Developing academic writing skills: a practical look at traditional and AI-integrated exercises and tasks

Recent educational trends and innovations, which are closely related to the use of digital technologies and tools, significantly facilitate access to knowledge, reduce the time for performing routine tasks, and at the same time may reduce motivation for in-depth study of a foreign language. Academic writing skillsare necessary for effective communication in the field of education, research and professional activity. This study is based on the generalization of practical experience in teaching Academic Writing course at Cherkasy State Business College for undergraduate students. Through empirical research, the analysis of the use of traditional exercises and tasks in the educational process is done, students’ assignments performed both independently and using generative artificial intelligence technologies are processed. A review of receptive, reproductive, and productive exercises is carried out. Examples of receptive exercises are given, such as the analysis of samples of academic texts that help students understand the structure, style, and language of academic writing. In particular, it is found that the exercise on awareness and assimilation of information about the key features of academic writing is an effective means of forming the relevant skills. Reproductive exercises are characterized, which contribute to the consolidation of grammatical rules and stylistic norms, the development of skills of structuring information through paraphrasing, generalization and editing. Productive exercises are systematized, which include the formulation of arguments, the use of evidence and the logical presentation of thoughts, contributing to the formation of critical thinking skills.The study also highlights innovative approaches using artificial intelligence (AI) to develop academic writing skills. The article proves that the integration of AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, Write&Improve, Paperpal, opens up new opportunities for improving grammar, style, structure and argumentation. It is pointed out that AI analyzes students’ texts and provides individual recommendations, which allows each student to work on their weaknesses and develop their strengths.The authors conclude that combining different types of exercises and taking into account the individual needs of students are necessary conditions for creating an effective academic writing training program. The study proves that the use of visual components in teaching contributes to better understanding and assimilation of the material, as well as increasing students’ motivation and creativity. The prospects for further research are assessed,which consist in developing criteria for assessing the effectiveness of different types of exercises and developing provisions for observing academic integrity when working with AI tools, in order to ensure the fair and responsible use of AI in the educational process.