How to use AI in the TEFL classroom

From conversational prompts to generating ideas for games and activities, there are many ways for teachers to make the most of using artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom. But as helpful as AI can be, there are also a few pitfalls that teachers need to be aware of to help students make the most out of their lessons with AI.

If you’re looking to find inspiration for lesson activities or improve time management, here’s how you can use AI productively for teaching English in the classroom.

Set clear expectations about AI use

Here’s how you can set clear expectations with your students on using AI for schoolwork:

• Mention AI detectors: Although AI detector tools aren’t foolproof, it’s important that your students understand that there are ways to pick up on language produced by AI models. Even the thought of being penalised can dissuade some students from depending on AI for answers. 
• Encourage mistakes: Making mistakes is an essential part of learning a language. Like Google Translate, AI can give you the answer, but it doesn’t help you develop problem-solving skills. If your student relies on AI too much, they won’t improve as quickly as someone who improves from some of the errors they make by thinking independently. 
• Promote awareness: Highlight the limitations of AI with your students. Being aware of this technology and using it in the classroom – within the right environment and context – will inspire mutual trust around the subject of artificial intelligence. 

Using AI games and activities 

Now, obviously, your students will be curious about platforms like ChatGPT. So how do TEFL teachers “gamify” the experience and create learning outcomes?

• English prompts: Another way to engage students is by asking them to use Large Language Models (LLMs) in English to write prompts and answer questions. This can be self-directed from a student’s point of view – like asking your pupils to do presentations on a particular topic, using AI as a tool. Or, you can set an essay question, allowing students to find information from an AI programme.
• Visual learning: Rather than trying to find specific images to match a written description, for example, you can use AI to generate images. This can help students, especially visual learners, memorise key vocabulary and phrases by associating them with imagery. 

How to use AI for lesson planning

One of the best ways you can use AI to your advantage is by lesson planning. The future of lesson planning may be algorithmic. At its core, setting up lessons to aid students of different ages, language levels, or learning styles, can be difficult. It can take years of experience to fully understand how to make your lesson plans work for everyone.

This is where AI can come in. Through prompts, ChatGPT can help to generate adaptable and specific plans tailored to your students. 

Nick Peachy’s “A Teacher's Prompt Guide to ChatGPT aligned with 'What Works Best'” suggests the following prompt: "Create a lesson plan for a class of [student ability level] students that covers [concept being taught] and includes a variety of activities and assessments." 

By giving AI enough detailed information to work with, you can find specific solutions to lesson-planning dilemmas. But it’s important to remember that AI doesn’t always get things right, and you’ll need to fact-check, edit, and adjust what it generates. Think of AI as the tool, and the teacher as the operator – human correction is essential to making it work in the classroom.

Overcoming the homework issue

We’ve already covered how AI can be used to bypass effort in terms of schoolwork, but it’s you won’t always be there to make sure that AI is being used appropriately by the student. 

When you can, consider focusing on more engaging activities like presentations, group tasks and creative projects where AI can aid proficiency, rather than written passages that can be completed entirely with AI.

If long passages of text are the only option, remind pupils that AI-generated text can be picked up by detection programmes, and like AI, these programmes will only become more sophisticated in identifying plagiarism. 

Using AI in the classroom

The best use of AI is in generating ideas for games and lesson plans. As long as you use the skills and intuition developed from your TEFL course and teaching experience, AI can be a useful tool to save you time and boost engagement in the classroom. 

Get Certified Today With Our Specialist AI TEFL Course

If you’re interested in using AI to improve learning in the classroom, why not take our course on using AI in the TEFL classroom? From understanding AI capabilities and limitations, you’ll develop a strong intuition for teaching English using AI tools, and how to make sure this exciting technology is put to use in the most productive way for your students.

Interested in lesson planning and resources? The TEFL Org has you covered!