This presentation examines the impact of Generative AI (GenAI) on the Journal of Second Language Writing based on the observations and experiences of an outgoing editor-in-chief (EIC). The outgoing EIC will discuss influences of GenAI on this journal, including both the benefits and challenges in managing the publication process.
The present study investigated 104 English language learners’ longitudinal development of syntactic complexity over five CEFR levels. They first improved their use of subordination clauses but eventually improved their use of complex nominals. Some learners exhibited unpredictable developmental trajectories, which were closely examined by qualitatively examining their language use.
EFL essay quality correlated with meaning complexity (argument depth, nominal groups), not clausal form. Challenging traditional views, this highlights meaning complexity’s critical role in L2 writing development and assessment.
This systematic review brings together empirical findings on cohesion, showing the relationships between cohesion features, L2 proficiency, and contextual factors. It also warns that growing reliance on automated analytical tools risks reductionism, potentially oversimplifying complex cohesion phenomena in written texts.
This is an open meeting for the discussion of the recent decision by the Executive Committee of the National Council of Teachers of English to dissolve the Conference on College Composition and Communication, an organization that has historically played a central role in facilitating the development of writing studies.
Engaging the concept of emotion labor (Benesch & Prior, 2023; Miller & Gknonou, 2023) we examine how university-based EAP writing instructors negotiate ‘feeling rules’, that is, external expectations that can shape internal emotions in highly regulated institutional contexts, drawing insights from data generated at three Canadian post-secondary institutions.
This presentation examines how AI-mediated feedback influences syntactic complexity development in L2 writing and what these effects reveal about the continuing role of writing teachers. Findings suggest AI supports micro-level elaboration, while teachers remain essential for guiding higher-order syntactic development, pedagogical judgment, and meaningful instructional design.
Examining GPT-4o as an EFL writing tutor in Japan, this longitudinal study finds that while student writing showed gains in lexical and syntactic complexity, it increasingly resembled the tone of AI-generated text. This suggests a potential trade-off between complexity gains and the loss of a student’s unique authorial voice.
