<aside> 💡 TL;DR: The author discusses using ChatGPT to prepare for an IELTS exam. While expecting significant improvements, they found that the AI tool, while helpful in sourcing materials, providing explanations, and generating personalized content, didn't radically boost proficiency or efficiency. True learning, the author asserts, requires personal effort, and technology can't replace this fundamental necessity. The article also includes prompts for IELTS exam preparation.
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Undoubtedly, English is a crucial skill for my future development. However, ChatGPT currently has some limitations and cannot be applied at will in my work. To gain a deeper understanding and use of ChatGPT, even without an urgent need, I chose to take the IELTS exam for the second time with ChatGPT's assistance, transitioning from paper-based to computer-based testing. This preparation process has led to new insights into ChatGPT's capabilities.
Initially, I believed that ChatGPT would revolutionize my personal proficiency, potentially boosting my efficiency by 500%, but it seems the reality may be closer to 50%. This isn't to downplay its usefulness, but rather to acknowledge a reality: no matter what tool one uses, true personal improvement requires long-term effort and accumulation of knowledge. Tools can assist, but they cannot replace our commitment and hard work. Without this firsthand experience, it may have taken longer for me to understand this seemingly obvious fact.
At first, I doubted myself as I didn't see a significant improvement after using ChatGPT. However, as time went on, I realized that ChatGPT doesn't completely overhaul the learning process. Instead, it serves as a tool to improve learning efficiency, addressing more superficial issues. For instance, no matter how exceptional your English teacher is, can they increase your IELTS score from 5 to 8 within a month? The odds are against it. Conversely, for those with a solid foundation, high scores can be achieved without any aid. Hence, it's vital not to overly rely on tools, ignoring the importance of personal effort.
While ChatGPT helps source materials, understanding the content requires our time and effort. At present, its most effective assistance is substituting the need for paid teachers to organize materials, correct assignments, and answer some questions. However, the learning abilities that need to be honed still depend on our efforts.
Specifically, during this preparation process, ChatGPT provided me with the following assistance(the relevant Prompt is at the end of the article):
In this information-overloaded era, we are accustomed to passively receiving information and often reluctant to think and reflect deeply. We hope for direct answers, yet, in less technologically advanced times, such as the Qing Dynasty(16th to 19th centuries), people could still master English through personal effort. The tool might not be the key issue. Our learning anxiety, impatience, and an excessive pursuit of efficiency preventing deep learning might be the real problems. A teacher once warned me that regardless of the method, you could master English if you can persevere. If the ultimate goal is to use the language proficiently, an efficiency-first approach is likely a trap. So, I've often jokingly said to friends that using ChatGPT to learn English equates to "bad students having too many stationery."
So, what can truly revolutionize our learning process?
Automatically associating historical learning content, discovering what you don't know you don't know - that's truly disruptive. Plugin learning? Terrifying! That's not the future I want. The capability should remain in human hands.