From reading to speaking practice

With the rise of Gen.AI, language learners now have countless ways to practice speaking and conversational skills. They could simply hold voice conversations with the sole intent of having someone to talk to in order to use the language they are gradually acquiring. These conversational exchanges could also take a more structured format. Today I am going to share an idea for our students to try in a quiet place for a few minutes, in combination with reading material.

The idea being that, after reading a text, learners will engage in a speaking interaction about it using a voice extension for ChatGPT or the app for Android or iOS devices. This reading material can be online or sourced from the digital version of their coursebooks, allowing it to be copied and pasted. I am going to use a reading passage from the British Council site for C1 learners. It’s a blog post about doing business in different cultures. You can access this passage HERE from the Learn English British Council site.

I am using the ChatGPT app on my phone, and this is my prompt:

I am going to copy and paste a blog post about doing business in different cultures. Based on the content of this blog post, I want you to take the role of a radio talk show host and interview me about it so that my answers are mostly based on this content. The conversation should last about three minutes and you must also ask me follow-up questions based on my answers. You should also make comments in response to my answers. Here is the blog post: Cultural behaviour in business. Start the interview when I say “ok”.

I am copying and pasting the conversation. ChatGPT will automatically convert the voice chat to text, which is very useful for learners to review later and think about how their answers could be improved.

ChatGPT

Understood! I’m ready when you are—just say “ok,” and we’ll kick off the interview.

Okay.

ChatGPT

Welcome to Business Insights Radio! Today, we’re diving into the fascinating world of cultural behavior in business. I’m joined by an expert who’s here to help us understand how culture impacts business interactions around the globe. Thank you for being here!

Let’s start with a broad question. In your experience, why is it important to understand cultural differences when doing business internationally?

Well, it is very important because culture changes differs from country to country or culture to culture, so you need to be aware of what’s socially accepted or not in a given country or culture in order to be successful in doing business.

ChatGPT

Absolutely, knowing what’s accepted—or even expected—can make a big difference. Could you give us an example of a cultural behavior that might be acceptable in one country but would be seen differently somewhere else?

Well, there are many examples. For example, take smiling. In some countries, like in Russia, smiling could be construed as

ChatGPT

—that’s interesting! So, in Russia, smiling too much might come off as insincere, right? Whereas in other places, like the United States, a friendly smile is almost essential in business to build rapport. How would you recommend adjusting communication styles for different cultural expectations like that?

Could you rephrase that?

ChatGPT

Of course! So, in Russia, smiling a lot might be seen as insincere, while in the U.S., it’s often a way to build trust. What would you suggest as a good approach to adapting our communication styles to these different cultural expectations?

Well, first of all, do research. Do research on the Internet. Talk to people. Ask before you act, basically.

ChatGPT

Great advice—doing thorough research and speaking to locals can provide valuable insights. It sounds like you’re saying it’s about listening and learning before diving in. What about when things don’t go as planned? How should someone handle a cultural misunderstanding in a business setting?

That’s a very interesting question, and I think you must be able to think on your feet, basically. I don’t think I have an ultimate answer for that. I don’t know. What do you think?

ChatGPT

I completely agree—flexibility and quick thinking are essential. Every situation is unique, and being open-minded can help smooth things over. I’d imagine that showing genuine respect and a willingness to learn from any mistakes could also go a long way. Would you say that a humble approach can help build stronger connections across cultures?

I think so. You can’t go wrong with a humble approach.

ChatGPT

Absolutely, humility really does seem like a universal language in business. It’s fascinating how being humble and showing respect can help bridge even the biggest cultural gaps. Thank you for sharing your insights—this has been such an eye-opening conversation on cultural behavior in business!

You’re more than welcome.

ChatGPT

Thank you! It was a pleasure speaking with you.

Some observations:

– It is important to give ChatGPT a role. I chose the role of a radio host but we could assign the role of a teacher, someone curious to learn about the subject, or, in this case, someone travelling abroad to do business. That would have worked well too. ChatGPT understood its role well, as can be seen in the interview intro and closure.

– Giving a time frame is important for ChatGPT to bring the interview to a close. I thought that 3 minutes was adequate for the length of the reading material but this can, of course, be adjusted depending on the length and nature of the text.

– Hesitating and buying time to find the right words is inherent to speaking. Even competent users of a language do that, let alone learners. ChatGPT will intervene when there is a language gap, which is far from ideal. This can and does happen- it occurred once in the conversation I had.

– I think it would be very useful for learners to have this conversation twice. If things go badly the first time, they can review the conversation, gain some more confidence and try again. Exposure, repetition and learning from mistakes are all part of the process.

It will be very challenging for lower-level students to hold a conversation in English, even if the reading material is suitable for their level. I found that ChatGPT doesn’t really slow down enough, even when instructed, to make accommodations for lower levels. However, they can always give it a try. I am going to attempt another speaking interaction. This time I will choose an A2 reading passage from the same source. You can find it HERE.

Here’s my prompt: This time I am going to copy and paste an article entitled An Airport Notice. This is reading material for Elementary students of English. We will engage in a role play. I work in customer service for an airline, and you are a traveler. You have some questions for me based on the reading passage. Please bear in mind that I am Elementary student of English and my English is very poor, so you must speak clearly, use language that is easy for me to understand, and, most importantly, speak very slowly. Start the roleplay when I say “ok”. Here’s the reading passage: [reading passage].

Chat GPT

Hello! I have a question about my hand luggage. Can I take two bags with me on the plane?

You can take one suitcase. It can’t be bigger than 55 centimeters by 25 centimeters by 35 centimeters and no more than 10 kilos. And you can also take one small bag or handbag or laptop. It must fit under the seat in front of you.

ChatGPT

Thank you! And, if my bags together are more than ten kilos, what happens then?

Then you will have to pay extra.

ChatGPT

Oh, I understand. And one more thing—are there rules about liquids in my bag?

No liquids, no bottles that are bigger than a hundred milliliters on the plane.

ChatGPT

Got it! But if I buy a big bottle at the airport, can I take it with me?

Of course, that’s fine.

ChatGPT

Great, thank you! One last question—do I need to charge my phone before the flight?

Yes, it has to be fully charged for security to check your phone.

ChatGPT

Thank you very much for your help! I feel ready for my flight now!

You’re welcome.

I found ChatGPT was spot on with the questions. It did a very thorough job, taking practically all the information from the text into account. You can see for yourself by reading the passage HERE.

Again, this will be a difficult task for lower levels, but it’s definitely not beyond their reach. Students could always have the reading passage displayed on the screen to make things easier. If things don’t work out well enough, they can say “let’s start over” at any time to try again. At any rate, this conversational exchange can take place a second time from start to finish for greater results and to provide a confidence boost.