Are you seeking practical ways of implementing ChatGPT in the language learning classroom? Are you frustrated by webinars and posts that only offer theoretical knowledge without practical application? Well, I am! So, having that in mind, we conducted a free, live training on using ChatGPT for language learning teachers.

This training helped a large audience of people walk away with new skills and techniques they could apply immediately.

So, if you don’t want to watch the whole training video found at the end of this post, stick to this article. By the end of it, you will discover the following:

  • the practical and specific ChatGPT prompts that you can use in your EFL classroom,
  • the most common mistakes most people make while using ChatGPT so that you can avoid them,
  • the presentation I shared during the live Training.

Prompts for language teachers

The training was successful because I showcased certain prompts that language teachers can use. Let’s check them out

Before anything else, we need to ask ChatGPT to assume the role of an expert.

Let me explain why this is crucial. Imagine you’re a bartender serving a diverse crowd of customers every day. Some may want a strong, stiff drink, while others might prefer something fruity and light. Yes, they all need drinks, but does everyone like the same drink as the person next to them? To satisfy each and every customer, you need to know what they want and how to make it. In the same way, when you communicate with ChatGPT, it’s essential to let it know the role you want it to assume so that it can provide the most relevant and accurate information.

ChatGPT as a robotic bartender
ChatGPT as a bartender. Image made with MidJourney v5. © Educraft, 2023 - All rights reserved

What role to assign to ChatGPT?

So, my suggestion to language teachers is to ask ChatGPT to become an expert EFL teacher who masters Educational Technology. This way, the outputs you’ll receive will be focused on the Technological part of the TPACK model rather than anything else. Alternatively, you could ask the AI to become an expert EFL teacher who knows all about collaborative learning. This way, the output you will receive will focus on strategies and techniques that are focused on collaboration.

For this conversation, I want you to act like an all-knowing EFL teacher, really into educational technology.
ChatGPT Prompt #19

Lesson plans

Now that we have told ChatGPT what role we want it to assume let’s start assigning tasks. Our first task for the AI is to help us create a lesson plan.

Provide me with a lesson plan for teaching countable and uncountable nouns.
ChatGPT Prompt #1

As you saw, it is likely that the results that ChatGPT provides may be generic. This happens when you don’t provide ChatGPT with enough context. As you know, it is essential to consider the learning audience’s profile before sharing/creating anything. So let’s say that we are teaching A1 level students. Let’s adjust the lesson plan to match their level. We will add an extra string to our prompt.

Adjust the lesson plan you provided for EFL learners, A1 level.
ChatGPT Prompt #2

Remember to provide context to ChatGPT, mainly about your learners. Always tell ChatGPT about your students' level and unique needs. 

Without any context, even Albert Einstein couldn’t assist you properly. Context includes various factors such as your audience (age, educational level, cultural background), your goals (what you want to achieve with the conversation), and any limitations (such as time constraints, language proficiency, or technical knowledge). As an AI language model, ChatGPT has a vast amount of knowledge stored in its memory, but it does not have the same contextual understanding as humans. Providing this information enables ChatGPT to generate more relevant, informative, and nuanced responses that meet your specific needs. This way, you’ll avoid stiff and generic responses.

If you don't provide some context to the AI, even Albert Einstein won't be able to help you
AInstein - Image made with MidJourney v5. © Educraft, 2023 - All rights reserved

Assessments - Exercises

Let’s now ask ChatGPT to create an exercise for our students regarding the above topic.

Provide me with 5 fill-in-the-blank questions on the topic. Give me 3 choices for each question highlighting the correct one. Use “some, any, many, a few, few, five).

Note how I specified the type and number of question items I want the AI to share.

ChatGPT Prompt #3

It’s not just fill-in-the-blank exercises that ChatGPT can help us with. Let’s see another example. For this task, we will ask ChatGPT to create an exercise where students must put the verb in its correct form.

I’m teaching the differences between Present Simple and Present Continuous. Create an exercise for my A1 students. They will be given the verb in brackets and need to adjust it to the correct tense. Provide me with 5 questions.
ChatGPT Prompt #4

Outline for a class syllabus

Another use would be to ask the AI to create an outline for a new vocational English class that you may be teaching. Suppose your learning audience is taxi drivers.

Design a syllabus for an online course teaching vocational English to taxi drivers.
ChatGPT Prompt #5

Glossaries

We could also ask ChatGPT to generate a glossary for the online course. Let’s build up on the previous prompt.

Now, I want you to create a glossary of the 10 most common phrases taxi drivers need. Use simple language (A1 level) to explain the various phrases.
ChatGPT Prompt #6

It can also help create a list of the most common vocabulary terms your students need to know about a topic. Remember to define their level.

