Presentation Using AI Illustration Prompts to Enhance Descriptive Writing more

This practice-oriented presentation examines the use of AI-generated illustration prompts in a Japanese university EFL writing course to support the development of descriptive vocabulary and adjective use. While AI tools are often discussed in terms of concerns about student misuse or overreliance, this project demonstrates how guided AI use can encourage active language production and lexical precision. Over the course of a semester, students wrote original fairy tales as part of a creative writing project. After drafting their stories, students generated AI illustrations by composing detailed prompts describing characters, settings, and actions. Initially students failed to get the images they wanted, so to achieve their intended visual outcomes, students were required to revise and refine their language, paying close attention to adjective choice. In this way, AI functioned not as a shortcut for writing, but as a constraint that prompted deeper engagement with vocabulary and descriptive language. The presentation will describe scaffolding techniques used to support effective AI integration and examples of student writing and illustration prompts, will be shared to illustrate how learners’ use of descriptive language developed throughout the semester. The session will offer practical guidance for educators interested in incorporating AI-supported creative writing tasks into EFL classrooms.