You can learn English with AI by using a free chatbot, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek or Qwen, as a practice partner. Talk to it out loud, ask it to correct your writing, role-play real situations and get it to quiz you. Below are five ways to do it, with prompts you can copy and paste.
A quick word from me as a teacher: AI won’t replace a good teacher, or chatting with real people down the pub. But as a practice partner that never gets tired, never judges you and is awake at 3am, it’s brilliant. The trick is knowing how to ask.
Which AI Can I Use? Free Options Around the World
You don’t need to pay. Almost every popular chatbot has a free version that is plenty for English practice. Which ones you can use depends on where you live, so pick whichever works in your country:
- Worldwide: ChatGPT (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), Claude (Anthropic) and Microsoft Copilot.
- Already on your phone: Meta AI is built into WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger in many countries, so you may not need a new app at all.
- Europe: Le Chat by Mistral, a French company.
- China and much of Asia: DeepSeek, Qwen (Alibaba), Doubao (ByteDance), Kimi (Moonshot AI) and ERNIE Bot (Baidu). Many of these are free and very good at English.
They all work in a similar way, so every prompt on this page will work with any of them. Free versions sometimes have daily limits, but ten minutes of practice a day fits easily. Features like voice mode vary from app to app and country to country, so have a look in your app’s settings.
1. Practise Speaking Out Loud
Many chatbot apps now have a voice mode, so you can talk to them like a person. This is the best way to practise speaking without feeling nervous. Ask it to keep things natural and to save corrections for the end, so the conversation flows.
Try this prompt: “Be my British English conversation partner. Chat with me about my weekend, ask me questions, and keep your answers short. At the end, tell me my three biggest mistakes and how to fix them.”
2. Get Feedback on Your Writing
Write it yourself first, then ask for feedback. If the AI writes it for you, you’ll learn nothing (and your teacher will probably notice). Ask it to explain each correction, not just fix it.
Try this prompt: “Here’s my email. Correct the mistakes and explain each one simply. Then show me a more natural British English version, but don’t change my meaning.”
3. Role-Play Real Situations
AI is great at playing a character. Choose a situation you’re nervous about and rehearse it as many times as you like:
- a job interview
- ordering food in a café or pub
- complaining politely in a shop
- calling a plumber to fix a leak
- checking in at a hotel
Try this prompt: “Let’s role-play. You’re a friendly receptionist at a hotel in London and I’m checking in. Use everyday British English. Stop after ten lines and give me feedback.”
4. Learn Idioms and Slang
Ask AI to explain idioms with examples, then test yourself. One warning: AI sometimes mixes up meanings or invents examples that native speakers would never say, so double-check anything unusual. That’s exactly why we write every idiom lesson on FunkyEnglish by hand.
Try this prompt: “Teach me five British idioms about the weather. Give a simple meaning and a natural example for each, then quiz me one at a time.”
Want a head start? Try our 50 animal idioms, 50 British slang words or the text slang guide (ngl, it’s fun).
5. Build Your Vocabulary
Turn any topic into a mini lesson. Ask for word lists, example sentences and quick quizzes at your level, then review them a few days later.
Try this prompt: “Give me ten useful words for talking about my job as a nurse. Put each one in a short example sentence, then give me a gap-fill quiz.”
What AI Gets Wrong (Read This!)
- It makes mistakes, confidently. AI can “hallucinate“, which means it gives wrong information as if it were true. Check facts and unusual phrases.
- It often speaks American English by default. If you want British English, say so in your prompt: “Use British spelling and vocabulary.”
- It can sound too perfect. Real people use short, relaxed English. If a message sounds stiff, ask: “Make this sound more natural and casual.”
- It shouldn’t do your homework. Use it to practise and get feedback, not to write for you. You only learn by doing.
- Keep personal details private. Don’t share passwords, addresses or anything you wouldn’t post in public.
My Top Tip
Use AI little and often. Ten minutes of chatting out loud every day will do more for your English than one long session a month. And when the AI says something that sounds odd, come back here and check. Cheers!
New to words like “prompt” and “hallucinate”? See our AI vocabulary guide. More techy English: computer vocabulary, common computer idioms and computer science vocabulary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. AI chatbots are useful practice partners. You can talk to them out loud, get feedback on your writing, role-play real situations and make your own vocabulary quizzes. They work best alongside real teachers and real conversations.
No. Most chatbots, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Copilot, DeepSeek, Qwen and Doubao, have free versions that are plenty for daily English practice. Which ones you can use depends on your country.
ChatGPT, and similar chatbots like Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek or Qwen, can be very helpful for practice and feedback. Remember that they sometimes make mistakes and often use American English unless you ask for British English.
If your chatbot app has a voice mode, turn it on and ask it to be your conversation partner. Ask it to keep answers short and to give you feedback on your mistakes at the end.
Not really. AI is a great practice tool, but a good teacher can spot your real problems, keep you motivated and explain things in a way that suits you.
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