Today we are going to ask ChatGPT to create two short stories with 5 small differences, tailored to an A2 language level. Students will be working in pairs to exchange information in order to identify the differences. We will be copying and pasting the texts, then printing copies for use in the language class.
Our starting point could be: “Write two short stories about two friends, each approximately 100 words long, at an Elementary level of English. Make sure the stories contain 5 subtle differences between them.” Here’s what ChatGPT generated:
Story 1: The Missing Cat
Anna and Maria are best friends. One morning, they go to the park to play. Suddenly, they see a black cat hiding in the bushes. “That cat looks lost,” says Anna. They try to call the cat, but it doesn’t come. “We must help it,” says Maria. They wait quietly, and soon the cat walks toward them. Maria picks up the cat. “There’s a phone number on its collar,” says Anna. They call the owner and meet them in the park. The owner is very happy to get their cat back. Anna and Maria are proud of what they did.
Story 2: The Missing Dog
Emma and Lucy are good friends. One afternoon, they walk to the park together. Suddenly, they see a brown dog hiding under a bench. “That dog looks lost,” says Emma. They try to call the dog, but it runs away. “We need to help it,” says Lucy. They wait quietly, and finally the dog walks toward them. Lucy picks up the dog. “There’s an address on its collar,” says Emma. They visit the owner’s house and return the dog. The owner is very thankful to get their dog back. Emma and Lucy are happy they helped the lost dog.
ChatGPT seems to love cat and dog stories. How could we make these stories less lame and childlike and more engaging and relevant to our learners’ needs and interests? Let’s consider the following:
– What is the age range of our students?
– What are their interests?
– What’s the latest series or movie that our students are talking about?
– What topic are we currently working on with them in class?
– Are there any specific language items we would like to integrate into the stories?
– Is there a grammar point that we would like to include as well?
– Is there a particular setting we would like the stories to take place in?
Taking these factors into acoount, let’s try this revised prompt now:
Write two short stories about two friends, each around 100 words long, at an Elementary level of English for young adult learners of English. The stories must include 5 subtle differences between them and feature irregular past tense forms, as the students have been practicing this in class.
Here are the new stories:
Story 1: The Movie Night
Jake and Liam wanted to watch a movie. Last night, they went to the cinema together. They chose a scary film. During the movie, the power suddenly went out, and everything became dark. Jake felt nervous, but Liam stayed calm. After a few minutes, the lights came back on. They watched the rest of the movie and really enjoyed it. When they got home, they talked about their favorite scenes and laughed about the power cut.
Story 2: The Concert
Mike and Sam wanted to see a concert. Last weekend, they went to the stadium together. They picked a rock band. During the concert, the music suddenly stopped, and everyone became quiet. Mike felt worried, but Sam stayed relaxed. After a few minutes, the band played again. They listened to the rest of the songs and had a great time. When they returned home, they talked about the concert and laughed about the silence.
Let’s try a lexical approach this time. Here’s the refined prompt: Write two short stories about two friends, each around 100 words long, at an Elementary level of English for young adult learners of English. The stories must include 5 subtle differences between them, be set in the past, and incorporate some of the following lexical items, as the students have recently learned them in class: “flip flops”, “bracelet”, “tracksuit”, “trainers”, “top”, and “headscarf”.
This approach ensures that the vocabulary is contextualized in a way that reinforces the students’ recent learning while engaging them in a meaningful task.
Story 1: The Beach Trip
Last summer, Emily and Zoe went to the beach for a day. Emily wore flip flops, a blue top, and a bracelet. Zoe wore a headscarf and a tracksuit because it was windy. They walked along the shore, feeling the sand between their toes. After a while, they bought ice cream and sat near the water. Emily dropped her bracelet in the sand, and they both looked for it. Luckily, Zoe found it. They laughed, put on their trainers, and went for a run along the beach before heading home.
Story 2: The Park Outing
Last weekend, Sarah and Lily went to the park. Sarah wore trainers, a green top, and a bracelet. Lily wore flip flops and a tracksuit because it was cold. They walked around the lake, enjoying the fresh air. After a while, they bought snacks and sat on a bench. Sarah lost her bracelet, and they both searched for it in the grass. Luckily, Lily found it. They laughed, put on their headscarves, and went for a walk before going home.
I find that the stories do the job of exposing learners to the target vocabulary and, therefore, can be effectively used in class.
How about this prompt this time? Write two short stories about the Lord of the Rings movie series, each around 100 words long, at an Elementary level of English for young adult learners of English. The stories must have 5 subtle differences between them.
Story 1: Watching the Trilogy
Last weekend, Emma and Lucas decided to watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy. They started with The Fellowship of the Ring. Emma was excited because she loves the story of Frodo and the ring. Lucas had seen the movies before, but it was Emma’s first time. They sat on the sofa with popcorn and drinks. Emma was surprised by the fight with the orcs. Lucas liked the scenes with the elves. After the second movie, they were tired but happy. “Let’s watch the last one tomorrow,” said Lucas. Emma agreed, and they planned another movie night.
Story 2: A Movie Night
Last month, Mia and David decided to watch The Lord of the Rings movies. They started with The Two Towers. David was excited because he loves the action scenes. Mia had never watched the movies before. They sat on the floor with pizza and soda. David was impressed by the battle at Helm’s Deep. Mia liked the scenes with the hobbits. After the first movie, they were getting sleepy but wanted to watch more. “We’ll finish the last movie next weekend,” said Mia. David agreed, and they looked forward to the final part.
I’m not particularly enthused with these stories, and I feel there is room for improvement. ChatGPT seems to stick with the formula of two friends doing things together. However, the stories can still be useful in the language classroom.
Now, in class, arrange your students into pairs and give them slips of paper with printed copies of the stories. Allow them some time to read and understand the stories, and circulate to offer help when needed. Then tell them that they have to retell the stories in their own words, taking turns, and identify the five differences.
AI in ELT 