THE IMPACT OF GENERATIVE AI ON LINGUISTIC ACCURACY AND LEXICAL DIVERSITY IN ESL ACADEMIC WRITING

Abstract

This study examines the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools on the grammatical accuracy and vocabulary range of undergraduate ESL learners. Using an experimental design, 100 undergraduate ESL students from Bahauddin Zakrya University Multan and Ghazi University D.G. Khan were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group used AI tools to support learning during the treatment phase, while the control group received instruction through traditional classroom methods without AI. Data were collected through pre-tests and post-tests administered before and after the intervention.

Results were analysed using SPSS and Microsoft Excel, employing both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicate that the experimental group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in both grammatical accuracy and lexical range compared to the control group. The results suggest that AI tools can effectively support language development in ESL learners at the undergraduate level. This study contributes to the fields of applied linguistics and educational technology by providing empirical evidence on the effectiveness of AI-assisted learning in higher education contexts.