3 Steps to Use AI as Your English Tutor

Welcome to Business Fluency - your weekly guide to mastering business English and accelerating your career.

In today’s newsletter:

• 3 Steps to Use AI as Your English Tutor

• Quote of the day: Paul Halmos, Hungarian-American mathematician

• We value your feedback - Your opinion helps us improve

• Word of the day: Ghostwriter

• Test Your Knowledge - Interactive quiz

• Whenever you are ready, here is how I can help you

3 Steps to Use AI as Your English Tutor

Why a Ghostwriter Won't Help You Learn

As an English teacher, I think I get most pleasure from school and university students getting great results in their Cambridge English exams.

Getting good grades in the Cambridge English exams involves a lot of hard work - both from me and the students. There are no shortcuts. Passing the exams requires the appropriate level of English combined with coaching - exam techniques that I teach students to answer the exam questions effectively.

There are no external aids allowed in the Cambridge exams and AI tools are left outside the door.

The AI Problem

It is inevitable that students want to use this new shiny tool of AI these days.

While I have no problem with using AI as a teaching aid, some of my students believe they can get AI to do the work for them. This is usually quite obvious especially when their ability in class and homework is dramatically different. The telltale sign? They often cannot explain words that they have used in their homework assignments.

But the real cost becomes clear in their Cambridge exam results, which are consistently poor compared to peers who actually did the work.

Why it Matters

If you ask AI to do your homework, how can your teachers understand your level, identify your strengths, and, more importantly, pinpoint your weaknesses?

There is more to being a good English teacher than merely following the curriculum. I am constantly monitoring each student's performance and, even in group classes, I treat each student as an individual. In essay writing, one student may need help with linking words while another needs help with organisation.

This becomes impossible if your weaknesses are masked behind AI. Asking AI to do your homework for you is like asking your big sister to do it. Your teacher will base their help on the AI's mistakes, not yours.

AI in Business

The same concept applies to AI in business. While AI has advanced remarkably quickly, it cannot replace human judgement and expertise in business communication.

In my experience, AI still makes errors, such as inventing facts (called 'hallucinations') and misinterpreting instructions. With regard to writing emails, for example, it is better at checking work rather than writing an email from scratch. The more information you give it, the better it performs, so do not just sit back and expect it to do everything for you.

When you provide insufficient context, AI can misunderstand your intention and produce inappropriate content.

The Solution

Treat AI as a tutor, not a ghostwriter. (A ghostwriter is someone who writes content for someone else who then takes credit for it. The original writer remains anonymous.)

Whether you're preparing for Cambridge exams or developing business English skills, your goal is to improve your English, not simply to complete assignments. You will not achieve this by letting AI (or anyone else) do the work for you. However, AI can be an excellent tutor, giving you constructive feedback at the press of a button.

Here's how I suggest you use AI to improve your English.

Step 1: Configure Your AI Preferences

The first mistake most people make when using AI is that they do not set up their account preferences.

You need to tell the AI:

1. Who you are (e.g., 'I'm a 28-year-old marketing professional from Italy')

2. What you do (e.g., university student, sales manager, financial analyst)

3. Your objectives (e.g., 'Improve my English from B1 to C1 level' or 'Communicate more clearly with international clients')

4. Any preferences you have: British English, short sentences, etc.

5. How you want feedback (e.g., 'When reviewing my writing, provide bullet points explaining my grammatical and vocabulary mistakes')

Step 2: Write Your Prompt

I suggest that you build a library of prompts to use in different situations. Here are some for you to consider:

The prompt should explain:

1. What you are working on and your objective (explain context)

2. Who you are writing to (explain the register - the degree of formality)

3. What you want the AI to do (e.g., give me feedback on my English, check for clarity)

Example prompt 1:

I am writing a follow-up email to a potential new customer. I gave them a proposal 2 weeks ago and I have not heard back. I have written this email. Please check for:

• Spelling and grammar errors

• Degree of formality

• Clarity

• Tone (ensure it doesn't sound too pushy or desperate)

Do not rewrite the email but list areas that could be improved in numbered bullet points.

If you understand, I will post my email in the next post.

Example prompt 2:

I am writing an essay for my English teacher. The level is Advanced. Please check for:

• Content (task achievement)

• Communicative achievement (appropriate style/tone)

• Organisation (structure, cohesion, coherence)

• Language (range and accuracy of grammar/vocabulary)

Do not rewrite the essay but list the 5 most important areas which could be improved in numbered bullet points.

If you understand, I will post my essay in the next post.

Step 3: Review and Revise

Post your writing and wait for AI's feedback.

Carefully assess each point that AI raises. Remember that AI is not always correct. It is very common for it to misinterpret your intentions. Make notes on the improvements you agree with and revise your text accordingly.

Then resubmit the new draft to the AI for review. Do not keep doing this. One or two passes should be enough. Remember, AI is designed to keep you engaged. Finally, if possible, ask your boss or teacher to review your work.

Conclusion

You now have a three-step process to learn from AI and use it as a teaching tool.

This is so much more powerful than simply getting AI to do the work for you, and frankly, AI-generated work is usually obvious anyway.

How will you use AI to improve your English?

Quote of the Day: Paul Halmos

If we replace 'mathematics' with 'English' and this perfectly sums up my teaching philosophy. It is, after all, how we all learn our first language as children.

We Value Your Feedback!

Your opinion helps us improve and lets you suggest topics or ask Business English questions for future issues.

Word of the day: Ghostwriter

Ghostwriter - noun - a person who writes content for someone else, who then takes credit for it. The original writer remains anonymous.

"The ghostwriter wrote several bestselling autobiographies, but none of them carried his name."

Literal Meaning: Ghostwriter comes from the idea of a "ghost" - an invisible presence. Just as a ghost cannot be seen, the ghostwriter's contribution remains hidden from the public. The term originated in the late 19th century when speechwriters and authors regularly wrote under other people's names.

Business English Context: In professional settings, ghostwriting is common and often legitimate - speechwriters, content creators, and PR professionals frequently write on behalf of executives and public figures. However, in an educational context, having someone (or something) else do your work and presenting it as your own is dishonest and ultimately harmful to your own development.

Common Business Collocations:

• Ghostwriter (noun) - the person who writes

• Ghostwrite (verb) - to write on behalf of someone else

• Ghostwritten (past participle) - content that has been written by a ghostwriter

Professional Applications:

• Communications: "The CEO's autobiography was ghostwritten by a journalist with 20 years of experience" (= written by someone else on the CEO's behalf)

• Content creation: "Many business blogs are ghostwritten by professional writers" (= authored anonymously for the named person)

• Learning context: "Using AI to ghostwrite your essays prevents you from developing the skills you need" (= having AI do the work instead of learning)

Business English: Test Your Knowledge

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Disclaimer:

This newsletter is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The information contained herein is generic and does not take into account your individual financial circumstances. You should always consult with a qualified financial professional before making any investment or financial decisions.

Additionally, the authors and/or publishers of this newsletter may hold investments in securities or other financial instruments mentioned herein. These are included for illustrative purposes only and should not be taken as a recommendation to buy or sell such securities or financial instruments.