The ultimate guide to using ChatGPT to learn English.

2023年01月31日

ChatGPT は、大規模なテキストデータでトレーニングされた、人間の言語で会話できる無料のプログラムです。この記事では、ChatGPT を使用してオンラインで英語を学習する方法について説明します。これには、会話の練習、スピーキングスキル、文法、語彙、発音、ライティングなどの改善が含まれます。就職の面接の準備、興味のある話題についての質問、自然な会話スクリプトの作成に使用できます。回答の質は質問の質に依存し、ユーザーは会話の英語レベルを調整できます。ChatGPT を使用するリスクについても説明します。 (English) ChatGPT is a free program that can converse in human language, trained on a large amount of text data. This article covers using ChatGPT to learn English online, including conversation practice, improving speaking skills, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, writing and more. It can be used to prepare for a job interview, ask questions on topics of interest and create natural conversation scripts. The quality of the answers depends on the quality of the questions, and users can adjust the English level of the conversation. The risks of using ChatGPT are also discussed.

The ultimate guide to using ChatGPT to learn English

Have you heard of ChatGPT?

Because ChatGPT is a GAME CHANGER when it comes to language learning. Especially if you want to practice speaking English on your own.

Used correctly, ChatGPT will simplify, improve and optimise your English practice and save you a lot of time.

But first, what is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is a FREE computer program that can understand and converse in human language. It is trained on a large amount of text data and uses this knowledge to respond to a user's prompts or questions.

It's like having a personal writing assistant or virtual friend that understands and responds to you in natural language.

In this article, we'll discuss using ChatGPT to learn English online.

How do I access ChatGPT?

To use ChatGPT, you need to register with your email address (it's free).

Note that at the time of writing, ChatGPT is often overloaded (it is not working due to high usage) and you will need to wait until the congestion eases before you can access it.

How to use this article:

This article contains A LOT of information covering various aspects of your learning.

Before you start, remember two important things about ChatGPT:

First, the answers' quality depends on your questions' quality. Keep asking the same question differently if you're unhappy with the response.

You can adjust the English level of the conversation by asking ChatGPT to rewrite something for a specific group; for example, you can ask, "can you simplify" "can you rewrite this text for an A2 level" or "rewrite using C2 vocabulary", etc.

How to improve your English with ChatGPT

Table of Contents

Using ChatGPT for conversation practice

Using ChatGPT to improve your speaking skills

Using ChatGPT to practise monologues and dialogues

Using ChatGPT to study grammar

Use ChatGPT to learn vocabulary

Use ChatGPT to improve your pronunciation

Use ChatGPT to make a study plan

Using ChatGPT to improve your writing skills

Risks of using ChatGPT

Using ChatGPT for conversation practice

Do you want to practice small Talk and everyday conversation, prepare for a job interview or find unlimited conversation topics? ChatGPT is an excellent tool for practising conversation when you don't have access to someone to talk to.

Have a conversation with ChatGPT:

You can ask it to have a general conversation with you or to talk about something specific:

You can even use ChatGPT to correct your English mistakes.

And you can ask for clarification to learn more about the correction, so you know how to improve:

You can also ask it to suggest specific vocabulary to use in the conversation:

Use ChatGPT to prepare for a job interview:

Preparing for a job interview but not sure where to start? ChatGPT will simulate consultations with you and even give you suggestions on how to improve:

Type: Let's have a mock interview where you ask me questions as if I was interviewing for [job role].

Remember, the success of your exercise depends on the quality of the questions you ask!

Don't hesitate to ask the same questions differently until you get a satisfactory answer.

Suggestions for interview practice

Let's talk about [topic].

Let's talk about [topic] and correct my mistakes.

Let's have a conversation about [topic] and suggest different vocabulary.

Let's have a conversation about [topic] and suggest phrasal verbs I can use

Let's have a mock interview where you ask me questions as if I was going to a job interview.

Practice using natural conversation scripts:

Let's say you have a specific conversation you need to have and want to practice it to build confidence, prepare yourself or make sure you use the correct vocabulary.

You can ask ChatGPT to create scripts for specific conversations.

You can also use any script you create to practise pronunciation, vocabulary and sentence structure. You don't need to have these conversations with a natural person to practise!

Here are some examples of how you can use it to create natural conversations:

Type: Write a conversation between a teacher and the mother of a pupil having a hard time at school (don't be afraid to be very specific when describing a situation).

Or make it a back-and-forth dialogue exercise:

Write: Can you write a conversation between a boss and an employee asking for a pay rise?

You can make it more exciting and specific by adding additional instructions. For example, here's the same conversation, but now things aren't going so well:

Type it in: Can you rewrite it? And this time, the boss will have more objections.

Play the conversation:

Once ChatGPT has created a conversation, you can copy and paste it into a text-to-voice software and playback the conversation with a natural human sound (ok, not THAT real, but still very helpful).

For example, NaturalReader or Voicemaker.

