Learning English with ChatGPT

Learning English with ChatGPT

Love it or hate it, AI is here to stay. A lot of folks are talking about ChatGPT and if you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard of it. There are loads of exciting ways that this new platform can be used in language learning and in this post I have a chat with ChatGPT – my new  ‘virtual buddy’ – to understand more.

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is built on ‘Generative Pre-trained Transformer’ architecture. This basically means that it has the ability to generate human-like responses to whatever you type. In the same way that we’re training AI to drive us safely around the city while we put on makeup/eat sushi/write a poem in the backseat of our car, these super bots are being drilled in the art of human language. Naturally, this has prompted questions about how this new technology can aid language learning.

To better understand how it all works, I asked ChatGPT some questions about itself…

Who are you?

ChatGPT I am ChatGPT, a product of OpenAI. I am a large language model specifically designed for conversational applications. I excel at generating coherent and contextually relevant responses.

Uh-huh… Can you explain that in simpler terms?

ChatGPT You can think of ChatGPT as a super-smart chat buddy. It’s like texting a friend who knows a bit of everything. You throw questions or topics at it, and it tries its best to chat back with useful or funny responses. It’s not perfect. Sometimes it might go off on a tangent or misunderstand, but hey, it’s all in good fun and learning. So, just imagine having a chit-chat with a clever virtual pal!

OK, so are you like Siri? 

ChatGPT While both Siri and I are examples of artificial intelligence, our capabilities and purposes are distinct. Siri is more focused on voice-activated tasks, while I excel in generating written responses in a conversational manner.

Thanks for explaining.

ChatGPT You’re welcome!

How ChatGPT can improve your English

The next question I asked my virtual pal was how it could help with language learning. It replied by saying it could help in at least 9 different ways, namely:

• Conversation practice
• Vocabulary building
• Grammar and sentence structure
• Cultural context
• Reading and writing practice
• Listening comprehension
• Asking for feedback
• Exploring specialised topics

This post will focus on the first category – conversation practice. To test this claim made by our ChatGPT pal, I made some small talk with it/her/him (I was tempted to ask what its pronouns were)…

How are you?

ChatGPT Thank you for asking! As a machine learning model created by OpenAI, I don’t have feelings, but I’m here and ready to help you with any questions or information you might need. How can I assist you today?

Okaaay… What do you do for a living?

ChatGPT I don’t have a “living” in the way humans do because I’m just a computer program created by OpenAI.

How was your weekend?

ChatGPT I don’t have personal experiences or weekends, as I am a machine learning model created by OpenAI.

Right. So that was an awkward conversation. So far, I’d have to rate the conversation function 1 out of 5 stars. So I tried a different approach and asked other types of conversation questions, for example:

Can you recommend a good movie?

ChatGPT Certainly! I can recommend a movie based on different genres or preferences. Could you let me know what type of movie you’re in the mood for? For example, are you looking for a comedy, drama, action, science fiction, or perhaps something else?

I like documentaries.

ChatGPT Great choice! Documentaries offer a wide range of subjects and perspectives. Here are a few highly acclaimed documentaries across different topics:

• “Blackfish” (2013) – Explores the captivity of killer whales and the consequences for both the animals and their trainers.
• “The Act of Killing” (2012) – Examines the Indonesian mass killings of 1965-1966 through the eyes of the perpetrators.
• “An Inconvenient Truth” (2006) – Follows former Vice President Al Gore’s campaign to educate people about global warming.

ChatGPT listed several more options for my viewing pleasure. It also enthusiastically answered more specific questions, like, ‘Can you recommend a documentary that won an Emmy Award?’ So then I asked: ‘Can you recommend a documentary that won an Emmy Award and stars a redhead?’ Its reply was:

ChatGPT As of my last knowledge update in January 2023, I don’t have specific information about the hair colour of individuals featured in Emmy-winning documentaries. Emmy Awards primarily recognise the overall excellence of a documentary rather than the physical characteristics of the individuals involved.

You’re funny.

ChatGPT I’m glad you think so! While I don’t have feelings or a sense of humour myself, I’m here to provide information and assistance in a conversational manner.

At this point, my ‘virtual buddy’ is starting to remind me a lot of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory.

 

ChatGPT also has a voice-activated function, so you can practice your English speaking and listening skills.

I still wanted to see if ChatSheldon could have a normal conversation without sounding like, well, a robot, so I typed in:

Can we simulate small talk?

ChatGPT Of course! Small talk is a casual and light conversation typically used to initiate social interactions or fill moments of silence. Feel free to start, or I can kick things off:

Hi there! How’s your day going?

Fine thanks, and yours?

ChatGPT I’m doing well, thank you for asking! Anything exciting happening in your day?

Not really. I went for a nice walk this morning and then I did some work.

ChatGPT Sounds like a productive day! A morning walk is a great way to start the day. What kind of work are you involved in? Anything interesting or challenging on your plate?

I’m a teacher.

ChatGPT That’s wonderful! Teaching is such a rewarding profession. What grade or subject do you teach? Anything you particularly enjoy about being a teacher?

I enjoy meeting people from around the world.

ChatGPT That’s fantastic! The diversity of experiences and perspectives must make each day quite interesting. Do you have students from various cultural backgrounds, or do you get the chance to engage in international education programs?

Conclusion

After testing how ChatGPT can be used to improve English conversation skills, I can provide a completely unscientific assessment based on these criteria:

The similarity to natural English conversation: 2/5 stars

The language used by ChatGPT was more formal than everyday conversation. It could also not respond to common questions, like ‘How are you?’ (Perhaps the creators were worried people would get too attached to their AI friends). In order to simulate a natural conversation, you had to give instructions to do so. I couldn’t help but smile at the overly formal response to my comment that I am a teacher: ‘Fantastic! The diversity of experiences and perspectives must make each day quite interesting.’ I think if a human responded that way I would be quite amused. Many of the comments sound very robotic. I can just imagine a response like: “Well what do you expect; I’m a robot.” Although that would be more Siri’s style.

The programme seemed super interested in what I was saying (possibly too interested and enthusiastic than an average person would be, what with all those ‘Fantastic!’ And ‘Amazing!’ comments). On the other hand, there were some informal phrases in between that could be useful for students.

Range of vocabulary: 4/5 stars

While the tone was not very natural, students could benefit from the range of vocabulary used. More informal vocabulary would be great, but that might tarnish ChatSheldon’s brainy persona. Students can also input formal language and ask the bot to change it to formal text, and vice versa, which, by helping students see the difference, could be a good learning exercise. Range of grammatical structures: 5/5 stars

Being super smart, ChatSheldon has an excellent grasp of a range of grammar structures. You can also ask it to correct your grammar and even provide feedback on your writing. Sense of humour: 3/5 stars

It’s certainly no Siri in terms of being able to dish out sarcasm and humour faster than you can say, well, ‘Siri’. Still, I couldn’t help but laugh at its complete lack of humour. A bit like the real Sheldon.

In summary, ChatGPT can help students improve their English in a number of ways. In terms of simulating natural conversation, keep in mind that there are some limitations. It would be interesting to see where ChatGPT takes us. Perhaps one day my job may be replaced by a robot. In fact, how do you know that a robot didn’t write this?