The Use of Generative AI in Second Language Writing: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions

Abstract

The development of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping second language (L2) writing by introducing new forms of interaction between learners and intelligent technologies. This conceptual paper examines the potential opportunities and critical challenges of GenAI in L2 writing, drawing on a purposively selected body of recent scholarship. It suggests that GenAI can provide contingent support throughout the writing process, facilitate idea generation and revision, and expand opportunities for multilingual composing through L1-mediated and translanguaging practices. At the same time, excessive reliance on AI may lead to cognitive offloading and weaken learners’ engagement in higher-order writing processes. Concerns about inaccurate information and fabricated citations further highlight the need for independent verification and critical AI literacy. Moreover, unequal access to technological resources, AI literacy, and educational support may contribute to an emerging AI divide and reproduce existing educational and linguistic inequalities. The paper argues that the pedagogical value of GenAI depends on how it is integrated into learners’ writing processes and on whether it supports sustained engagement, learner agency, and reflective thinking and decision-making without displacing their intellectual and authorial responsibilities.