Developing EAP reading materials with GenAI: a boon or a bane?

Abstract

With the affordances offered by GenAI (Generative AI) in nearly every aspect of language learning and teaching - including material development and assessment - both novice and experienced educators can now create tailored materials for their learners with remarkable ease. This shift has raised questions about the necessity of relying on established ELT (English Language Teaching) textbooks, which traditionally provide a well-structured curriculum and high-quality content. Drawing on his experience in developing in-house EAP (English for Academic Purposes) materials at an EMI (English as a Medium of Instruction) university, the writer will examine the challenges of using GenAI to create reading texts and the relevant learning tasks that accompany them. These challenges encompass text readability, the content overlap encountered in the question or task types, and the necessary review and revision for enhancing the quality and suitability of the generated materials. While potential solutions such as prompt engineering and the use of a readability tool will be shared, the ultimate aim of this article is to encourage reflection on the impact of GenAI on EAP material development.