Exploring English for academic purposes learners' engagement with ChatGPT-4 in academic writing revision: a case...

While a growing body of research has examined the affordances and effects of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in language learning, less attention has been paid to how learners engage with these tools during the writing revision process across behavioural, cognitive, and affective dimensions. This qualitative multiple-case study investigates how eight English for Academic Purposes (EAP) learners engage with ChatGPT-4.0 while revising academic writing. Data included screen recordings of learner-AI interactions, interaction transcripts, stimulated recall sessions, and semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that learner engagement is heterogeneous and multidimensional. Behavioural and cognitive engagement ranged from deliberate, evaluative processing to more mechanical uptake, including instances of overreliance on AI-generated feedback. Affective engagement was similarly mixed: while participants valued the immediacy and accessibility of feedback, some reported a lack of social and contextual support compared to teacher guidance. These findings highlight the importance of teacher mediation and critical AI literacy in supporting meaningful engagement with GenAI. The study contributes to emerging research on AI-assisted language learning by specifying the conditions under which GenAI feedback may foster, rather than undermine, reflective and critical engagement in EAP writing.