AI-mediated revision in second language writing: Grammarly’s contribution to EFL students’ research proposal development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30862/jri.v6i2.140Keywords:
AI-mediated revision, Grammarly, research proposalAbstract
This study aims to investigate Grammarly usage as an AI-mediated revision tool in undergraduate EFL students’ research proposal introductions. This study uses a convergent mixed-methods design. Data was collected through Likert-scale questionnaire responses from 20 students, semi-structured interviews with 10 participants, and document analysis of three research proposal introductions. The analysis distinguished between micro-level linguistic revision and macro-level rhetorical development, using Swales’ Create-A-Research-Space (CARS) model. The findings of this study indicate that Grammarly gave positive contributions, particularly valuing its immediate feedback, error detection, and writing confidence. Document analysis highlighted revisions to grammatical accuracy, vocabulary choice, and sentence structure. Whereas interview findings suggested that using Grammarly repeatedly could help students improve their language choices and errors. Nevertheless, Grammarly had limitations for rhetorical development, particularly in establishing a research niche within the CARS model. This limitation suggests that Grammarly serves as a linguistic tool rather than a rhetorical guide. These findings imply that AI writing tools should be complemented with instructor guidance and explicit feedback-literacy instruction to support students’ development as independent academic writers.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Hasrat Sozanolo Harefa, Emi Emilia, Ika Lestari Damayanti, Jefrianus Putra Zebua (Author)
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