ChatGPT, as well as the many other chatbots that have emerged recently, can be used to do so many different things.
While I’m usually pestering ChatGPT to help me understand complicated subjects, partake in the latest internet trend, or nail the tone for an important email, there is another area of its skillset that I’ve been using for a while.
ChatGPT can make for an excellent learning tool, finding out about new subjects, improving your language skills, and exploring your vocabulary.
These are the five prompts that I’ve been using to learn new skills and topics every day with chatbots.
Debate with me
Prompt: I’m going to start a conversation about [Insert topic]. You should reply as someone knowledgeable in this subject who disagrees with what I have to say
This prompt is a great way to work out your understanding of a topic. Whether it is for an upcoming work presentation, a project at school, or simply a conversation topic you are truly passionate about, this prompt will give you the chance to learn more about it and get used to common disagreements that might come up.
This lets you practice a topic and can be a great way to get used to this kind of discussion in your own time. It is also a helpful way to learn more about a subject from an angle you might not have thought of before.
Micro-learning
Prompt: I have 10 minutes, teach me about a new topic
This prompt has helped me kill a lot of time — whether it's a long train or car journey, or simply moments of boredom where I feel a desire to scroll endlessly — in much more productive ways.
If you leave it open-ended, ChatGPT will choose a topic at random, however, this works equally as well with more specific prompts. For example, “I have 10 minutes, teach me about a finance topic.”
This can be as specific or vague as you want, drilling down into the world’s most niche topics or learning about big news topics. You can also ask ChatGPT to expand on certain points, explain further, or simply discuss the topic.
Create a plan
Prompt: I want to get better at [insert topic] create a 30-day plan for me
Whether it's golf, cooking, knitting, or just about any skill imaginable, this is a simple prompt to help you get started.
Explain what skill you want to learn and add details for specifics (like your skill level, how much time you want to practice each day, and what days you are available).
This is especially effective when done through ChatGPT’s deep research mode, providing a detailed, fully thought-through plan.
Like many of these prompts, it is worth putting in the time and effort to consult back and forth with ChatGPT to really break things down into the most effective plan.
Explain this paper/article in simplified terms
Prompt: Read through this content and generate a simplified report of it
This prompt is especially useful for students or anyone having to read through lots of long, complicated documents.
Either copy the text over or upload a link or a PDF. Then, with the use of the prompt, ChatGPT will read through it all, explaining key findings and offering a simplified explanation of the article.
This can also work for long news features or any kind of text that isn’t immediately clear.
However, always double-check any key figures from the original source. While it is becoming less common, ChatGPT and its competitors can still hallucinate numbers and figures.
Language tutor
Prompt: I’m going to speak to you in [insert language]. You should respond in the same language making conversation. If I make a mistake, reply in English to tell me and explain what the mistake is
One of the challenges of learning a language is not having the opportunity to have an organic conversation in that language. This, while not a perfect fix to the issue, is a good temporary workaround.
ChatGPT will actively make conversation with you in your chosen language, breaking form every so often to let you know any mistakes you are making.
I have used this a number of times, with ChatGPT schooling me in my ability to speak basic Spanish.
More from Tom's Guide
- Custom emojis are here — how to use Genmoji with Apple Intelligence
- Apple Intelligence could get a shot in the arm from app developers with iOS 19 — here's how
- The only 5 prompt types you need to master ChatGPT (and any other chatbot)
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