From Vibe Coding to Guardrailed Vibe Writing for Non-English-Major EFL Students: A Conceptual Framework and Pedagogical Proposal

Vibe coding is an iterative, natural-language approach to human-AI collaboration and offers new possibilities for writing pedagogy. This conceptual paper proposes a framework for applying vibe coding principles to the teaching of academic and professional writing for non-English-major students learning English as a foreign language (EFL), particularly in Vietnamese higher education. Based on a structured narrative synthesis of selected literature, and drawing on cognitive load theory, self-regulated learning, and contrastive rhetoric, the paper introduces the Guardrailed Vibe Writing (GVW) approach, which aims to reduce linguistic barriers while supporting higher-order rhetorical and critical thinking skills. The framework includes five key components: intentional prompting, AI-mediated scaffolding with human oversight, meta-languaging, documented revision, and metacognitive reflection. No learner data are reported; the proposed benefits require empirical testing. The paper also discusses potential risks associated with AI-assisted writing such as cognitive debt, voice homogenization, and academic integrity issues, and proposes pedagogical strategies to address them. The GVW framework provides practical guidance for integrating generative AI responsibly into non-English-major EFL writing instruction.