From Vibe Coding to Guardrailed Vibe Writing for Non-English-Major EFL Students: A Conceptual Framework and Pedagogical Proposal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54855/ijaile.26332Keywords:
vibe coding; writing instruction; non-EFL student; pedagogical framework; AI-assisted writingAbstract
Vibe coding is an iterative, natural-language approach to human-AI collaboration and offers new possibilities for writing pedagogy. This conceptual paper proposes a framework for applying vibe coding principles to the teaching of academic and professional writing for non-English-major students learning English as a foreign language (EFL), particularly in Vietnamese higher education. Based on a structured narrative synthesis of selected literature, and drawing on cognitive load theory, self-regulated learning, and contrastive rhetoric, the paper introduces the Guardrailed Vibe Writing (GVW) approach, which aims to reduce linguistic barriers while supporting higher-order rhetorical and critical thinking skills. The framework includes five key components: intentional prompting, AI-mediated scaffolding with human oversight, meta-languaging, documented revision, and metacognitive reflection. No learner data are reported; the proposed benefits require empirical testing. The paper also discusses potential risks associated with AI-assisted writing such as cognitive debt, voice homogenization, and academic integrity issues, and proposes pedagogical strategies to address them. The GVW framework provides practical guidance for integrating generative AI responsibly into non-English-major EFL writing instruction.
References
Becker, J., Rush, N., Barnes, E., & Rein, D. (2025). Measuring the impact of early-2025 AI on experienced open-source developer productivity [Preprint]. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2507.09089
Bjork, E. L., & Bjork, R. A. (2011). Making things hard on yourself, but in a good way: Creating desirable difficulties to enhance learning. In M. A. Gernsbacher, R. W. Pew, L. M. Hough, & J. R. Pomerantz (Eds.), Psychology and the real world: Essays illustrating fundamental contributions to society (pp. 56–64). Worth Publishers.
Connor, U. (1996). Contrastive rhetoric: Cross-cultural aspects of second-language writing. Cambridge University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139524599
Connor, U. (2004). Intercultural rhetoric research: Beyond texts. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 3(4), 291–304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2004.07.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2004.07.003
Doshi, A. R., & Hauser, O. P. (2024). Generative AI enhances individual creativity but reduces the collective diversity of novel content. Science Advances, 10(28), Article eadn5290. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn5290 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adn5290
Flower, L., & Hayes, J. R. (1981). A cognitive process theory of writing. College Composition and Communication, 32(4), 365–387. https://doi.org/10.2307/356600 DOI: https://doi.org/10.58680/ccc198115885
Hyland, K. (2004). Genre and second language writing. University of Michigan Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.23927
Jaakkola, E. (2020). Designing conceptual articles: Four approaches. AMS Review, 10, 18–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-020-00161-0 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-020-00161-0
Kaplan, R. B. (1966). Cultural thought patterns in inter-cultural education. Language Learning, 16(1–2), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1966.tb00804.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-1770.1966.tb00804.x
Kosmyna, N., Hauptmann, E., Yuan, Y. T., Situ, J., Liao, X.-H., Beresnitzky, A. V., Braunstein, I., & Maes, P. (2025). Your brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of cognitive debt when using an AI assistant for essay writing task [Preprint]. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2506.08872
Mizumoto, A. (2023). Data-driven learning meets generative AI: Introducing the framework of metacognitive resource use. Applied Corpus Linguistics, 3(3), Article 100074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acorp.2023.100074 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acorp.2023.100074
Mollick, E. (2024). Co-intelligence: Living and working with AI. Portfolio.
Ng, D. T. K., Leung, J. K. L., Chu, S. K. W., & Qiao, M. S. (2021). Conceptualizing AI literacy: An exploratory review. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 2, Article 100041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2021.100041 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.caeai.2021.100041
Nguyen, T. T. H. (2023). EFL teachers’ perspectives toward the use of ChatGPT in writing classes: A case study at Van Lang University. International Journal of Language Instruction, 2(3), 1–47. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijli.23231 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54855/ijli.23231
Nguyen, T. Y. P., Nguyen, N. T., & Phan, N. K. H. (2025). The challenges of applying ChatGPT in the academic writing of postgraduate students in English major at IUH. International Journal of AI in Language Education, 2(1), 20–37. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijaile.25212 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54855/ijaile.25212
Perkins, M., Roe, J., & Furze, L. (2025). Reimagining the Artificial Intelligence Assessment Scale: A refined framework for educational assessment. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 22(7). https://doi.org/10.53761/rrm4y757 DOI: https://doi.org/10.53761/rrm4y757
Sarkar, A., & Drosos, I. (2025). Vibe coding: Programming through conversation with artificial intelligence. In Proceedings of the 36th Annual Conference of the Psychology of Programming Interest Group (PPIG 2025). https://ppig.org/papers/2025-ppig-36th-sarkar/
Song, C., & Song, Y. (2023). Enhancing academic writing skills and motivation: Assessing the efficacy of ChatGPT in AI-assisted language learning for EFL students. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1260843. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1260843 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1260843
Song, C., & Song, Y. (2026). Correction: Enhancing academic writing skills and motivation: Assessing the efficacy of ChatGPT in AI-assisted language learning for EFL students. Frontiers in Psychology, 17, Article 1917101. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1917101 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1917101
Su, Y., Lin, Y., & Lai, C. (2023). Collaborating with ChatGPT in argumentative writing classrooms. Assessing Writing, 57, Article 100752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2023.100752 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2023.100752
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4
Sweller, J., van Merriënboer, J. J. G., & Paas, F. (2019). Cognitive architecture and instructional design: 20 years later. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 261–292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09465-5
Vu, Q. H., & Nguyen, K. P. (2026). Effectiveness of ChatGPT feedback on low-level English students’ writing proficiency and their perceptions: An experimental study. International Journal of AI in Language Education, 3(2), 55–70. https://doi.org/10.54855/ijaile.26324 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54855/ijaile.26324
Walters, W. H., & Wilder, E. I. (2023). Fabrication and errors in the bibliographic citations generated by ChatGPT. Scientific Reports, 13, Article 14045. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41032-5 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41032-5
Weigle, S. C. (2013). English as a second language writing and automated essay evaluation. In M. D. Shermis & J. Burstein (Eds.), Handbook of automated essay evaluation (pp. 36–54). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/978https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203122761-3
Willison, S. (2025 March 19). Not all AI-assisted programming is vibe coding (but vibe coding rocks). Simon Willison’s Weblog. https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/19/vibe-coding/
Woo, D. J., Guo, K., & Yu, Y. (2025). A vibe coding learning design to enhance EFL students’ talking to, through, and about AI [Preprint]. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2509.08854
Yan, D. (2023). Impact of ChatGPT on learners in a L2 writing practicum: An exploratory investigation. Education and Information Technologies, 28(11), 13943–13967. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11742-4 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11742-4
Zhang, Z. (V.), & Hyland, K. (2018). Student engagement with teacher and automated feedback on L2 writing. Assessing Writing, 36, 90–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2018.02.004 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2018.02.004
Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory Into Practice, 41(2), 64–70. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15430421tip4102_2
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Pham T Vuong, Nguyen Vuong Thao, Phan Anh Huy (Author)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.










