners’ perceptions of feedback in academic writing. Conducted with second-year university students in Japan, the study aimed to understand how exposure to AI influences beliefs about its role as a feedback companion. Surveys before and after AI-based tasks showed that students increasingly viewed AI as helpful for English mechanics and surface level corrections but continued to prefer feedback from teachers and peers for higher-order tasks. While 51.7% of the students expressed interest in continuing to use AI for feedback, others remained uncertain. The results suggest that AI can serve as a supplementary tool rather than a replacement for traditional feedback sources and that more education is needed to maximize its potential in enhancing writing development. Understanding students’ evolving perceptions of AI is necessary for continued integration into L2 writing classrooms.