Finding The Button That Makes AI Easy for Language Learners
Real-life story of how I helped my Spanish learning friend turn a ChatGPT language learning fail into a fun success, and what I’d recommend for you if you want to learn with ChatGPT too.
AI is everywhere these days, but using it for language learning still feels very hit-and-miss. Does anyone need another “AI Tutor” that’s just a flashcard in disguise? I say NO, and there are better ways.
In this post, I’m sharing exactly what happened when my friend tried to practise Spanish with ChatGPT…and what actually worked.
Meet Jenny, a Real Life Spanish Learner
If you’ve ever thought “I’d love to practise speaking a language right now” but there’s no patient speaker around, you’ve got company. True story: My friend ran into exactly that problem while visiting me recently.
My jet-lagged, yet adventurous US friend Jenny’s travelling around Europe, and she came to visit me a few weeks ago. While we were hanging out, she mentioned she wanted to practice her Spanish for the trip.
Now, I’m the friend who’s got a whole website about learning with AI. I’m eager to make good impression with something cool and fresh!
Trying to Learn Spanish with ChatGPT
I thought let’s try speaking with ChatGPT!
Her first reaction was unsure: “But you can’t talk to ChatGPT can you?”
Me: “Oh yes, and it will know the language you’re speaking. Give it a try!”
Phone out, wifi on, app downloaded. After some fumbling for the right button to press, we were off.
“Hola, hablame en Español”
ChatGPT was ready to fire back:
“¡Si claro! [a huge wall of fast spoken words]”
The answer came back immediately, but it was faster than Daddy Yankee in Despacito (you know the bit). Her face said: “I love you but maybe Duolingo was fine actually.”
The problem: AI isn’t magic on its own
She tried to slow it down, but it was hard to figure out how.
She asked simple questions about flights, and ChatGPT responded with more speedy TED Talk-length answers.
I looked at my friend, who appeared close to throwing her phone at my head, as if I’d personally invented this crappy AI app. “AI Language learning” was quickly unravelling into a waste of time.
In that moment I had to turn things around, and QUICKLY.
AI Language Club saves the day
I opened the AI Language Club library and we picked the Travel Planner tutorial.
Within minutes, we were using ChatGPT to research her next Portugal trip, practising Spanish while exploring Portuguese road signs and phrases. Now she was laughing, chatting, and actually enjoying herself.
"This is actually fun! So glad I had you here to help."
(Yay, friendship success!)
What You Can Take Away From Our AI Language Lesson
Most of us have AI tools right there in our pockets.
But to turn them into useful language practice, you need a plan. It’s not useful to say something like “hey, talk to me in German”, but with a few tweaks things get a whole lot easier.
Whenever you can, start your interaction with a very clear goal or scenario, for example:
Travel planning or restaurant research
Finding a recipe for authentic breakfast in your target country
Creating a story or song lyrics
Give AI tools like Gemini or ChatGPT very specific instructions: tell it which language to use, how fast to speak, at which level, and how short to keep the answers.
Start with learning activities that already work for you, and introduce AI gradually. For example, I like to do fill-in-the-gap practice and now I sometimes use AI tools to help me come up with extra ideas for the gaps.
With a bit of planning, AI can open up a mind-blowing new learning experience for you.
On the blog: Why AI Works for Language Learners & 3 Prompts to Try Now
What’s Your Language Learning Superpower?
Over on the AI Language Club website, we’ve put together a quiz to help you find your special language skill and show you how to bring in AI to speed up your study results and try fresh ideas.
👉 Curious? Check out the language superpower quiz here.
Quick'n'Easy Guide to Language Blogging
If you’re a language learner wanting to connect with others and share your project journey online, why not start a language learning blog? This article will help you get started!
Let me just switch on my psychic super-skills for a minute and guess who you are. Are you a
language learner
who spends an hour or two online every day
and likes getting new tips and ideas for your language learning?
If that is you, then this article is for you more than ever.
I don't see enough of real people dedicating time to language learning along their normal lives. If you're learning a language in the evening, at the weekend, in your lunch break, make your voice heard because you will inspire so many others.
Well guys, here we are nearly half way through the year. It's time to talk to you about this blogging. Have you started yet? If not, here are some quick and easy tips to get you started. Leave a comment and share your blog. I can't wait to see it and hope to share the best of them right here on Fluent!
Where to Start Your Blog
There are many dedicated websites out there showing you how to start a blog, and in fact most website builders come with blog facilities are built in. The core message for your personal blog as a language learner won't be included though, because there's only one step to take: Get Started!
