Presentation How Students Prompt AI in EFL Writing: Evidence from a Japanese University Course more

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT are increasingly used in university EFL writing classes, but teachers need clearer guidance on how to help students use AI in ways that support learning without replacing student writing. This six-week classroom-based study examined how students phrase requests to AI for writing help in a first-year Japanese university EFL academic writing course (N = 40). Students completed a process-writing assignment, timed writing tasks without AI in Weeks 1 and 6, and brief surveys. During AI-permitted stages, students submitted short prompt logs documenting their ChatGPT interactions. Analysis showed that students most often used AI for language-level support, especially grammar correction, vocabulary help, and translation. Higher-order prompts related to organization, explanation, and evaluation were less frequent but associated with deeper revisions and clearer understanding of appropriate AI use. Requests for text generation were rare but aligned with greater uncertainty about acceptable use. These findings suggest that the educational value of AI depends less on tool access and more on how students are guided to prompt it. This session will interest EFL writing instructors seeking practical, classroom-based guidance on shaping student AI interactions to support learning.