AI – Ya Gotta Love It
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I’ll be honest: I’ve never jumped for joy at the thought of new technology. Back in the 1980s, I was wrangling refrigerator-sized computers with hole-punch cards, then came the Internet, Windows pop-ups, and now, AI. I’ve certainly been around the digital block.
My strategy? Just do it. And so, I did! I joined EF’s webinar on AI, played around with the tools, and, lo and behold, my students started rebooking lessons like never before.
AI is not here to replace us teachers; it is here to make us look really, really good.
Here are my tips for making AI your new BFF in the classroom:
Choose a Platform (after experimenting with several)
With so many AI tools, it can be hard to know where to start, but you have to start somewhere. Here are the tools I most commonly use, and what they do:
- Perplexity: Perplexity works like a research engine, surfacing verified, sourced information in a flash.
- ChatGPT: A large language model that specializes in natural conversation and creative text generation.
- Gemini: Google’s LLM, strong at weaving together text, images, and code, making it a capable generalist.
The good news is that most platforms are free at the starter level; premium plans exist if your work gets more complex. Do not let indecision hold you back: choose one, start experimenting, and upgrade only if it is what you are looking for.
Speak “AI-ese” (and be specific)
Prompt your AI with detailed instructions. For example:
- "Write a medium-length article about the challenges facing a project manager of aeronautical engineers building a new airplane for a company in Brazil, for CEFR B2 level."
- "Create a grammar exercise with 25 multiple choice questions focusing on prepositions, verb tenses, and adverbs for a CEFR B2 level student. Make the subject matter 'Italian homemade cooking methods'. Put the answers at the bottom of the page."
Mumbling vague requests at AI gets you vague results, so be specific about what you want!
Always Proofread (because robots are not perfect either)
AI makes mistakes. Sometimes it censors, sometimes it hallucinates, and sometimes its grammar is questionable, just like humans. Your professional eye is required to make sure the output is correct.
Start With What Students Love
Treat AI like your own personal teaching assistant, minus the coffee runs. With just a few prompts, AI can create lesson plans, activities, gap fills, and multiple-choice questions, all tailored to what students actually care about.
- Got a student obsessed with soccer? Suddenly, verb conjugation drills star Ronaldo. Ask your AI tool to create a grammar exercise on verb conjugations using soccer terminology, including great soccer stars like Ronaldo and Messi.
- Is the topic too advanced? Ask your AI tool to rewrite it at a lower CEFR level. Too easy? Have AI upgrade the passage to a higher level, an instant wow moment when students see the jump between Upper Intermediate and Advanced levels.
By weaving students’ real interests into the material, AI helps transform just another worksheet into something that feels fun, relatable, and engaging. Why settle for yawns when you can get curiosity, laughter, and a little extra learning along the way?
The bottom line: AI is an amazing sidekick, but it is no replacement for real teaching. What it can do is fill knowledge gaps, boost confidence, and, most importantly, make English learning more enjoyable. And that, my friends, is a win.
Learn more about EF Teach Online here.