Abstract
This cross-sectional study explores how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools influence English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) writing among third-year secondary students in Algeria. Using a sample of 105 students and their teacher, the research combined classroom observations, a semi-structured interview and a questionnaire to assess improvements in grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure and organization, and to gauge perceptions of GenAI. Observations revealed that integrating GenAI tools into pre-writing, drafting and revision fostered collaborative learning, heightened engagement and encouraged metalinguistic awareness. The teacher interview underscored benefits such as personalized feedback and increased autonomy, but cautioned against over-reliance, highlighting the need for prompt-design training, ethical guidance and the cultivation of critical thinking. Moreover, students’ perceived impacts varied by sub-skill. GenAI also bolstered their confidence in writing. The study concludes that GenAI can enhance lexical richness and organizational skills when thoughtfully embedded into classroom practice, but it does not obviate the teacher’s role. A blended approach—balancing automated feedback with human instruction—appears most conducive to developing confident, independent writers in non-English-dominant contexts.