Research at PrepTalk

Writing with AI: the questions behind PrepTalk

Follow a writing activity, examine the choices behind it, and explore what we still need to find out.

These pages explain PrepTalk’s design and the questions guiding its research. Start with the activity walkthrough, then explore learner authorship, phrases, hints, and how we plan to evaluate the system and learning outcomes. Completed studies and their findings will be added as they become available.

Chapter overview · Forthcoming with Routledge

Reclaiming the Writing Process: A CEFR-Aligned, Scaffold-First Model for AI in Foreign Language Writing

Chapter author: Ana Rosso

Ana Rosso’s forthcoming Routledge chapter on task design, AI assistance and learner authorship.

Read the chapter overview

An overview based on the draft abstract. A publication link will be added when available.

7 explainers and walkthroughs

Inside the writing activity

What the learner does, what the system supplies, and why the sequence matters.

Inside a PrepTalk activity: writing a forum reply
Follow the English B1 reply activity from reading the source post to editing the finished response.
When does AI help with writing—and when does it take over?
A concrete look at the difference between helping a learner develop a reason and supplying the sentence for them.
Why practice phrases before writing?
What “One reason is” and “For instance” contribute to a reply—and what the learner still has to supply.
What should a writing hint actually say?
How a hint can address a missing example or unclear reason while leaving the next sentence to the learner.

Levels, evidence and open questions

How we describe the tasks and what we would need to know before claiming they improve learning.

What changes between a B1 and a B2 writing task?
Compare two PrepTalk forum-reply activities: the same purpose, with different practice in how to express a position.
What can attempts and hints tell us about writing?
How to read writing-process data without mistaking completion, speed or hint use for learning.
What would count as evidence that PrepTalk helps?
The difference between finishing a supported activity and showing improvement in independent writing.