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Syntactic and Rhetorical Transformation in Vietnamese EFL Students' Academic Writing

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Title: Syntactic and Rhetorical Transformation in Vietnamese EFL Students' Academic Writing
Language: English
Authors: Le Quang Dung (ORCID 0000-0002-6790-3277)
Source: Journal of Education and e-Learning Research. 2025 12(4):628-635.
Availability: Asian Online Journal Publishing Group. 244 Fifth Avenue Suite D42, New York, NY 10001. Fax: 212-591-6094; e-mail: info@asianonlinejournals.com; Web site: http://www.asianonlinejournals.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 8
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Profiles, Rhetoric, Linguistics, Writing Evaluation, Majors (Students), Undergraduate Students, Technology Uses in Education, Revision (Written Composition), Foreign Countries, Writing (Composition), Academic Language
Geographic Terms: Vietnam
ISSN: 2518-0169
2410-9991
Abstract: This study examines how AI-assisted writing tools reshape the linguistic and rhetorical profile of Vietnamese EFL students' academic texts. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, we analyzed paired drafts (pre-AI and post-AI revision) from 51 English-major undergraduates at two institutions. Quantitatively, syntactic development was gauged with standard indices mean length of T-units (MLT), clauses per sentence (C/S), complex noun phrases per clause (CN/C), and dependent clauses per clause (DC/C) while cohesion was assessed through frequency and range of cohesive ties. Qualitatively, discourse analysis focused on stance, hedging, self-mention, and authorial positioning, complemented by short reflection logs documenting students' acceptance, adaptation, or rejection of AI suggestions. Results showed statistically significant gains across all syntactic indices and broader, more consistent deployment of cohesive devices. Rhetorically, revisions trended toward greater formality and conventionalized academic tone, often accompanied by increased hedging; however, some dilution of personal voice and culturally situated expression was observed. Reflections revealed diverse interaction patterns with AI, from wholesale acceptance to selective and critical uptake. We argue that AI can function as a productive scaffold for academic writing when embedded in pedagogy that explicitly cultivates critical AI literacy and preserves learner agency. Implications for curriculum design and assessment in Vietnamese higher education are discussed.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1495046
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Syntactic and Rhetorical Transformation in Vietnamese EFL Students' Academic Writing
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Education+and+e-Learning+Research%22"><i>Journal of Education and e-Learning Research</i></searchLink>. 2025 12(4):628-635.
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  Data: Asian Online Journal Publishing Group. 244 Fifth Avenue Suite D42, New York, NY 10001. Fax: 212-591-6094; e-mail: info@asianonlinejournals.com; Web site: http://www.asianonlinejournals.com
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– Name: Abstract
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  Data: This study examines how AI-assisted writing tools reshape the linguistic and rhetorical profile of Vietnamese EFL students' academic texts. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, we analyzed paired drafts (pre-AI and post-AI revision) from 51 English-major undergraduates at two institutions. Quantitatively, syntactic development was gauged with standard indices mean length of T-units (MLT), clauses per sentence (C/S), complex noun phrases per clause (CN/C), and dependent clauses per clause (DC/C) while cohesion was assessed through frequency and range of cohesive ties. Qualitatively, discourse analysis focused on stance, hedging, self-mention, and authorial positioning, complemented by short reflection logs documenting students' acceptance, adaptation, or rejection of AI suggestions. Results showed statistically significant gains across all syntactic indices and broader, more consistent deployment of cohesive devices. Rhetorically, revisions trended toward greater formality and conventionalized academic tone, often accompanied by increased hedging; however, some dilution of personal voice and culturally situated expression was observed. Reflections revealed diverse interaction patterns with AI, from wholesale acceptance to selective and critical uptake. We argue that AI can function as a productive scaffold for academic writing when embedded in pedagogy that explicitly cultivates critical AI literacy and preserves learner agency. Implications for curriculum design and assessment in Vietnamese higher education are discussed.
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      – SubjectFull: Technology Uses in Education
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