Generative AI Example
AI Prompts for ESL/ELL
These are examples of AI chatbot prompts for K-12 ESL/ELL teachers.
For more information see all of my AI resources at www.controlaltachieve.com/ai
Building Foundational Skills (Vocabulary & Grammar)
● Themed Vocabulary Lists: "Generate a themed vocabulary list for a 5th-grade science
class of intermediate English learners. The topic is the water cycle. Provide a list of 10
key terms. For each term, provide a simple, student-friendly definition, a sentence
using the word in context, and a Spanish cognate if one exists."
● Cloze Reading: Create a cloze reading activity about American holidays suitable for
intermediate ESL high school students (CEFR B1). The text should be around 300
words and include a vocabulary list with definitions.
● Targeted Grammar Explanations: "Explain the difference between the past simple
and present perfect tenses. Provide a simple rule, a timeline visual description, and 5
example sentences for each. Then, create a 10-question gap-fill exercise for
intermediate middle school students to practice."
● Visual Vocabulary: "I am teaching a class of newcomer elementary students about
classroom objects. Give me a list of 15 essential objects (e.g., pencil, book, chair). For
each object, provide a simple descriptive sentence like 'This is a ____. I use it to
_____.' that I can use for labeling and oral drills."
● Idiom and Slang Explanations: "My advanced high school ELLs are confused by the
idiom 'to be on the fence.' Explain what it means, provide a scenario where it would be
used, and offer two alternative ways to express the same idea more directly."
Developing the Four Language Domains (L, S, R, W)
● Listening Scripts: "Write a short, slow-paced audio script for a listening
comprehension activity. The script should be a dialogue between two friends making
plans to go to the movies. It should be suitable for intermediate-level middle school
ELLs and include 5 comprehension questions (who, what, where, when, why)."
● Speaking & Pronunciation Practice: "Generate a list of 10 sentences for pronunciation
practice that focus on the minimal pair /ʃ/ (sh) and /tʃ/ (ch). For example, 'She sells
cheese by the seashore.' The sentences should be fun and easy to remember."
● Role-Playing Scenarios: "Create a role-playing scenario for two newcomer high school
students to practice ordering food at a fast-food restaurant. Assign one student to be
the customer and one to be the cashier. Provide a list of sentence frames for each role
(e.g., 'I would like to order...', 'What would you like to drink?', 'For here or to go?')."
● Adapted Reading Passages: "Take this news article about a recent discovery by NASA
[paste short article text here]. Rewrite it at a 6th-grade reading level, suitable for
intermediate ELLs. Simplify complex sentences, define key vocabulary in parentheses,
and break up long paragraphs."
● Writing with Scaffolds: "Generate a paragraph frame to help a 4th-grade beginning
ELL write about their favorite animal. The frame should provide sentence starters like:
'My favorite animal is a ____. It lives in ____. It can ____. I like this animal because
____.'"
Scaffolding Content-Area Instruction
● Bilingual Glossaries: "Create a bilingual glossary for a 10th-grade biology unit on
genetics. List 15 key terms (e.g., DNA, gene, chromosome, heredity). For each term,
provide a simple English definition and its translation in Arabic."
● Scaffolding Word Problems: "I have a 7th-grade math word problem for my ELLs:
'The price of a jacket was reduced by 20%. If the original price was $50, what is the
discount and the new price?' First, rewrite the problem using simpler language.
Second, identify and pre-teach the key vocabulary. Third, create a step-by-step guide
to solving it."
● Front-Loading Activities: "My 8th-grade social studies class, which includes several
intermediate ELLs, is about to start a unit on the American Revolution. Design a 'front-
loading' activity to build background knowledge. The activity should include key
visuals to show, a list of the most important figures and terms to pre-teach, and a K-
W-L chart template."
● Graphic Organizers for Content: "Design a cause-and-effect graphic organizer for a
high school history class to analyze the main causes of World War I. The organizer
should be visually clear and have space for 3-4 causes and their resulting effects, with
sentence stems to guide student writing."
● Lab Report Templates: "Create a simplified lab report template for a middle school
science experiment. The template should be for intermediate ELLs and include
sections with guiding questions. For example, for 'Conclusion,' include: 'What did you
learn? Was your hypothesis correct? Why or why not? What was surprising?'"
Creating Culturally Relevant & Accessible Materials
● Culturally Relevant Texts: "Write a short story (about 200 words) for an elementary
class about a child who is new to a school. The story should be from the perspective of
a child who recently moved from El Salvador. It should focus on the feelings of being
new and the kindness of a classmate. The language should be appropriate for
beginning/intermediate learners."
● Connecting to Prior Knowledge: "My class has many students from Haiti. We are
starting a unit on folktales. Can you give me a brief summary of a popular Haitian
folktale (like those featuring Anansi the Spider) that I can use as a bridge to compare
with American folktales?"
● Adapting Holiday Lessons: "I am planning a lesson around the theme of 'celebrations'
in December for my diverse elementary class. To be inclusive, generate a list of 3-4
different winter celebrations from around the world (e.g., Hanukkah, St. Lucia Day,
Kwanzaa, Dongzhi Festival). For each, provide a key symbol, a core tradition, and a
simple greeting."
● Personal Identity Prompts: "Generate a set of five respectful and engaging journal
prompts for a middle school ELL class that encourage students to write about their
personal identity, family, and cultural background. The prompts should be open-ended
and low-pressure."
Assessment, Feedback & Goal Setting
● Language-Focused Rubrics: "Create a simple writing rubric for a paragraph written
by an intermediate-level high school ELL. The rubric should have three categories: 1)
Task Completion (Did they answer the prompt?), 2) Grammar and Vocabulary (Use of
target tense and vocabulary), and 3) Clarity (Is the message understandable?). Use a
3-point scale (1=Beginning, 2=Developing, 3=Secure)."
● Providing 'Glows and Grows': "A student wrote the following sentence: 'I go to the
park yesterday.' Act as a supportive ESL teacher. Provide feedback using a 'glow and
grow' format. The 'glow' should praise the student's ability to communicate the main
idea. The 'grow' should gently correct the verb tense and explain the rule for past
tense."
● "Can-Do" Statements: "I have a new student from Ukraine who is at a beginning
proficiency level. Based on the WIDA Can-Do Descriptors for Level 1, generate a list of
5-7 'I can...' statements for listening and speaking that I can use to set initial goals
and share with their content-area teachers (e.g., 'I can point to a picture of a
vocabulary word,' 'I can answer a yes/no question')."
● Portfolio Prompts: "Generate a list of prompts for an end-of-semester language
portfolio. The prompts should ask students to choose a piece of work they are proud
of, identify three new vocabulary words they learned, and set a personal language
goal for the next semester."
© Eric Curts -
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