When you play it back, you can pause and replay it for better practice, especially if you're an auditory, kinesthetic or visually impaired learner.

Using a text-to-speech reader to play back a conversation between two people, you can also ask ChatGPT to rewrite the generated dialogue, omitting the speakers' names as written in the chat. That way, when you play it back in text-to-speech software, it will sound like a real conversation.

Record a conversation in the bank about [Scenario]

Record a conversation in the supermarket

Record a conversation between a customer service representative and a customer asking for a refund

Record a conversation between two friends about sport

You can add follow-up questions:

Can you suggest any phrasal verbs or vocabulary used in this conversation?

Can you rewrite it in the past tense/future tense?

Can you simplify the language?

Can you use C2-level vocabulary?

Can you add a conflict?

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Using ChatGPT to improve your speaking skills

One of the best ways to improve your confidence, fluency and ability to convey a clear idea is to speak and create original thoughts (as opposed to just reading conversations and scripts).

But we don't always have the privilege of speaking in front of others, and sometimes we don't have the courage.

An effective technique I offer my students is to record themselves on video or audio for 3 minutes a day talking about different topics. Then, if they want to develop and improve, they can listen to their recording, re-record it and try to improve (I talk about this technique here).

Suggestions:

Suggest ten controversial topics for discussion.

Write five ideas for stimulating conversation.

Write ten reflection questions.

Write ten TED Talk ideas.

Suggest different topics for conversation Talk to friends/students/colleagues

Use ChatGPT to practise monologues and dialogues

Ok, I think this is my favourite part of the tool. As a pronunciation and fluency coach, I always look for terrific monologues and scenes for my students to practice.

Monologues, dialogues and dramatic scripts are great tools for practising prosody, tone, pronunciation, grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary.

For English teachers - you can use these scripts with your students in a class to help them focus on the things they'd like to improve, such as stressed words, intonation, pronunciation, structure and more.

For independent learners - you can read these scripts aloud and set your intention to focus on things you'd like to improve, such as the pronunciation of certain sounds, intonation, rhythm and stress, or other elements of speech.

Using ChatGPT to learn grammar

There are several ways to improve your grammar using ChatGPT; I will mention three. These tips are valuable for teachers looking for new ways to practise grammar with their students and for self-learners looking for a grammar checker, resources and feedback.

ChatGPT can help by showing you how these tenses or grammatical concepts are used in context.

For example

Write: Can you write a short story in the past perfect tense?

Explaining grammar forms and rules

Instead of doing a Google search, you can ask ChatGPT to explain how to write a particular grammar rule or when to use a specific tense. Of course, the explanation will not always be 100% correct! This is why books, websites and blog posts written by experts are more reliable. However, when it comes to basic tenses and grammar rules, it does a pretty good job and can save you time.

Type: Can you explain when to use the future perfect?

Get feedback on your grammar:

You can also use ChatGPT as a grammar checker, giving you grammar feedback on your writing and explaining the corrections.

Repeating something new to you differently will help you build confidence in using it and help you understand when you are using it unconsciously.

Once you have written these sentences, read them out loud several times. Then, if you're not sure how to pronounce some of the words, look them up in a dictionary or on YouTube.

Prompts:

Correct my grammar mistakes in the following text [Add text]

Write a short conversation in [Tense].

Write a short story using as many gerunds as possible.

Rewrite this text using the passive voice [Add text]

Write 10 example sentences using [tense/form].

Using ChatGPT to learn vocabulary

Improving your vocabulary can help you feel more confident and expressive when speaking. ChatGPT can help you understand the meaning of words and show you how to use them in context. You can also ask more specific questions about words.

Important note: In my experience, memorising lists of new words is not enough and is sometimes ineffective if you want to use them effortlessly in conversation.

So you can start by asking for the meaning of a word.

Prompts:

Write ten sentences using the word [____].

Can you write a sentence using the antonym of the word [____]?

Can you suggest some synonyms for this word?

Can you show me how to use this word with the same meaning but in a different context?

Can you show me how to use this word for another purpose?

You can also ask for specific vocabulary lists:

Can you give me a list of the most common phrasal verbs with definitions and examples?

For example, can you list sports phrases and expressions in American English?

Using ChatGPT to improve your pronunciation

You can also use ChatGPT to improve your pronunciation.

An excellent way to do this is to ask it to generate phrases or words you can practise saying out loud. For example, you can ask for phrases or sentences that repeat a particular sound or have a sequence of two or more sounds (like the sequence SL in the words 'slow' and 'sleep') or words that contrast in just one sound (like 'sheep' and 'ship').

Important note:

Please note that this requires prior knowledge of pronunciation to know what to focus on and how to improve, as ChatGPT cannot listen to you or give you pronunciation feedback.

Also, remember that, unlike a tutor, ChatGPT can only rely on spelling. And because spelling and pronunciation do not match, you may not always get a list of words with the same sound, despite your request. So your judgement is essential. If you have any doubts, use other tools to check.

