A translanguaging perspective on students’ use of generative artificial intelligence in L2 writing

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) has been acknowledged as a valuable resource in second language (L2) writing but often researched on as a source of monolingual support in the target language in quasi-experimental settings. Students’ use of GAI in naturalistic L2 writing contexts with reference to their multilingual and multimodal repertoires, however, remains underresearched. To address the gap, this study draws on translanguaging as the theoretical lens and explores the ways in which Chinese multilingual undergraduates used GAI as a linguistic support and the underlying reasons shaping their use. Three data sources were employed: screen recordings, reflective journals, and individual semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the students used GAI in four main patterns: creation for generating writing prompts, outlines, and content; translation for comprehension and expression; evaluation for improvement and decision-making; and revision for language and content. Three distinct stances have emerged as key factors shaping students’ GAI use: participation stances, language stances, and tool stances. The findings suggest that GAI-assisted L2 writing can be theorized as a distributed translanguaging practice between students, GAI and other tools that creates a space fostering students’ criticality and creativity. Educators are thereby recommended to respect students’ individualized translingual use of GAI and cultivate their translanguaging literacies, enabling students to use GAI more effectively based on their L2 writing needs.