How to use ChatGPT to learn a language: tips and prompts

CC subtitles available in multiple languages.

In today's video I talk about how I'm using ChatGPT to learn languages with a focus on comprehensible input.

✅ MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO:

⏲️ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction
0:46 Use case 1: summarizing self-help books
3:40 Use case 2: summarizing periods of history
4:38 Use case 3: summarizing literature
5:55 Why I wouldn't use ChatGPT for speaking practice

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[Thelinguist]

❓Do you use ChatGPT for learning languages? If so, tell me how you do it in the comments!

[MathMonteiro]

I use ChatGPT to learn english and now I'm starting to learn serbian, I ask to ChatGPT to give an explanation about grammar and about some words. And if there any new word I ask to chatgpt to make a story with these new words. I think that ChatGPT is a great resource to learn any language, because it creates content that is very hard to find. For example, if I can't find any book Serbian-Portuguese (my native language), I'll request a help from ChatGPT and it makes possible to learn any language.

[maldoror]

I'm French, and I use ChatGPT in different ways to learn Chinese. You can try prompts like:

- "Write 5 sentences in Hanzi using HSK1-level vocabulary. Then I will tell you what I think they mean, and you will check my translations."
- "I'm a beginner in Chinese, and I want to chat with you in Chinese. Ask me questions using simple words and correct me if I make mistakes."
- "Here is a list of words. For each word, write a sentence replacing the word with ???? ''. Present the sentences in random order." (Variant: choose 5 HSK3-level words and write sentences replacing the word with ???? '').
- "Give me 5 examples of how the word '___' is used."
- "From the following list of words, create an Anki cards .csv file with Hanzi + Pinyin on the front of each card and an example sentence using that word (only in Hanzi) on the back, so I can guess the meaning."

[matt_brooks-green]

Thanks so much for the mention Steve! 🙏 I’m a big fan of your channel. I definitely agree talking to a tutor is much more enjoyable. I wonder if for some people it might help get them ready to have a basic conversation without any social pressure. It’s certainly a useful tool.

[GavrielAbrahams]

I had ChatGPT write pages of a story in a style like Dracula at a B1 level. It actually was pretty fun

[runningriot]

Wow, the 1k word summary is a great idea thanks for sharing, I'm going to start importing a lot of summaries into Lingq.

[emack]

In my experience, ChatGPT works best when you're in the A2-B1 range. With Portuguese, I was at a high A2 level, which wasn’t enough to have meaningful conversations with most people. But using ChatGPT’s conversation feature helped a ton. It speaks clearly, a little slower, and uses simpler vocabulary than an average person, plus you get instant feedback. It’s great if you’re not looking to pay for a tutor up until about the B2 level. I recently tested at B2 in Portuguese, and honestly, the robot conversations feel too simple now—I don’t get much out of them. But for my next language, I’m sure I’ll rely on ChatGPT again when I hit the later beginner stage.

[MisterGames]

I have asked it to write a 500 word story only using the top 1000 words in Language. And give me the same story but in English. Tadaa, bilingual simple text. I love it.

[Cjust]

Wow I thought I was the only one that does this . I’ll type “Write me a typical conversation with a native French speaker and a beginner French learner with English translation and key vocab”(this helps me get an idea on what to expect when communicating with native speakers as a foreigner practicing my French as well as learning key vocab)

[kipkiphoera]

I use ChatGTP to make simpler versions of difficult text in my target language.

This is very nice as it allows me to understand and appreciate fragments of original Literature.

For instance, today I wanted to read a bit from Erasmus' Mora Encomiae (Praise of Stupidity) in Latin. Yet, my level is not so advanced yet. I only understand more or less 2500 words. So what I do is
* I first ask to give me a simpler slightly summarized version of the original text only using simple vocabulary to get the main jist
* next I ask a sentence by sentence rendition in simpler language but truthful to the original sentence, which I then study sentence by sentence together

This works fabulously, it expands my vocabulary immensely without that I have to resort to translation to English or my mother tongue and I can appreciate the beauty of the original text and how much better it is than simplifications

[netizenz]

ChatGPT is great honestly, I'm currently learning Russian and I can ask ChatGPT to generate stories for A1 level, A2, B1 etc... and it does.
It helps me memorize words and I train my reading skills.
It is very good.
It can also explain me quite easily things I don't get instantly, differences between Зачем and Почему, things like that.
it is really good.

[elifkaragoz]

hello! your video just popped up and while i was watching i got surprised that you've been learning turkish! it's so inspiring to see my native language! good luck with learning turkish it's one of the richest languages in the world!

[serkansonmez]

Steve Bey çok güzel bir videoydu..Ufuk açıcı güzel bilgiler verdiniz.. ayrıca Türkçe'ye göstermiş olduğunuz ilgi ve alaka da bizleri mutlu ediyor.. dil çalışmalarınızda başarılar diliyorum

[maciek]

This was super eye opening for me thank you so much Steve! I've been learning Italian for over a year and going off of what you support (C.I) but my interest is in films, very niche esoteric foreign films and it's hard to find a lot of articles or reviews about the films I enjoy. I just tried chatgpt and asked it to write a review of the 1970 Italian film Il Conformista and it worked like a charm. Thank you again Steve I'll be using it a lot more now.

[dianmao]

I prefere dialogs and linguistics. My prompt for the last few days was: "Let's continue our imaginary conversation between Dr Stephen Krashen and a Chinese learner who is at B2 level and learning for over 10 years. Write the conversation in Chinese, hanzi only, make it long. The learner now has the question: ..." You can use this in the same chat and that way it will have some memories about the old topics and will connect to it.

[brain_respect_and_freedom]

I've started recently to refresh my grammar with ChatGPT, for example give me opportunity to practice 'so', 'such', 'such a', 'no such', 'so long time', such a long time' etc. Everytime you'll exposed to a new example etc. It's better than our paper workbook with a few that same examples all the time.

[kevinroberts]

What helps a lot with learning is this: Ask it to practice with you and use sentences in all tenses to test you with a variety of verbal and grammar. Then, prompt it to tell you the sentence in your native language, and then you respond in your learning language to test yourself. You can prompt it also to shorten, lengthen, or increase the learning level of the sentences. This will help someone who is ready to start speaking and can already understand (hear) the language they're learning.
Later, get get your pencil and notebook out and go over the chat log questions. Test yourself by going over the same questioned sentences and write them out, while at the same time correcting your errors learned with the speech practice. I recommend paying for the upgraded plus version to have access to the better chat bot and increased speaking time to not run out.

[jazzerson]

Amazing tool. You can also ask it to translate into English after each sentence and even translate sentences into multiple languages at once.

[petrosstefanidis]

I watched the same video and since then I'm using it even more intensely. For English it's awesome, but for other languages it works good as well, maybe with a few mistakes here and there. For me the life saviour is it can explain any aspect of any target language, say Chinese, directly in Greek✨ I cannot underline enough how big of a difference that makes!

Also, not a great fan of "self-help" books, but Elif Shafak is really great. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World is a fantastic book to have a better look into the Turkish society.

[Caminoteacher]

Cool fact: you can have it create those summaries or write essays and then have it read it to you in the language you’re learning. Super cool! Thank you for this video Steve.