For example, say you have a few words you're struggling with.

You could also ask the AI tool to list words or sentences.

Make a list of common words with the R sound in the beginning, middle and end.

Make a list of common words with consonant clusters.

Make a list of common words with three or more syllables.

Make a list of common words that end in -city.

Write a rhyming poem.

Write a rap song for a B1 speaker.

You can also use text-to-speech to play and repeat these sentences.

Using ChatGPT to make a study plan

Let's say you're struggling to create an effective practice routine, or you want a personalised way to help you study for an exam, improve your business vocabulary or reach a B1 level of English. If this is the case, ChatGPT can help (but you need to be specific about your needs).

Prompts:

Please create an exercise plan for a B1 English learner to practise grammar for 15 minutes daily.

Create a vocabulary-building plan for me if I want to focus on improving my business English.

Important note:

When it comes to improving and expanding your vocabulary, ChatGPT seems to recommend reading, using flashcards and passive activities. However, I recommend using my Pronunciation Confidence method for more effective vocabulary practice.

Using ChatGPT to improve your writing

ChatGPT can help you write better and sound better.

Say you have to write an email to a colleague and are unsure how to make it sound more polite. You can ask ChatGPT to rewrite it in a more formal or friendly tone.

Once you have done this, make sure you compare the different versions (yours and ChatGPT's, and try to see what you can learn from the differences).

You can ask them to suggest different vocabulary or general feedback and ask them to explain.

You can also ask ChatGPT to help you write something from scratch:

To improve, it's essential to rewrite your text and try to understand why the changes were made so that you can learn from them.

Also - I strongly advise you not to use it for academic writing. Some tools are trained to detect whether or not you've used AI to write your paper, and you can be accused of plagiarism. Also, writing may not be everyone's cup of tea.

Risks of using ChatGPT

There are several risks to be aware of when using ChatGPT to learn English.

It can be addictive and distracting.

ChatGPT offers many new ways to practise English, but because it is more fun and accessible than doing the actual work, it is often found that most of the time is spent generating resources rather than practising.

Be careful not to fall into the 'illusion of learning' trap and focus most of your time on applying what you have learned; ChatGPT is not as aware of context and cultural differences as humans.

It is also not as exciting or motivating as learning with teachers or others. Finally, ChatGPT is primarily for text production and cannot perform other language-related tasks such as speech recognition and comprehension.

English is a language designed for human interaction.

Human interaction is not only crucial for a more authentic experience. For example, speaking to people as part of your English practice can help you develop confidence and fluency and learn to talk under the pressure of being judged by others.

Or it can help you learn to develop your ideas and speak while feeling comfortable listening to others. And it is an integral part of language learning.

Dealing with fear, frustration, and anxiety is part of the job, and you don't want to deprive yourself of that experience, even if it's often uncomfortable.

Incidentally, if you're not confident about speaking, we recommend you try My English Mindset - a 30-day audio programme designed to help you build a healthy and powerful English mindset.

You can also join our free community and practice speaking with other great people in our Speaking Club.

Inaccuracies.

When using ChatGPT to search for content, detailed and complete descriptions of grammar and linguistics may not always provide the most relevant and accurate information. In addition, the text generated may contain errors or inaccuracies, and ChatGPT may not fully understand the context of the searched data.

Please note that ChatGPT is primarily designed to generate text. For content, we recommend using more reliable resources such as English learning blogs, websites and platforms and working with teachers who can provide reliable information and resources.

Add info)

For ChatCPT sample questions

A)

Please correct the following sentences as a native English speaker would say them.

But please pay attention to these 3 points.

1. Only correct the sentences that don't sound natural.

2. Consider the context in which the conversation is taking place.

3. Give me some notes and the reasons why you corrected them.

B)

Translate the following sentences as a native speaker would say them.

C)

1. Can I have a conversation with you to improve my English?

2. Please correct my English mistakes, as a native English speaker would say.

3. You start this conversation.

D)

1. Can I have a conversation with you to improve my English?

2. Please point out my English mistakes and correct them as a native speaker would.

3. I want to do a role play, and I'll play a (role play role）, and you'll play a (role play role)

4. You start this conversation.

E)

In Japanese, please.

Can you say it in Japanese?

F)

Can you say it in 30 words or less?

Can you summarise it in 30 words?

G)

Make a Japanese vocabulary list from this English text.

Correct this English sentence. And tell us why you corrected it.

Please give me an example sentence using xxx and tell me the meaning of this Japanese word.

Please tell me the difference between the meanings of A and B.

I want to go to xxx; please tell me the recommended places to visit.

After reading the following article, please answer five questions to see if you understand the content.

H)

*Nuance

What's the difference between essential and vital?

*Idea

What are the characteristics of intelligent people?

I want to gossip about the characteristics of intelligent people.

*Material

Write a story about a rabbit and a small girl who meet on the street and become friends.