It doesn't matter if you sign up to Wordpress, Weebly or Squarespace, or what your domain name is. You could even blog on Instagram! All that tech stuff can be changed later, but getting started should not wait. So here are the steps:
Create an account on a blogging website
Write an article
Put a picture on it - and you can have lots of fun with your images using apps like Canva
Publish
What to Include In Your Blog
It is not easy to answer the question of what you should include, but I know how tough it is to be staring at the blank screen or page when you are first getting started. So here are five articles I would like to see on every language learner's blog. Link to them permanently if you can, for example from your homepage, so that all new visitors to your page can easily learn more about you.
Which language(s) are you learning - why those?
What do you find really annoying about language study?
What do you find really awesome about language learning?
Do you have a favourite place to study? It would be so interesting to see pictures.
What was the first time you spoke to a native speaker like?
These ideas are of course not a "must write" list, but if you are short of inspiration why not pick one and just get going? Even 500 words of writing could be the start of a truly excellent blog. For example, if you look all the way back to the start of Fluent you will find a pretty quick note - my commitment to grammar. Good job it hasn't damaged my business!
Inspiration is easy to find on the web, but don't feel as if you must hold yourself to the high standards of quality that an established blog produces. The really big names, even in language blogging, have a lot of help with planning, editing and producing great posts. That might be where you're headed, but right now it's just about getting something out there.
Which language is best for blogging?
You can write your blog in your native language or in the language that you are learning. Or why not combine both and create a multilingual blog? I have often done this with my multilingual podcasts, and they brought me
a chance to practice the language I’m learning, AND
the ease of processing my thoughts and expressing myself most confidently in English
So in a blog article, you could switch between languages too and make it bilingual!
If you want to attract a big readership from a specific area of the world, it will be helpful to use the local languages and even write about places in the region.
How to Start a Language Learning Podcast
Maybe writing and reading isn’t for you, but you love to talk? I started my podcast The Fluent Show in 2013 and it was one of the most brilliant projects I ever created.
Read more here about how you can even boost your language learning by creating your very own podcast.
Share Your Blog
It is no fun to be writing when no one sees your articles, so let me help you find new friends and readers.
Here's what to do:
Write a comment in response to this blog article
Include a link to your blog and your own favourite article
Tell me in a few sentences why you started the blog
The best submissions will be featured on the Fluent blog in future and invited to submit a guest post too. Can't wait to hear from you.
Thanks for reading this article on Fluent - The Language Learning Blog. Don't forget - if you sign up to our newsletter, you will receive my best tips from 10 years of language blogging, podcasting and teaching in your inbox every Thursday.
Essential German to Celebrate St Martin's Day in November
Have you heard about Martinstag (St Martin’s Day)? It’s a great way to celebrate as the autumn season begins in Germany, so you can talk to your German friends about the St Martin’s lanterns, bonfires, and songs.
This article gives you lots of vocab, recipe ideas and inspiration to learn more about Martinstag in Germany.
Full of candy, scared and spooked, disguised as a creature of the night…that's Halloween. The festival is very popular in the English speaking world.
But have you heard about Martinstag (St Martin’s Day)? It’s a great way to celebrate as the autumn season begins in Germany, so you can talk to your German friends about the St Martin’s lanterns, bonfires, and songs.
What is St Martin's Day?
St Martin’s Day is (you guessed it from the name) a religious feast inspired by the story of St Martin of Tours.
Here’s the story of St Martin:
Martin is riding along a path on a cold November night. He comes across a beggar by the roadside and even though he's got nothing on him, he decides to help the poor man out by ripping his cloak in two and sharing it.
Well, this is the version of the story that I remember from Kindergarten anyway. If you read up on it on Wikipedia, the tale becomes a LOT more religious. Religious references aside, what the feast day celebrates today is the value of generosity and sharing with those in need.
Essential German for St Martin's Day
If you love learning German with stories, I recommend German Uncovered, my super comprehensive course loved by German learners all over the world. It was created in collaboration with StoryLearning, and will help you learn German in context without having to cram and rote learn.
Martinstag - St Martin’s Day
der Umzug, die Parade - procession
die Laterne - lantern
eine Laterne basteln - to make your own lantern
basteln - crafting
leuchten - to shine, to glow
das Licht - light
das Martinsfeuer - bonfire to celebrate the day
die Sterne - the stars
der Soldat - soldier
der Bettler - beggar
teilen - to share
Need ideas for remembering vocabulary better? Click here to read how to get great vocab memory.
