A comparative case study of the effectiveness of an automated writing evaluation system in improving grammatical accuracy across Myanmar EFL students of varying English proficiency levels

Abstract

Grammatical accuracy remains a significant challenge for EFL learners in Myanmar, where limited access to individualized feedback, resource constraints, and L1 interference from Burmese hinder writing development. Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) tools such as Grammarly offer a potential solution by providing immediate and consistent corrective feedback; however, their effectiveness across proficiency levels, particularly in low-resource and non-university contexts, remains underexplored. This exploratory case study examined the impact of Grammarly’s free version, combined with reinforcement strategies, on the grammatical accuracy of three Myanmar EFL learners at CEFR levels A2, B1, and B2 over a six-week intervention. The study addressed two research questions: (1) how Grammarly and reinforcement strategies influenced grammatical accuracy over time, and (2) whether the effects varied across proficiency levels. Data were collected through pre- and post-tests, including picture-based writing tasks and the Oxford Solutions Placement Test, weekly Grammarly error reports, and observations from weekly one-on-one sessions. The findings indicate overall improvement across all participants, with distinct patterns by proficiency level. The A2 learner showed substantial gains, relying heavily on corrective feedback and teacher support. The B1 learner demonstrated steady progress through scaffolded learning and reflection. The B2 learner achieved incremental refinement, using Grammarly primarily as a proofreading tool while displaying greater metalinguistic awareness. Although limited by a small sample size, this study provides the first empirical examination of AWE use in Myanmar's EFL context, extending the literature beyond East Asian and university-level settings. The findings highlight the practical value of free tools in low-resource environments and offer implications for integrating AWE into CEFR-aligned EFL instruction in similar contexts across South and Southeast Asia