IMPROVING EFL STUDENTS' WRITING PERFORMANCE THROUGH CHATGPT

Abstract

In the era of digital learning, enhancing students’ writing abilities has become increasingly important, particularly for EFL learners who often face challenges in grammar and vocabulary. The integration of  AI tools such as ChatGPT offers a potential solution to these issues by providing language support during the writing process. This study investigates how ChatGPT can be effectively utilized to support EFL students in improving their writing skills in English. Employing a Classroom Action Research (CAR) method, the study was conducted in two cycles involving 33 XI-6 students at SMAN 1 Kalisat. Data were collected through pre-tests, post-tests, and classroom observations, and analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings revealed a substantial increase in students’ average writing scores from 44.26 in the preliminary test to 80.51 in the post-test of Cycle 2 indicating notable improvement in grammatical accuracy and vocabulary usage. These results was achieved through changes in prompt design, where the instructions were simplified and the feedback that given ChatGPT was translated in Bahasa Indonesia, to make students easier to understand the explanation. The study concludes that AI tools, when implemented with guided support, can serve as effective facilitators in the development of essential language skills.