On March 20, 2025, the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance (CSLP) satellite office at UQAM (CEAP UQAM) hosted a presentation led by Katrine Roussel, a specialist in the didactics of French secondary education. The event focused on common syntactic errors in students' writing, examining them through the lens of modern grammar and the concept of syntactic maturation. Roussel explored how these issues relate to the broader development of writing skills and discussed strategies to help students refine their syntax in digital contexts.
A key theme of the session was the role of artificial intelligence in supporting metasyntactic awareness. Roussel, who is currently leading the research project Ambient Text – Exploratory Research into the Potential of Generative Artificial Intelligence Systems for the Didactics of Writing in Secondary Schools, highlighted how AI tools can serve as valuable linguistic resources for students. She emphasized the potential of generative AI to provide real-time syntactic feedback, suggest structural improvements, and foster deeper grammatical reflection—when used critically and in conjunction with pedagogical guidance.
The event attracted French language teachers, educational consultants, and language specialists from various educational levels, sparking discussions on the future of digital writing instruction. As AI continues to shape the writing landscape, Roussel’s research and insights offer a valuable perspective on how technology can be harnessed to strengthen students’ syntactic skills while maintaining a strong foundation in traditional grammar and writing instruction.