Do MFL teachers need ChatGPT?

Since ChatGPT has entered the stage, teachers are abuzz: should the text-based AI be embraced or feared? 

Banning something is often counterproductive, so we must look for ways to incorporate it into our teaching; this should be done at a department level. 

Because languages evolve with cultures and constantly produce new media and interactive tools, MFL teachers are innovators when using technology in education. But what about ChatGPT?

Do MFL teachers need ChatGPT?

1- Can ChatGPT assist with the lesson plan?

In my first year of teaching, it would take me an hour to plan an hour of lessons. Five teaching hours equaled ten working hours. Thanks to my experience, I can design a French, English, or maths lesson from scratch in 15 minutes. Could Chat GPT help me plan a language lesson? Hardly. 

As a qualified teacher, you must have a rough idea of how to teach your subject. For example, an introductory lesson on greetings does not require a PowerPoint or worksheet but a lot of interaction. Your experience tells you how to plan a lesson. Here is a lesson plan on greetings created by ChatGPT:

Let’s go towards a more complex topic, like the perfect tense and take a look at this lesson plan created by ChatGPT for Y8:

Nothing ground-breaking, right? No need to reinvent the wheel. Your school department already has something that works, a complete scheme of work written by teachers, and textbooks like Studio. You could also look at TES or Teachers Pay Teachers to find a lesson plan that has already been used and reviewed. ChatGPT does not offer you a detailed lesson plan but broad guidelines. Although it can give an idea of the road to take to novices, it is irrelevant for any MFL teacher with experience in planning lessons. 

2- Can ChatGPT assist with resources?

MFL teachers rarely create their own resources, and there are 2 simple reasons for that: it takes a tremendous amount of time and there are plenty of resources available out there. 

If you need more than the textbook you are using, you will find what you need on TES, Twinkl, or Teachers Pay Teachers. ChatGPT is only able to generate fill-in-the-blank activities or quizzes. I have asked ChatGPT to create a simple introductory Y7 worksheet on greetings, but it almost feels irrelevant. Sure, you could use that worksheet, but it would require touch and twitching as it is poor material as it is. The connection with reality is missing. In languages, we want our students to relate to the language they use. 

3- Can ChatGPT assist with the delivery?

What makes a great teacher: the delivery. A great teacher is like a good craftsman, and a good craftsman never blames his tools. A great teacher could have the poorest lesson plan (a ChatGPT-generated one, for example). Yet, he could still run a great show as the lesson should be like interactive theatre to engage the students in multifarious ways. 

A friend of mine was passionate about chess; he had read everything he could. He knew openings and strategies I had never heard before, but he had never played a game. When he sat to play his first game, none of what he had read came to help because the theory does not replace experience; it complements it. ChatGPT will not teach you how to improvise when the projector is not working, it won’t help you keep your cool when a student storms out insulting you, and it won’t help you bond with your students through the lesson. Nothing replaces experience with human contact. 

Let’s shift perspective and see how Chat GPT could assist MFL students.

4- Can ChatGPT assist students with language practice?

ChatGPT is a chatbot and can answer in French. Students could chat with the bot; this would be entertaining for a couple of minutes. However, once they have asked ChatGPT for the French or Spanish translation of common swear words, the novelty effect will have dissipated. 

Although ChatGPT can generate texts, it is an AI text-based model, so students need a text to speech software to work on their pronunciation.

Where it might be interesting, it’s in the correction feedback. With the proper setting, Google doc underlines mistakes with blue for grammar suggestions or red for misspelled words. On the other hand, Chat GPT corrects a given paragraph and provides feedback. Although some reviews have mentioned possible errors, it is still an exciting way to use it. 

5- Can ChatGPT be used for translation?

Although students have already been using Google Translate and Deepl, ChatGPT can be used as a translator and provide feedback about the choice of words. However, it removes the human dimension from the translation, which is: word choice. 

Our choice of words conveys a subjective idea. The words we choose translate our interpretation of an idea. When translating, we relate to a sentence and its context. 

Translating with ChatGpt is like using GPS navigation: it gets the job done, but it removes the challenges and the experience of it. In the classroom, I prefer to Word Reference, which works like an online dictionary and offers the choice of words a traditional dictionary would offer. 

6- Can ChatGPT help students build vocabulary?

Chat GPT claims to be able to help students with vocabulary building, translation, and worksheets. Still, nothing can replace the student’s experience in the classroom. Hearing words and using them is what will help them build vocabulary. Experience is the key. If you are looking for an online engaging vocabulary builder, encourage your students to use Duolingo. I stopped giving homework and asked them to complete a daily lesson on Duolingo instead. They much prefer it, and in the long term, Duolingo is more profitable than any paper worksheet I may give them. 

Takeaways:

Dear MFL teachers, do not feel guilty for not feeling the ChatGPT hype. Please sit back and relax because ChatGPT will not revolutionize language teaching as it still needs more development to substantially impact our subjects.

A colleague recently recalled the hype that followed the introduction of computers in schools. There was the fear of not knowing how to incorporate it into teaching and the fear of them replacing teachers, but eventually, nothing changed. Computers have become tools we learned to use to facilitate teaching and learning. ChatGPT will become just that.