ChatGPT is one of the best free tools to study English — but only if you know what to ask. Here are 7 ready prompts that I use and recommend: conversation, grammar correction, interview simulation, writing, everyday expressions, current slang, and verb tense explanation. Copy, paste, adapt to your level, and start today.
Look, ChatGPT has become the "Google" of the 2026 generation. Everyone is using it for everything. And for learning English? It works — but not in the way most people think. Most people open ChatGPT and ask, "how do you say X in English?" This is using it like a dictionary. A dictionary is better done by Google Translate.
The secret is to make ChatGPT give you active practice — correcting you, conversing with you, simulating real situations. And for that, you need specific prompts, well-written, that turn ChatGPT into a patient private tutor. In this post, I’m giving you 7 that I’ve tested and that work.
Before we start: ChatGPT alone is not a method. It helps you a lot, but it doesn’t have a progress history, it doesn’t have spaced flashcards, and it doesn’t correct your pronunciation by voice. For a complete method, Lanna (a Brazilian language learning platform with AI) combines all of this in one flow. But ChatGPT as a complement is gold. Let’s get to the prompts.
Before you start: 3 rules for these prompts to work
The prompts only work if you use them correctly. Three simple rules:
- Adapt the level. Every prompt has a marker [YOUR LEVEL] or [B1] — replace it with your actual level. If you’re A2, write A2. B1, write B1. Without this, ChatGPT will speak at a random difficulty.
- Use 1 or 2 per day, not all 7. The common mistake is trying to do everything in one day and never coming back. Take 1 for your morning time and 1 for the night. Alternate throughout the week.
- Don’t just paste and ask for the ready answer. First, respond in your best English, only then ask for correction. Cheating undermines the exercise.
1. Conversation about a topic that interests you
The first prompt is the most important of all. It unlocks speaking faster. You talk to ChatGPT as if it were a friend who speaks English — about a topic that you enjoy. It could be soccer, movies, technology, cooking, whatever. The secret is to be specific.
Why it works: you choose the topic, ChatGPT keeps the conversation flowing naturally, corrects in blocks (not in every sentence — less interruptive), and stays at your level. If there’s a time of day to study English, this is it.
2. Job interview simulation
Prompt for those looking for an international job or just wanting to practice under pressure. ChatGPT becomes the interviewer, you respond, and it gives you feedback on both content AND English.
Use this before a real interview. Run it 2 or 3 times to unlock speaking under pressure. Those who use it sit in the interview Zoom much more confidently.
3. Writing correction with grammatical explanation
This is the most underrated. You write anything in English — an email, an essay, a LinkedIn post — and ChatGPT gives you fine surgery on the text. It explains every change.
Use it for work emails, cover letters, LinkedIn messages. In 30 seconds, you get feedback that a teacher would take 20 minutes to provide.
4. Explanation of confusing verb tenses
Present perfect vs simple past. Would vs could vs might. Used to vs would. English verb tenses can paralyze Brazilians like the boogeyman. ChatGPT explains better than most books because you can ask for "with a Brazilian example," "with an analogy to Portuguese," "in a real situation."
This is educational. Run it once a week to unlock a new verb tense. In 6 months, you will have covered everything important in English.
5. Everyday vocabulary with real examples
Traditional vocabulary books are boring. "At the restaurant: waiter, menu, bill." You don’t use that in conversation. ChatGPT gives you the real vocabulary that real people use, with modern slang.
Topics I recommend to boost: food, transportation, work, social media, sports you enjoy. One session of this per week with a different topic, and in 3 months, your active vocabulary will triple.
6. Current slang of 2026
Slang is what separates those who learned English in school from those who can actually converse. Textbooks are from 10 years ago and don’t have it. ChatGPT does.
Be careful: don’t go blasting slang in a job interview. Slang is for casual conversation. ChatGPT will warn you about this in the response.
7. Roleplay of everyday situations
This one is fun. You ask ChatGPT to simulate a real situation — buying something, asking for directions on the street, checking into a hotel, ordering a beer at a bar — and you both act it out. Zero pressure, maximum practice.
This works great for those who are going to travel. Run 2 or 3 scenarios (check-in, ordering food, getting an Uber) before boarding, and you’ll arrive much more relaxed.
How to combine with a real study method
These prompts are great, but they have limits. ChatGPT doesn’t keep your progress, doesn’t review vocabulary with spaced repetition, and doesn’t correct your pronunciation by hearing your voice. For that, you need an app made for languages.
The routine I recommend: 15 minutes on the app every day + 1 ChatGPT prompt 3 or 4 times a week. The app (like Lanna) takes care of the structure: content at your level, pronunciation corrected, spaced flashcards, progress history. ChatGPT complements with specific practice — a verb tense you need to unlock, an upcoming interview, a work essay.
If you want more context about conversing with AI, I wrote a complete post on how to practice conversation in English with AI. And if you want to tackle the fear of speaking, check out how to lose the fear of speaking in another language.
Most common mistakes using ChatGPT to study
- Only asking for translation. This is using ChatGPT as a dictionary. Practice production, not consumption.
- Using Portuguese instead of trying English first. Try to write/speak in English first, only then ask for correction. Cheating undermines the exercise.
- Not marking the level in the prompt. Without [B1], ChatGPT will deliver random responses, often too difficult.
- Staying away for days. 5 minutes every day yields more than 1 hour once a week. Always.
- Not writing down what you learned. ChatGPT doesn’t have flashcards. If you don’t save it in a list or app, you’ll forget everything in 48 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Does ChatGPT replace an English app?
For specific questions, yes, for a structured routine, no. Combine both.
Free or paid?
Free is enough for most. Paid GPT-4 helps with academic writing and complex simulations.
Can I practice pronunciation?
ChatGPT's voice mode understands you but doesn’t give a pronunciation score. To truly practice pronunciation, an app with Whisper is needed.
Minimum level?
A2. Absolute A1 gets frustrated because they lack basic vocabulary.
How many prompts per day?
1 or 2 per session. More than that is not sustainable.
Can ChatGPT make mistakes about English?
It can (hallucination). Confirm with another source when it’s critical use.
Correction in English or Portuguese?
Beginners/intermediates ask in Portuguese. Advanced learners ask in English for extra reading.
So, which one to start first?
Recommendation: start with prompt 1 (conversation) today. Choose a topic you really like and chat for 10 minutes. Tomorrow use prompt 5 (vocabulary) with a practical topic. By the end of the week, you’ll have tested 4 out of 7 and know which ones work best for you.
And after testing, if you want a structured method that measures progress and takes care of everything — flashcards, voice pronunciation, voice conversation, grammar — check out Lanna. The free plan has 3 free contents per month and you can try it without a card.
