One of the persistent challenges in second language acquisition (SLA), especially within the communicative approach, is how to incorporate writing in a way that feels meaningful and beneficial to students. The communicative method, which focuses on teaching language through interaction and real-life communication, traditionally prioritizes speaking and listening skills, emphasizing real-time language use. As a result, writing often takes a backseat, seen as an isolated, academic exercise rather than a communicative act. Both teachers and students tend to resist prioritizing writing activities into language lessons. For students, writing in a foreign language can be intimidating, often because they feel they lack the necessary vocabulary or fear making mistakes that become fossilized (Kara, 2013; Shang, 2013; Tallon, 2009). For teachers, assessing and correcting writing is a time-consuming process, particularly when the focus of class time is on oral communication. These factors create a reluctance to fully integrate writing into language learning curriculums, particularly at the novice and intermediate language levels.
Importance of Writing
Despite this hesitancy, writing holds a critical place in language learning. It not only reinforces vocabulary and grammatical structures but also helps students synthesize their knowledge in a way that supports the other core language skills: reading, speaking, and listening. Writing gives students the time to reflect on their language use, organizing their thoughts and constructing more complex sentences than they might in spontaneous conversation. Beyond the linguistic benefits, writing fosters critical thinking, which is essential when learning to communicate effectively in a second language (Byrnes et al., 2010; Kern, 1992).
Through writing, students are exposed to cultural norms embedded in language use and develop the ability to express themselves in ways that go beyond basic survival skills, enhancing their fluency and cultural competence. Writing also offers a unique space where grammar is applied practically, encouraging students to see grammatical structures not just as abstract rules but as tools for effective communication (Thompson, 2001; Hyland, 2000). Acknowledging both the importance of writing and the challenges it presents, we recently introduced an innovative activity in our Intermediate Spanish class. In Spring 2024, we implemented an AI-powered writing exercise using ChatGPT, designed to make writing more approachable and less intimidating for students. We tasked students with engaging in a written conversation with an AI, specifically designed to simulate natural dialogue. Our hope was that by eliminating the pressure of activities subject to formal evaluation, students would feel more comfortable experimenting with the language. This would allow them to focus on expanding their vocabulary and refining sentence structure in a low-stakes, stress-free environment.
ChatGPT Spanish Conversations
The activity was introduced to 11 intermediate-level Spanish students in an online synchronous class. The students were given specific instructions to initiate a 30-minute conversation with ChatGPT in Spanish, using the prompt: “Quiero que seas mi compañero de conversación en español. Habla conmigo sólo en español durante los próximos 30 minutos.” (“I want you to be my Spanish conversation partner. Only speak with me in Spanish for the next 30 minutes.”). We also provided them with a variety of themes to choose from, such as películas y entretenimiento (movies and entertainment), manejo del estrés (stress management), and éxito académico (academic success). Each theme included prompt questions designed to encourage the use of specific vocabulary covered during the course. After completing their conversations, students were asked to reflect on their experience, writing a brief summary about the topics they discussed, any new words or phrases they learned, challenges they faced, and how they felt the activity enhance their ability to write in a conversational style
Results
The results of the activity were revealing. Of the 11 students who participated, 72% expressed positive feedback, finding the AI conversation to be a helpful tool for practicing Spanish. One student noted, “I really enjoyed practicing my Spanish with ChatGPT because I am often afraid to talk to fluent speakers. With ChatGPT, there is no embarrassment, and when I make a mistake, the AI corrects it naturally.” This sentiment echoed among many students, who appreciated the low-pressure environment that allowed them to focus on language production rather than fear of judgment. Another student reflected that ChatGPT helped them think through real conversations and that they learned new vocabulary in a more practical, usable context.
