活动理论视角下生成式AI对大学生英语写作能力的影响研究——以广佛大学生为例

The Impact of Generative AI on College Students’ English Writing Ability from the Perspective of Activity Theory—A Case Study of University Students in Guangzhou and Foshan

摘要: 生成式人工智能的发展正在改变外语学习方式。本研究以活动理论为框架，采用准实验混合研究方法，探究生成式AI对广佛地区高校英语专业学生写作能力的影响。研究选取4所高校320名学生，将其分为实验组和对照组，从语言形式、内容逻辑、元认知与动机三个维度评估写作能力变化。研究发现：生成式AI显著提升了学生在语言形式维度的表现，尤其在语法准确性和词汇多样性方面效果明显；在内容与逻辑维度，生成式AI对高分组学生的逻辑优化作用显著；在元认知与动机维度方面，研究发现学生写作信心普遍提升。研究揭示了生成式AI在大学生英语写作中的积极影响，可为高校英语写作教学提供实证依据。

Abstract: The development of generative artificial intelligence is transforming foreign language learning. Framed by Activity Theory, this study adopts a quasi-experimental mixed-methods approach to explore the impact of generative AI on the English writing ability of English majors in universities in Guangzhou and Foshan. A total of 320 students from four universities were selected and divided into an experimental group and a control group. Changes in writing ability were assessed across three dimensions: linguistic form, content and logic, and metacognition and motivation. The findings show that generative AI significantly improves students’ performance in the linguistic form dimension, particularly in grammatical accuracy and lexical diversity. In the content and logic dimension, generative AI demonstrates a significant effect on optimizing the logical structure of high-scoring students. In the metacognition and motivation dimension, the study reveals a general increase in students’ writing confidence. This research highlights the positive impact of generative AI on college students’ English writing and provides empirical evidence for English writing instruction in higher education.