Grammarly
The most widely adopted AI writing assistant globally, providing real-time grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, and tone feedback across 500,000+ integrated applications. Offers context-sensitive grammar explanations specifically valuable for non-native writers.
About Grammarly
Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that provides real-time grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style feedback across multiple platforms. For ESL teachers, it functions as a scalable writing coach that can support dozens of students simultaneously, offering instant, context-aware corrections with explanations that help learners understand the reasoning behind each suggestion. The tool's ability to detect tone, formality, and clarity issues makes it particularly valuable for helping language learners develop register awareness and audience-appropriate writing skills. What sets Grammarly apart in ESL contexts is its vocabulary enhancement feature, which suggests synonyms and alternatives that help students expand their lexical range without overwhelming them with overly complex options. The plagiarism checker (available in Premium) serves as both an integrity tool and a teaching moment, helping students understand proper citation and paraphrase techniques. Research shows that L2 learners using Grammarly demonstrate improved accuracy in grammar and mechanics, though the tool works best for intermediate to advanced students who can critically evaluate its suggestions. ESL teachers commonly implement Grammarly as a pre-submission requirement, asking students to address mechanical errors independently before turning in assignments. This approach reduces teacher grading time by 30-50% while building student autonomy and self-editing skills. For example, in a university ESL writing class with 60 students, teachers can focus feedback on higher-order concerns like argumentation and organization while Grammarly handles surface-level corrections.
Key Features
Use Cases for ESL Teachers
• Essay Pre-Submission Tool: Students run drafts through Grammarly before final submission, catching 70-80% of mechanical errors independently and allowing teacher feedback to focus on content, organization, and critical thinking • Business English Email Practice: Professional writing students check email tone and formality, learning workplace communication conventions and appropriate register for different audiences • Vocabulary Expansion Exercises: Intermediate learners use synonym suggestions to diversify word choice, with teachers guiding students to evaluate appropriateness of suggested alternatives for ESL contexts • Self-Paced Writing Improvement: Students review Grammarly's explanations for flagged errors, developing metacognitive awareness of their common mistakes and building independent error-correction strategies • Differentiated Writing Support: Teachers recommend Grammarly for students needing extra mechanics support, freeing up class time to work intensively with students struggling with higher-order writing skills
Pros
• Reduces teacher grading time by 30-50%: Teachers report spending significantly less time on mechanical error correction, allowing more focus on content and organization feedback • Context-aware explanations support learning: Error explanations help students understand grammar rules rather than just fixing mistakes, building long-term language competence • Cross-platform availability: Works in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, email clients, and web browsers, integrating seamlessly into existing writing workflows • Robust free tier: Core grammar and spelling checks work well without premium subscription, making it accessible for budget-conscious classrooms and students
Cons
• Not designed for ESL-specific needs: Suggestions sometimes inappropriate for learners (e.g., recommending advanced vocabulary for A2-level students or missing common ESL errors) • Premium features locked behind paywall: Plagiarism checking and advanced writing feedback require 2/month per student, limiting access for many ESL programs • Can create dependency: Students may over-rely on the tool instead of developing independent editing skills if not properly guided by teachers
Best For
Student Levels: B1 (Intermediate) to C2 (Proficient) learners with foundational grammar knowledge. Less effective for A1-A2 beginners who need more scaffolded, ESL-specific support. Teaching Contexts: Higher education ESL programs, adult learners, business English courses, online/hybrid environments, and self-paced writing programs. Works particularly well in settings with high student-to-teacher ratios. Pain Points Solved: Reduces mechanical error grading burden, scales writing feedback, teaches self-editing skills, helps students produce cleaner first drafts, and provides immediate feedback for asynchronous learners.
Tips for ESL Teachers
• Set clear expectations about Grammarly's role: Explain that Grammarly catches mechanical errors but doesn't evaluate content quality, argumentation, or organization. Students still need to think critically about their writing and teacher feedback remains essential for developing ideas. • Use Grammarly reports for targeted grammar instruction: Review students' error patterns in Grammarly to identify class-wide issues worth addressing in mini-lessons. If 15 students are making subject-verb agreement errors, that signals a grammar point needing explicit instruction. • Require submission of Grammarly screenshots: Have students submit both their essay and a screenshot of their Grammarly score or error report, demonstrating engagement with self-editing before teacher review. This builds accountability and shows students are using the tool as intended.
Pricing
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Student Age
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