However, not all students were entirely satisfied with the experience. One student found the activity “boring,’ noting that ChatGPT sometimes produced lists of information instead of maintaining a fluid conversation. Others reported that the AI occasionally misunderstood the conversational tone, especially when asked personal questions. This mismatch between expectation and experience can be attributed to the current limitations of AI in simulating truly human-like interactions. In some cases, the students didn’t follow the instructions precisely, which may have also contributed to mixed outcomes. For example, one student who didn’t paste the professor’s provided instruction into the ChatGPT input box received mechanical, list-like responses, which disrupted the conversational flow.
Incorporating Feedback
Based on the feedback, there were clear ways to improve this activity in future iterations. One significant change was to refine the instructions provided to ChatGPT. Students needed to give more detailed prompts to the AI to ensure it maintained a conversational tone and avoided overly formal or list-based responses. The prompt was adjusted to: “Quiero que seas mi compañero de conversación en español. Pretende que somos amigos y háblame de manera relajada, como si estuviéramos conversando en persona. Evita respuestas largas o en forma de lista, y trata de enfocarte en un diálogo más interactivo.” In English, this translates to: “I want you to be my conversation partner in Spanish. Pretend we are friends and speak to me in a casual way, as if we were having a face-to-face conversation. Avoid long or list-based responses, and focus on a more engaging dialogue.” This adjustment helped ensure that ChatGPT adhered to the intended conversational framework, resulting in a more dynamic and effective learning experience for the students.
While not without its challenges, the integration of AI into writing exercises demonstrated promise as a tool for helping intermediate Spanish students practice and enhance their language skills in multimodal settings. This is particularly relevant as the everyday experience of writing has dramatically expanded in the past decade, due largely to handheld devices that facilitate writing on social networks and text messaging, often incorporating photos, videos, and other media (Cope and Kalantzis, 2015; Kearney, 2016; National Council of Teachers of English, 2024).
The structured yet flexible format allowed students to engage with the language meaningfully, providing opportunities to apply vocabulary and grammatical structures in real-world contexts without the fear of embarrassment or judgment. Additionally, these exercises could be completed outside classroom hours as homework, allowing for further practice and reinforcement of skills. By refining the instructions and addressing some of the AI’s limitations, this approach could become a valuable component of a communicative language curriculum, uniquely integrating writing with speaking, listening, and cultural understanding. Through thoughtful iteration, we can continue to leverage AI as a supportive tool—not as a replacement for traditional teaching methods, but as a complementary aid that helps bridge the gap between writing and communication in the language classroom.
Angela Rodriguez Mooney, PhD, is an assistant professor of Spanish and the Texas Women’s University.
Ann Wheeler, PhD, is a professor of Mathematics at the Texas Women’s University.
References
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Cope, B., and Kalantzis, M. editors. A Pedagogy of Multiliteracies: Learning by Design. Palgrave Macmillan, 2015.
Hyland, K. Disciplinary Discourses: Social Interactions in Academic Writing. Pearson Education, 2000.
National Council of Teachers of English. Professional Knowledge for the Teaching of Writing. 2016, www2.ncte.org/statement/teaching-writing. Accessed 27 Sep. 2024
Kara, S. “Writing Anxiety: A Case Study on Students’ Reasons for Anxiety in Writing Classes”. Anadolu Journal of Educational Sciences International, vol. 3, no. 1, 2013, pp. 103-11.
Kearney, E. Intercultural Learning in Modern Language Education: Expanding Meaning-Making Potentials. Multilingual Matters, 2016.
Kern, R. G., and Schultz, J.. “The Effects of Composition Instruction on Intermediate Level French Students’ Writing Performance: Some Preliminary Findings.” Modern Language Journal, vol. 76, no. 1, 1992, pp. 1–13.
Shang, H. “Factors associated with English as a foreign language university students writing anxiety.” International Journal of English Language Teaching 1.1 (2013): 1-12.
Tallon, M. “Foreign language anxiety and heritage students of Spanish: A quantitative study.” Foreign Language Annals 42.1 (2009): 112-137.
Thompson, G. “Interaction in Academic Writing: Learning to Argue with the Reader.” Applied Linguistics, vol. 22, no. 1, 2001, pp. 58–78.
