speaking – AI in ELT

ChatGPT as speaking partner

Today I am going to explore one of the most useful ways language learners can benefit from Gen.AI.: having voice conversations. They don’t need a complex prompt for this. However, it is important to bear some factors in mind to make the most of these spoken interactions.

Exploring vocabulary: context and co-text

As language teachers, we should strive to create learning opportunities to make language memorable. It goes without saying that, for effective learning to take place, learners also have a responsibility to take the language beyond the classroom setting and engage with newly acquired vocabulary in different ways.

Exam practice: monologue

Today I’m going to craft a prompt that students can use to prepare for speaking tests. I am going to ask Gemini to act as if it were taking a speaking test and deliver the speech for me.

Create your own adventure

If I were to choose my favourite LIVE class activity from the blog so far, this would definitely be my pick. A ‘create your own adventure’ story is an interactive narrative where the reader makes decisions at key points, influencing the direction and outcome of the story. After each choice, the reader is directed to a new part of the story based on their decision, leading to more choices to be made.

Lesson makeover 1

Today I am going to try to enhance and expand the types of tasks included in a coursebook lesson with the assistance of ChatGPT. My aim is to create a variety of activities centered around the lesson’s main theme, which I can choose to use during the lesson or assign as homework or extended work.

Speak like a local

Today we’re going to take a look at how students can use Gemini (or any Gen.AI tool of their choice) to collect and practice a range of useful social language that isn’t often present in the language classroom. The generated learning material for learners is incredible.

From reading passage to speaking exam practice

Today I will be asking ChatGPT to generate speaking exam practice material based on reading passages from coursebooks. We can use this material to create exam papers for speaking exams or simply engage students in conversations around the ideas stemming from those reading passages in pairs or small groups.

Story dice

Story dice are a set of small cubes with a different picture or symbol on each face. By rolling the dice, users generate a random combination of images—such as a ladder, a balloon and a bicycle—which they can then use as prompts to create a story. They are an excellent tool for the language classroom as they promote creativity and stimulate imagination. Additionally, story dice are available from a handful of websites.

Today I will explore ways to use story dice in the classroom in combination with the ChatGPT voice extension or the Android/iOS app for added elements of creativity, interaction and multimodal language use and practice.

Rubrics

Today I am going to show a couple of examples of how ChatGPT can generate rubrics for assessing students’ work and performance. A rubric is an assessment tool that outlines specific criteria for grading or evaluating student work in specific areas such as grammar accuracy or use of vocabulary. It includes a scoring scale and descriptors that define levels of performance. Rubrics provide students with feedback on strengths and areas for improvement, making grading more objective and transparent.

Video games

This is a Gen.AI-powered activity centered around the theme of video games, which will certainly appeal to teenagers. Students will read descriptions and reviews of video games and engage in discussions about them.