Is the Simplest Chatbot Effective in English Writing Learning Assistance

While writing plays a central role in writing learning, non-native learners often find difficulty in writing English, which hinders them from engaging in writing exercises. This paper examines the hypothesis that even the simplest chatbot (such as ELIZA) has a positive effect on assisting learners in writing more. We empirically show such a tendency by comparing words that learners produce by using a standard editor and a chatbot-based writing system. We further look into the writing results, showing that the chatbot-based system has good effects on word usage and self-revision. Finally, we propose a new writing exercise combining the chatbot-based system with the conventional method.