How you can use AI in the world language classroom
As a former Spanish teacher, I know it feels impossible to address all of our students’ needs in cramped classrooms of 25 to 35 people.
But what if you could provide a conversation partner for each student? And also an assistant to answer their questions? AND a personalized cultural liaison?
That’s when AI can become your best friend.
The generative AI chatbot ChatGPT can increase student engagement and boost language skills in your classroom. It can provide personalized conversation practice in the target language, answer grammar or usage questions, and expose students to diverse cultures where they speak the target language.
Here are 30 ChatGPT prompts you can give your students to harness the power of AI in language learning—all of which I’ve tested as a teacher to guarantee they work!
How AI can support world language learning in the classroom
When recruiting ChatGPT as your ally in the classroom, crafting a precise prompt is super important! It helps the AI give students exactly the conversations they need to really help them practice their language skills.
What happens when you're not specific with your prompts? I tried it out myself.
The first prompt I tested with ChatGPT was a novice ESL learner question: "How are you?" The responses were not helpful for a language learner.
So, how can you get a human response from a machine?
You tell it to act human.
The second prompt I used was more s
pecific. First, I explored the pre-AP assessments booklet included with ¡Qué Chévere!, which contains numerous conversation role-play prompts originally intended for interpersonal speaking.
Then, I adapted one of them and wrote to ChatGPT, “Let’s pretend you are a high school student from Uruguay. I will ask you a series of questions in Spanish, and I’d like you to respond as if you were human.”
The following is the more conversational response that ChatGPT generated:
As you can see, ChatGPT is a great actor who took the “Juan” role seriously. I asked “Juan” to tell me about their favorite subject, and they told me it was history and the reasons why.
The conversation could only happen because I gave ChatGPT an explicit prompt. Your students may need help to provide an AI chatbot with appropriate prompts, so you can adapt speaking exercises from your textbook to help them along.
Or, you can have your students copy and paste some of the prompts below into their conversations with ChatGPT.
ChatGPT as a conversation partner
What makes ChatGPT a great conversation partner for your language learners?
On top of giving your students personalized interpersonal and interpretive writing prompts that you don’t have time to provide on your own, it's a great way to stay in the target language and infuse playful learning into your routine.
Add the interactive nature of ChatGPT plus the instant feedback it gives, and students stay engaged and motivated during language practice sessions.
ChatGPT is also an ideal conversation partner for language learners due to its versatility; it supports multiple languages that students can practice.
To use the following prompts, tell students to copy and paste them into the ChatGPT chat box. Remember to adjust and modify these prompts based on specific learning goals and language proficiency—for example, instead of [target language], write Spanish, French, or German.
1. Let’s have a conversation in [target language].
2. Pretend you are a high school student from [target country]. I will ask you a series of questions in [target language], and I’d like you to respond as if you were human.
3. Let’s pretend you are a tour company in [target country] called [name of company]. I will pretend to be a tourist. I will ask you a series of questions in [target language], and I’d like you to respond as if you were human.
4. Let’s pretend you are at a restaurant in [city] called [name]. I will pretend to be someone who went to the restaurant but got food poisoning. I will ask you a series of questions in [target language].
5. We will do a role-playing game: You’ll be my next-door neighbor, [insert name]. I will be myself. You will speak to me in [target language].
6. We’ll act as if you were my classmate, [name]. We will have interaction in [target language].
7. We’re going to role-play as classmates. Your name is [name], and you’re originally from [target country]. We are going to speak to each other in [target language].
8. We will pretend you are my elderly neighbor, and you just bought your first smartphone. You want me to help you figure out what to do with it. We will speak [target language] to each other.
9. You are my classmate [name], and we will share a hotel room during a school trip. I want to figure out your morning routine since we will share a bathroom. I will ask you a series of questions in [target language], and I’d like you to respond as if you were human.
10. You are my friend [name] from [place], and you just found out I’m traveling there. We will answer and ask [target language] questions about my upcoming trip.
11. Let’s role-play the following scenario: An accident happened in the street. I’m a local news reporter and want to interview you about what you saw. I will be asking questions in [target language]. The accident occurred in downtown [place].
12. Let’s pretend you are my [target language] teacher, and you want to plan a school trip for your students. I will ask you questions about the trip in [target language]. The trip is to [place].
AI chatbots as language teaching assistants
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How can students use ChatGPT to get help in their language learning without using it as a translator?
They’ll need the right prompts.
When your students have questions about grammar, usage, or vocabulary words and phrases, but you don’t have the bandwidth to answer 35 questions before the bell rings, ChatGPT can act as a perfect teaching assistant… with some guardrails.
Instead of telling your students to ask ChatGPT their questions, which may devolve into a new version of Google Translate, equip them with thoughtfully designed prompts. That way, you teach them how to use ChatGPT in a way that helps them grow as lifelong language learners.
Give your students these prompts:
13. How do I use the [verb tense] in [target language]?
14. I’m struggling with [grammar topic]. Can you provide some guidance?
15. How do I form questions in [target language]?
16. Can you explain the verb conjugation rules in [target language]?
17. I need help with the correct word order in [target language].
18. Could you provide some examples of [grammar rule] in sentences?
19. Please explain the difference between [two similar grammar concepts].
20. Could you suggest some resources or exercises to practice [specific grammar point]?
21. How do I properly use the [verb tense] in writing?
22. What does [idiom/phrase] mean, and when should I use it?
ChatGPT as a cultural liaison
Language teachers act as cultural liaisons for every country where the language is used. Yet, most of us haven't traveled to every country—French alone is spoken in 29 countries!
That’s when AI can be an ace up your sleeve: It can answer questions related to culture that you may not have an immediate answer to, which makes cultural immersion a more approachable goal.
Your students can use these ChatGPT prompts for cultural research projects, presentational speaking assignments, or even background research on a novel they’re reading.
23. Tell me about traditional celebrations and festivals in [target language/country].
24. What are some popular traditional dishes or cuisine in [target language/country]?
25. Can you explain the importance of family and community in [target language/culture]?
26. What are famous landmarks or historical sites in [target language/country]?
27. What customs or etiquette practices are essential in [target language/culture]?
28. How do I greet someone politely in [target language]?
29. Tell me about traditional storytelling or folklore in [target language/culture].
30. Share insights into the historical landmarks or monuments that hold cultural significance in [target country]. What stories do they tell?
Remember that ChatGPT's responses are based on internet content, which means they may include the same biases, stereotypes, and inaccurate information that humans produce. Try out each prompt before assigning them to students.
Using AI to unlock language learners' potential
When you integrate ChatGPT into your classroom, you can help every student get customized language practice while learning about the topics they find most interesting.
It can act as a conversation partner, a teaching assistant, and even a cultural window.
Using these 30 ChatGPT prompts with your AI chatbot will make your classroom a little less cramped—and your students will benefit!
For more creative ideas on integrating digital landscapes into language classrooms, watch our on-demand webinar, “Lighting the Spark for World Language Students.”
A former Spanish teacher who is currently based in the Washington DC metropolitan area. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish Language and Literature from la Universidad del Zulia and a Master's degree in Spanish Linguistics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her interests include SEL education in the world language classroom, theater, and finding ways to make the world a less scary place.
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