Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a great tool to learn new things. When you use it properly, it can be like having your own English teacher in your pocket! It has four great features:
Available 24/7
It will respond to you at any time of the day or night.
Confidence building
It is endlessly patient- you can ask it as many questions as you want; and it will never judge you.
Interactive
It will respond when you ask it questions.
Personalised
You can ask it to match your level of English language skills, and it can give you immediate feedback on your use of the language.
Understanding AI
AI is a type of technology that performs tasks that can be done by a human, such as problem solving, learning, and reasoning. Examples include technology, such as voice to text and translation software, but also includes future technologies like self-driving cars and robots.
A popular example of AI are chatbots that mimic conversation. They are designed to process and analyse large amounts of data. The chatbot uses this to create responses to user questions.
When you use it properly, Artificial Intelligence can become your personal language teacher. It's like having your own English teacher in your pocket! Credit: Laurence Dutton/Getty Images
Use AI to improve your English
The first step is to choose a chatbot and create an account. There are lots of free chatbots to choose from so have a search online for one that suits you.
Once your account is set up, you can start asking questions and the chatbot will respond. There are lots of ways to use chatbots to improve your English, here are some questions you can put into the chatbot to get you started:
Practise a conversation:
- Can we talk about cooking?
- Write a discussion between a teacher and a parent.
- I want to have a conversation with my boss about having a sick day. What should I say?
Learn grammar:
- When do I use the past simple tense?
- Write six sentences using the first conditional.
- Write a story about a holiday to Cairns using the passive voice.
Learn vocabulary:
- Can you give me a list of words about football?
- Write six sentences about gardening.
- Can you give me a list of time idioms used in Australia?
Improve your writing:
- Check my grammar: [insert your text].
- Can you suggest different words in this sentence: [insert your text]?
- Can you give me feedback on my response? [use this after a conversation with the Chatbot]
The first step is to choose a chatbot and create an account. There are lots of free chatbots to choose from so have a search online for one that suits you. Credit: 10'000 Hours/Getty Images
AI tips
The quality of the response you get depends on your question, so re-write your question as many times as you want. You can also try putting questions together. For example, “Can we have a conversation about hobbies where you correct my grammar?”
You can also ask the Chatbot to give you an answer at different English language levels. Try phrases like “Can you simplify that?” or “Please rewrite that at a pre-intermediate level”.
Use AI safely
Make sure you have a safe and enjoyable experience when using AI. Think about:
- Accuracy: Check the information AI gives you - it’s not a replacement for an expert.
- Bias: AI gets information from the internet, so some answers might be opinion not fact.
- Academic honesty: Don’t try to get AI to do your assignments for you! This is called plagiarism and teachers will run checks on this.
- Privacy and security: Before choosing a chatbot, find out what data the chatbot collects, how it’s used, how it’s shared with other companies, and how it’s protected from hackers.
Practise with people
It’s fun to ask AI lots of questions and read the answers, but if you want to improve your English you need to practise with real people too! Ask one of your friends or family members to practise with you and take turns reading the questions and answers out loud.