How Germans Celebrate St Martin's Day
Danke an laterne-basteln.de
St Martin's Day is celebrated in Germany around 11 November. It’s particularly common in the Rhineland.
Many children celebrate by carrying little lanterns (often homemade), and following a procession with music, warm drinks, and sweet treats. Sometimes, the procession is led by a "St Martin" wearing a red coat and riding a horse. Often they are accompanied by a local band playing the famous St Martin's songs.
My own rural German background includes happy memories of lanterns, songs, and a big Martinsfeuer (bonfire) at the end, where people would gather and enjoy seasonal treats. For the adults, I’m pretty sure there was some warm Glühwein (mulled wine) involved.
Martin’s parade (photo via mexicanosenalemania.de)
Read on to find out what sweet treats are in store if you attend a Martinsumzug (St Martin’s Day parade) yourself. And if you spot someone you’d love to chat to 😍, don’t miss my tips for how to flirt in German.
If you want to celebrate St Martin's Day too, you can build little lanterns, sing a song with the children (or with your mates!) or bake a lovely Weckmann (recipe below).
St Martin's Day Songs
The easiest song to learn is "Laterne, Laterne", with its three lines of lyrics.
Laterne, Laterne
Sonne, Mond und Sterne
Brenne auf mein Licht, Brenne auf mein Licht
Aber nur meine liebe Laterne nicht!
(Lantern, Sun, Moon and Stars. Let my light burn brightly, but not my dear lantern!)
Other great songs for this season include "Ich geh' mit meiner Laterne" and "St Martin". You’ll hear these played at processions, bonfires and sung in Kindergarten.
What to Eat on St Martin's Day in Germany
St Martin’s Day is a feast day, so there are plenty of sweet treats to be had.
Look out for these St Martin’s Treats in German Bakeries in November:
Weckmänner are pastries made with sweet dough. They come in the shape of a person, often with raisins for the eyes. The little guy also comes with a clay pipe.
The word Weckmann combines Weck (Southern German word for a bun) and Mann (man). You’ll also hear them called Stutenkerl in some parts of Germany.
Martinsbrezel are sweet dough pretzels covered in sugar.
Glühwein is mulled wine. The wine (often high quality local wine) is heated up with spices and sugar to create a comforting winter drink. If you’re not into drinking alcohol, there’s often a sober version available (look out for words like Punsch and Kinderwein).
Here is a Weckmann recipe in German, with thanks to the website chefkoch.de. How much do you understand?
Zutaten
1 Kilo Mehl, 1 Würfel Hefe, 150 Gramm Zucker, 90 Gramm Butter, 1 Teelöffel Salz und 500ml warme Milch.
Anleitung
Zuerst das Mehl, die Hefe und 125ml Milch vermischen und 10 Minuten gehen lassen.
Butter, Zucker, Salz und restliche Milch auflösen und alles mit dem gegangenen Teig verrühren. Aus dem Teig Weckmänner formen und 10 Minuten gehen lassen.
Mit Milch bestreichen und 15-20 Minuten bei 220 Grad backen.
Quick Q&A About St Martin's Day
Speedy questions, speedy answers!
What do you do on St Martin’s Day?
On St Martin’s Day (11 November), many people in Europe celebrate with seasonal foods, processions, and bonfires.
In Germany, children often craft lanterns and sing songs at local processions.
Why is St Martin’s Day celebrated?
St Martin’s Day commemorates St Martin of Tours, known for sharing his red cloak with a freezing beggar during a snow storm. St Martin stands for generosity and charity.
How long has St Martin’s Day been celebrated?
St Martin’s Day, also known as Old Halloween or Martinmas, has history going back over 1500 years. It falls on the end of harvest season and was celebrated throughout the Middle Ages, and all over Europe.
Where to Learn German for St Martin's Day
If you love learning German with stories, I recommend German Uncovered, my super comprehensive course loved by German learners all over the world.
It was created in collaboration with StoryLearning, and will help you learn German in context without having to cram and rote learn.
Here are some more handy links for German learners:
My full German learning resource list for all levels
Little-known facts about speaking German to level up your pronunciation skills
Hope you enjoyed this article - have a great St Martin’s Day, wherever you are celebrating! 🏮
Five Things You Can Shout When Germany Is Playing Football
German football chants, football vocabulary and party tips for German learners who are getting ready to watch a match. From “Schiri” to "Grillparty”, we’ve got all you need when Germany is playing football.
