Using ChatGPT for Foreign Language Learning

If there is one thing ChatGPT really excels in, it is languages. After all, it is a “Large Language Model” and was trained basically on all the text on the Internet. This makes ChatGPT a great tool for foreign language learners. It can help you with translations, explain grammar, generate exercises, and even perform conversations with you on your specific learning level.

Here we show some of the ways ChatGPT can help you learn and practice foreign languages. We also provide example prompts that you can copy to get started.

Making ChatGPT your language teacher

At the start of the conversation, you should give ChatGPT some context on what language you are learning on what level. Note that the language you write the prompt in, determines the language ChatGPT answers in.

This does not have to be English. ChatGPT speaks almost any language, and it might be easiest for you when you ask in your mother tongue.

Can you help me with learning German? I will need translations and explanations of grammar forms.

Screenshot of a ChatGPT conversation prompting it to act as a German teacher

You can also make this more specific to control how it should answer (and especially how chatty you want it to be).

When I give you German words or sentences, I simply need the translation to English.

For Grammar questions, I want an explanation on how the grammar form is used together with some examples.

Let ChatGPT translate words or sentences

ChatGPT is much better at translation than Google Translate or DeepL. It rarely makes mistakes, immediately recognizes context, and can translate almost any language directly into another. This is a significant difference to Google Translate or DeepL, which often use English as intermediate, leading to poor results when not using English as target or source language. ChatGPT happily (and correctly) translates French to Japanese, Korean to German, or whatever you need.

And best of all: ChatGPT also knows about regional dialects or slang. Even when words are not in the dictionary, ChatGPT knows them and can reliably explain them.

Screenshot of a ChatGPT conversation prompting it to translate a sentence in Berlin dialect

Have ChatGPT explain grammar

ChatGPT is really good at explaining grammar. It will give you a general explanation, tell you how a structure is used, and provide examples.

How is the perfect tense formed in German?

Screenshot of a ChatGPT conversation prompting it to explain the perfect tense in German

But it really shines when you go into more depth. For example, you can ask it how two similar grammatical forms differ in use. Or let it compare a form to a similar form in your native language.

Is the Perfekt form in German used in the same way as Past Participle is used in English?

Screenshot of a ChatGPT conversation prompting it to compare German Perfekt to English Past Participle

Let ChatGPT generate reading practice texts

If you want to improve your reading skills or simply need some context to learn new vocabulary with, you can have ChatGPT generate short texts for you.

Can you generate me a short text that contains the basic vocabulary for a day at the beach?

Screenshot of a ChatGPT conversation prompting it to generate a short German text about going to the beach.

Create CSV word lists with ChatGPT

When you are using a flashcard vocabulary app to collect and practice your words — like Wokabulary — you want to copy all new words ChatGPT teaches you to your app. While copy-paste works, fine, you can also ask ChatGPT to directly generate a CSV file on the words it just explained.

Or have it generate dedicated word lists for certain topics. You can then directly import the CSV file to Wokabulary (or the flashcard app of your choice).

Can you create a CSV with the most basic German vocabulary I would need when going to Oktoberfest?

Screenshot of a ChatGPT conversation prompting it to generate a CSV file with vocabulary for going to the Oktoberfest.