Create a glossary of terms and definitions for a unit teaching the weather to A1 students. Use language based on their level.
ChatGPT Prompt #7

Learning Objectives

So, you found a cool topic online and would like to transform it into a lesson. Normally, when you design a lesson, you should define its learning objectives. So, I will ask the AI for some learning objectives.

Act like an experienced EFL teacher, an expert in collaborative learning with internet access and a whiteboard in class. I’m teaching the topic “Female pioneers” to my C1 students. Generate the learning objectives for this 50-minute lesson.
ChatGPT Prompt #8

The key is to continue asking ChatGPT to provide extra information based on its initial replies. This is the way to get tailored and practical results. So, let’s adjust the learning objectives based on Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Adjust the verbs of the learning objectives you created using Bloom’s Taxonomy. Refer directly to the learners.
ChatGPT Prompt #9

Gamified activities

Who said that you need Kahoot or Quizizz all the time? We can use ChatGPT to create gamified activities for you. I came across this cool idea while browsing online the other day. Imagine you want to spice up the vocabulary-teaching process. First, ask your students to come up with as many words they can about the topic you are teaching (fruit, jobs, adjectives, etc.). Next, note these words down on a piece of paper. Then ask ChatGPT to generate a list of these words. Next, you’ve to compare the words ChatGPT generated with those the students mentioned.

List the ten most common adjectives used to describe people for A2 level students.
ChatGPT Prompt #10

Personalised content

The following example is handy if you want to differentiate your teaching and adapt to your students’ skills. I will use ChatGPT to create two different exercises for the same topic so that I can give the more challenging task to the more advanced students.

Act like an EFL expert. Create two exercise for C1-level students about the 2nd and 3d conditionals. The first must be challenging for students with a strong understanding of conditionals. The second needs to be easier and include an example and support for students who are struggling with the topic.
ChatGPT Prompt #11

Feedback to your students

Are you overwhelmed with work but still want to give your students solid feedback on their writing? ChatGPT can help you with that too. All you need to do is input the student’s essay and ask ChatGPT to highlight their mistakes and provide suggestions for improvement.

Assume the role of an EFL teacher. Based on the following B2-level essay, I want you to highlight any grammar or spelling mistakes, insert them into a table and provide me with suggestions of how the student can improve their writing.
ChatGPT Prompt #12

Guidance and recommendation

ChatGPT can play the role of your personal assistant in providing you with recommendations and guidance on using various software. For example, I’d like to use a student-response system, but my budget is pretty limited. I will ask chatGPT for recommendations

I want a student response system for my EFL Classroom. Provide me with recommendations. Recommend only free and mobile-friendly apps.
ChatGPT Prompt #13

Ideas

There’s no chance of running out of ideas for activities with ChatGPT. For example, suppose you want to want some ideas for the upcoming Halloween. Specifically, you require that the students be able to cooperate, and you have a minor issue. You’ve no access to the Internet.

Act like an EFL teacher, an expert in collaborative learning. I need you to give me ideas about Halloween activities that can be done in the classroom. Note that I don’t have Internet access within classroom
ChatGPT Prompt #14

An innovative way to receive great recommendations that can surprise your students is to ask the AI to propose alternative, less common ideas.

Think outside the box. Propose 3 uncommon activity ideas for Halloween.
ChatGPT Prompt #15

Emails, Cover letters, CVs

We can also use ChatGPT to write things for us, such as letters, emails, Cover letters, CVs, etc. For example, you can ask the AI to invite your school’s parents to an upcoming event.

Please write an email inviting the school’s parents to the upcoming Christmas event we are hosting at our school. The event will take place on December 24th at 09:00 am
ChatGPT Prompt #16

What’s great with ChatGPT is that you can ask it to redefine its response, as we’ve already discussed. So, let’s ask it to make the above email sound more inviting and full of enthusiasm.

Adjust the tone of the email to sound more enthusiastic
ChatGPT Prompt #17

Ask it to assume the tone and style of a famous person to make its results sound unique and interesting.

Re-write the letter to parents, as William Shakespeare would have written it.
ChatGPT Prompt #18

ChatGPT mistakes to avoid

Additionally, we uncovered three secret ChatGPT hacks that 99% of people are unaware of. Feel free to check them out in the carousel down below.

Now that you’ve reached the end of the post let me address the elephant in the room.

Don't be afraid of AI. The AI won't replace you; I guarantee that. But, on the other hand, a person who knows how to use AI and provides it with solid prompts has the potential to replace you.

To download the presentation, click the ‘Download’ button.