I am not into club matches, but I go all in when the football (soccer) World or European Cup rolls round. For a German living in England, I am unabashed in my support of die deutsche Elf ("the German eleven" - if you don't know that a soccer/football team has 11 players, this is not your article!).
Want to learn some German for yourself? Be sure to check out this German course I created with the team over at StoryLearning. There’s a free 7-day trial so you can test the course risk-free!
I have my team jersey on order, I may even drink beer, and I am totally ready to go and support both the men’s and the women’s teams in our quests to the next win.
Are you getting ready to watch a German football (soccer) match yourself?
You can enjoy more than pretzels! Make it more fun and authentic with these German things to shout at your screen when Germany is playing football at the world cup, European cup, or Nations League.
Schiri!!!!
Schiri stands for "Schiedsrichter" (referee) - there is of course a feminine version of this job title ("Schiedsrichterin"), but to make it easier on everyone to pronounce and holler at the screen, Schiri is the one to use.
This is one to shout out with passion whenever you hear the ref's whistle, favourably if it's an unfair decision or a foul. Don't forget to pronounce those exclamation points.
Deutschland vor, noch ein Tor
A classic chant that every German schoolkid can produce. Often you'll hear this one with a particular player's name instead of "Deutschland" - for example we could name Germany's lone striker Miroslav Klose: Miro vor, noch ein Tor!
Before you shout this one with passion though, wait until Germany's got the first goal in: noch ein translates to "another".
Das war kein Abseits!
Do you know your offside trap? Yes, me too. Every woman has had to learn this to prove her worth, in some kind of misogynist conspiracay of football fans...but I digress! Abseits (neuter) is the German word for offside, and this phrase is a great one to say with a knowing nod when you're out in the Biergarten with your friends.
Die Spieler sind schwach wie Flasche leer
Deutsch ist schwer, by now you probably know that, right? German isn't the easiest language to master, but the key thing is to get your message across. No football coach ever did a better job of this than Giovanni Trappatoni in the 90s, when he went on a beautiful rant at a Bayern Munich press conference.Die Spieler sind schwach wie Flasche leer ("the players are weak like bottles empty") might not be grammatically right, but it is the perfect reaction when you think your team really needs to kick into gear.
What proof that you don’t need perfect grammar to express true emotion..
Das Runde muss ins Eckige
I used to have this on my favourite t-shirt many years ago and always wore it with pride. "The round thing must go into the square thing" is a classic quote from German football hero Sepp Herberger. Along with his other famous "Der Ball ist rund und das Spiel dauert 90 Minuten.", the quote represents Germany's no-nonsense approach to football. Our team isn't known for beautiful arty moves like the Brazilians - but hopefully it will get the job done!
Next Level: 13 Useful German Football Words
Fachsimpeln (playing the expert) is a hobby no one can resist entirely, and watching sports among friends is no exception. When you're among your friends and everyone is playing armchair pundits, listen out for some of the following words to help you keep up:
Der Anstoß - kick off
Die Schwalbe - dive (when a player feigns injury)
Der Stürmer - striker
Der Verteidiger - defense player
Das Mittelfeld - mid-field
Der Elfmeter - penalty
Der Eckball - corner
Der Freistoß - free kick
Das Foul - foul
Verlängerung (in der Verlängerung) - extra time
Ich bin für Deutschland. - I'm supporting Germany
Wie steht es? - what's the score?
Der Pokal - cup (in a sporting context)
More Tips for Soccer-Loving German Learnesr
So you’re all in for the full tournament and want to host a German fan party? Perfect! Try these 3 tips to get the best match atmosphere today.
Get The Grillparty Started
Football World Cup and European Cup tournaments take place in the summer - perfect timing for millions of Germans to open up Balkonien (balconia - a German word for "holidaying at home") and invite their friends round for a BBQ and viewing party.
For the best German Grillparty, you need a venue (garden, allotment, balcony, public BBQ area), a TV to watch the match, some meat (despite the vegan trend, Germans tend to be non-veggie), salad and veggies, and a good supply of drinks. No need for spicy sauces - German foods are rarely hot and spicy.
Learn Some Football Quotes
Football coaches and football players are people who are often asked for their opinions, and every now and then produce a piece of wisdom second to none. You can find many quotes attributed to German coaches on this Spiegel.de page. From Der Ball ist rund und das Spiel dauert 90 Minuten, to nach dem Spiel ist vor dem Spiel, you won't need to be fluent in German to join in with your football-crazy friends this summer.
