How can teachers use AI to easily modify the level of work for ESL students?
Here’s how I use AI to modify curriculum as an ESL teacher. Take a lesson activity that is too high or too low and ask AI to modify it. While you can use AI to generate curriculum, one quick way I use it is to adjust the reading level, topic, or audience using my current material. Here are some sample prompts you can modify to fit your lesson needs.
AI Prompts to Use
When writing a prompt, be concise and state exactly what you want with any constraints needed. My examples are from my adult ESL classes, but this could be modified for any type of lessons and learners.
*My students are intermediate-level adult English language learners. Make this activity harder for them, but still reasonable for new language learners. [insert activity or description]
*Create a similar fill-in-the-blank sentence practice, but make it easier and stick to the topic of grocery shopping. It is for adult English language learners, not kids. [add photo of worksheet or a few sentences]
*Use this short role play conversation sample and write 4 new ones on levels A1, A2, B1, and C1. The speakers should be Lake and Riley. The topic should be discussing weekend plans. [insert sample conversation]
*Rewrite this paragraph description of the local state fair to be in simpler English for adult English language learners. [ insert paragraph from state fair website]
I also use AI to add questions to my lessons – intro questions, critical thinking questions, and reading comprehension questions.
*Give me 4 critical and creative thinking questions about the state fair in [insert state]. 2 questions should be for lower level English speakers and 2 for advanced.
*Give me 4 options of opening questions I could use in my adult ESL classes for high beginners to introduce the topics of travel and past tense.
*Write 4 comprehension questions in order of difficulty for the state fair introduction paragraph. These should be for intermediate English language learning students. Add 1 group discussion question.
Specific ESL Levels
If you know your students’ specific levels, you can insert something like this into your AI prompts.
*Use this website for level information https://www.olesentuition.co.uk/single-post/what-is-the-difference-between-a1-a2-b1-etc [then insert your prompt and levels of material needed]
If you don’t like something about the outcome, ask AI to revise it and enter more specific parameters (longer, shorter, etc.) or edit it yourself from there. When you use AI to modify curriculum, it is not hard, but it takes some practice.
Tip: if you are wondering what level your material is, try using Vocab Kitchen to check it. Simply cut and paste into the text box.
Vocabulary Kitchen is a vocabulary profiler. You copy and paste the text you want to use. It scans it and identifies the more difficult words according to the CERF levels. Then you can choose some of the words to teach based on the level of your class. You can also get a good idea of the difficulty level of a short passage that you want your students to read and discuss.
Use Chatgpt/Copilot/Claude/Gemini AI tool to rewrite an ESL activity to be at a different level or longer/shorter. Use a prompt similar to this.
*Use this website for level information https://www.olesentuition.co.uk/single-post/what-is-the-difference-between-a1-a2-b1-etc Use this sample [dialogue/activity] and rewrite it for [B2]. [Add any other guides – length of reading passage, etc.] [Add the text of what you want redone.] If needed, ask me questions before starting.
If it’s not exactly what you want, ask AI to redo it with additional guidelines.
I have used it to create 4 different levels of the same 4-line dialogue about the weather to help students see how their conversations can grow along with their English skills.
I have also used it to generate questions for a story or article. Ask for a few easy questions and a few higher level thinking questions. You can have it rewrite questions in easier language too.
It isn’t hard as an ESL teacher to use AI to modify curriculum. These tips apply to teachers of all courses. Sometimes it’s easier to modify something than to recreate it altogether. Save prompts that work well for you. Ask AI to help you write a good prompt, especially if you had to redo it several times. Do watch copyright laws and credit your sources where needed when you use AI to modify curriculum and materials. I’d love to hear some prompts you have used successfully.
Table Talk: How would having a different level of a favorite worksheet help in your classroom? How can tutors use AI to modify lessons for their clients?
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