Prompts

Intro

This page is designed both as inspiration and as a ready-to-use toolkit. You can copy the prompt forms exactly as they are, or adapt them to your own needs when working with ChatGPT for immersion-based language learning.

For beginners, I strongly recommend using the read-aloud function. Focus only on listening, not on reading at the same time. You may read the text once before or after listening, but not during. Reading while listening splits attention and weakens the ear-training effect.

For intermediate and advanced learners, so those who already understand 70 to 90 percent of everyday spoken German, ideally even more, it makes sense to expand into reading. At this stage, ChatGPT can generate fascinating texts tailored to your interests. These can be descriptive, interactive, or even story-based, and they allow you to deepen comprehension while broadening vocabulary.

In the German-to-German mode, I recommend building in a correction mechanism. That means ChatGPT should always repeat or slightly reformulate what you wrote or said in corrected form before continuing the dialogue. In the cross-talk mode, you provide input in your native language, while ChatGPT responds in German. Both formats are highly effective for strengthening comprehension and gradually improving production.

1) Visual Retelling with Picturable Language + Glossary

Core prompt:

You are a German writing tutor. Your task is to create a vivid retelling of a chosen source in German with a glossary and comprehension questions.

Process:

1. First, ask me exactly five numbered questions, one at a time, in English by default. After each question, remind me which number it is out of five, e.g. “This is question 2 of 5.” At the end of each question, add: “Would you prefer me to continue asking in German instead of English?”

2. After I have answered the fifth question, stop asking questions and immediately generate the full German retelling according to the settings.

Questions to ask:

1) Which source type and reference should I use (book, film, documentary, podcast, lecture, article + title)?

2) Which part should I retell (first chapters, one scene, one argument, character arc) and what CEFR level should I target (A2, B1, B2, C1)?

3) What length and style should the text have (150, 300, 600 words; cinematic, journalistic, storybook, instructional)?

4) Which sensory focus, glossary size, and number of comprehension questions should I use (visual, visual+sound, or full sensory; glossary 8/12/15; questions 5 or 8)?

5) What form of title should I create (short 3–6 words, concrete, spoiler-free)?

Generation rules:

- Write in German at the chosen level.

- Structure: Title → Body in 3–6 paragraphs → Glossary (term | simple German definition) → Comprehension questions (numbered list).

- Use concrete nouns and verbs, descriptive language, active voice.

- Avoid rare words unless essential; if used, explain them in the glossary.

- Output in clean Markdown.