Contextualizing a Global English Textbook with ChatGPT to Enhance ESL Teaching and Learning in an Indian Classroom

The present study delves into the innovative use of ChatGPT to adapt a global textbook to make it more relevant and accessible to the language learners in the Indian context. With informed prompt engineering, the language model could contextualise the instructional material to situations and settings that resonate with the learners’ everyday lives, providing them with a more personalised and effective language learning experience. Global textbooks often present content entrenched in the culture and contexts of native speakers, making it challenging for non-native learners to relate to and produce the language with confidence. By utilising ChatGPT, the teacher could localise the textbook content, ensuring that the learners encounter familiar scenarios that encourage seamless language application. The study employs a qualitative embedded case study design involving AI prompt writing, lesson planning, classroom observations, a focus group discussion, and a semi-structured interview. Administering the lessons using the adapted content proves to increase the learners’ engagement in the classroom while the teacher achieves the desired learning outcomes expected by the original textbook. Moreover, the paper addresses the training and support required for the teacher to use ChatGPT. Using AI to democratise the process of adapting the global textbook promises a viable method for teachers to contribute to designing supplementary learning materials.