Eliminate Risk and Follow the Favourites
Germans are a risk-averse bunch. The classic British tradition of supporting the underdog is puzzling to many of them. Why go for anything but the most promising option? So if you want to get with the German mentality as a football supporter, reserve a soft spot for the most likely tournament winners.
I wish all your teams good luck in the competition. Let's hope Gary Lineker is right:
Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win.
And if you want to get into the mood with a German course, why not check out my tips for learning German?
Good luck and remember to put the round thing into the square thing!
Want to Learn the German Language?
German is a beautiful language with history and charm. And did you know that YOU can easily learn it, too? Check out my German Uncovered online course, created in collaboration with the incredible team over at StoryLearning.
4 Techniques for Switching Your Brain into Language Mode
Have you ever heard of a phenomenon called "Priming"? Priming is what psychologists call it when your brain adapts to the environment around it without you realising. For example, you might automatically walk slower in a nursing home than you do in a gym. The brain helps your body to adjust, and this also affects your memory and even your confidence and the whole way you interpret situations.
How Priming Helps You Turn on Your Brain
Priming is largely unconscious, but now that you’re aware of it you can also use it to your advantage when learning languages. The idea is to switch your brain into “language mode” and use cues from your environment to help you get into the right zone.
Want to learn more about how to be a productive language learner?
©morethanmaths on Flickr
How Subtle Prompts Help You Stay in The “Language Learning Zone”
When I was a German tutor, I’d teach many people in their lunch hour. They would stay in the office at their English-speaking workplace, close the door and open up Skype to start chatting German with me.
In those situations, I’d commonly noticed that it took them a lot of time to warm up, relax, and start chatting away. Having thought about the learning environment and what it means for your performance, I came to the conclusion that these students need to make a brain switch from work mode to learning mode.
In this article on Wired, the author describes how a mere glance at the native speaker will prompt them to blurt out native words.
The different role you need to play as a language learner.
And there’s more at play than just the language you’re speaking.
Many people who work in management or office-based roles are in an environment that looks a bit like school, but demands a completely different behaviour. “Professionals” don't just go out and try things. They are expected to control their creativity and maintain a professional image at all times.
When you think about the good mindset for language learners, it's a contrast: You'll do well if you can combine curiosity, discipline and a complete disregard for embarrassment!
How to Start Switching Your Brain Into a Different Mode
Switching up a part of your environment can help you become a better learner, with simple prompts that take seconds to implement.
Try out some ideas that learners and teachers can use to make priming work in the right way:
1. Listen to Target Language Songs and Watch Movies
I will not promise you that watching an awful lot of films in a foreign language will magically beam fluency into your mind.
The real benefit of surrounding yourself with the target language is that you stay engaged with it and develop knowledge of the country. In terms of the priming benefit, it will work magic. Plus, you get to do it while putting your feet up or driving.
2. Find a Suitable Slot in Your Schedule
Schedule your learning sessions for the right times. For example, I like doing my chatting in Spanish on the drive back from Zumba - partly because the Spanish lady is captive in my car, partly because we've just spent an hour having fun and dancing around. Others also swear by having a nice glass of wine to relax or using breathing exercises.
Another great tip is to create a learning corner in your home - somewhere quiet, free from distractions and full of positive associations.
3. Visualise Your Life as a Successful Language Learner
School classroom teachers have known for a long time that putting up posters and displays around the classroom can get pupils in the right state of mind for learning. They don't have to be written in the foreign language, but just reminders of what's great about the country you're learning about.
Take a tip from this and create your own language learning displays full of things that interest you about your language. They could be recipes, tickets from old trips, tourist brochures or printouts from the internet. I particularly love vintage posters.
You can find more inspiration on my Pinterest boards for German, French and Russian.
4. Warm Up in Your Target Language
In my teaching role, I try to start my lessons off easily with some smaller warm-up activities like asking students how they are or offering them a drink.
Recently, I received the great tip that using the same warm-up activity every time for regular students is actually helpful - here I was worrying people would get bored, but the learner's perspective was that knowing "what's coming" allowed them to prepare and feel confident at the start of the lesson. That puts every learner in the right state of mind for success.
A Festive Take on Using Your Environment as a Study Aid
Click here for my article on learning a language at Christmas (even if you don’t celebrate it)
First published July 2013. Last updated December 2021.
