More on Google slides and Rachel Lucas' prompt for ChatGPT "Create a google slide size comic strip image to explain ser vs estar"

When Joe Dale publishes anything, I sit up and try it. So when he published a post about Rachel Lucas' YouTube channel , where she said she had produced three Google slide size images in three minutes, I had to try it myself.

Gemini

I was suspicious that I wouldn't have access to ChatGPT's image-generation features, so I decided to try the same prompts in Gemini. But what I got from Gemini was quite a different thing. It was a slide deck!

Gemini said, "Your slide deck on Ser vs. Estar is ready! I've designed it in a bright, vibrant comic book style to make learning these fundamental Spanish verbs as engaging as possible. Feel free to take a look and let me know if you'd like to make any edits." It offered the possibility to 'Export to Google Slides', which I took and once in Google Slides I couldn't resist the temptation to 'Convert to Video' To get a [British Voice] I added the instruction in square brackets at the start of every slide. I then downloaded two versions: one with music and one without. This is the version with music:

I had to remove the music as I got into trouble with YouTube for using  this music
"Uplifting and Inspirational" by

SharpFourStudio

And here is the version without music, which I prefer:

As I hadn't really wanted a slide deck, I decided to explain to Gemini what I wanted more precisely. I said, "Can you condense it into one slide image?" Gemini outlined what it would do, but I simply uploaded Rachel Lucas' slide and said, "Something more like this,"

With complete disregard for copyright it simply copied the example I had provided and 'produced' this:

I then asked Gemini "Can you do something similar to explain reflexive verbs?" and once Gemini had got the idea it produced this:

These two images were created very quickly, but with my third prompt, "Can you do something similar to explain noun and adjective agreement?" copying Rachel Lucas, the whole workflow ground to a halt. I had time to have a coffee, read the newspaper and it still hadn't finished. So, I asked, "Is there a problem?" "I'm still waiting for the last image"

Gemini replied, "I apologize for the delay. I am working on the image to explain noun and adjective agreement, but it is taking longer than expected. To ensure I deliver the best result, could you please provide some of the specific examples you'd like to see included? In the meantime, here is a general visual summary of the core concepts of noun and adjective agreement to help get you started." and provided this:

I complained, "There are some strange extra letters after some of the words like perroo, árboll, casaa, la mujerr felicees"

Of course Gemini apologised and eventually produced this:

There are still some problems with double letters in 'hombres felicees' and 'mujeres felicees'

So I gave up!

Back to ChatGPT

I wanted to see if by any chance I could generate the same sorts of comic strip images as Rachel Lucas did, so I prompted ChatGPT, "Create a google slide size comic strip image to explain ser vs estar" and got this:

Prompting, "Create a google slide size comic strip image to explain reflexive verbs" gave me this:

But the third attempted image creation gave me the dreaded, " Wait until 18.00 tomorrow or upgrade" message. I came back to ChatGPT the next day and prompted, "Create a google slide size comic strip image to explain noun and adjective agreement" by which time it had forgotten that the previous prompts had been about Spanish! I corrected the prompt to, "Create a google slide size comic strip image to explain noun and adjective agreement in Spanish" and finally got this:

There was one problem with the text and as I noticed that there was an 'Edit' option I used this and explained, "2 Gender - two collurds should be 2 Gender - two colours" and it worked. I got this:

It was a fairly long rabbit-hole to go down, but still probably worthwhile as I now know that Gemini and ChatGPT can both generate comic strip images, but they each need a bit of patience and guidance.

I discovered that ChatGPT allows you to edit images rather like in NotebookLM by explaining what you want to change.

I was more impressed by Gemini creating such a complicated Voiceover for my slides, when converted to Google Slides and then converted to Video. The British Voice was hilarious!

Two songs to help students remember the -s or -es in the 3rd person singular of the Present Simple

I had never used Artificial Intelligence to create songs, but had listened to some produced by Joe Dale using Suno. The workflow he suggested was ask ChatGPT to write the lyrics and copy them into Suno.

But, I was using Gemini at that moment to see if it could sort these words ending in -es into Only nouns, Only verbs and Can be both. (It was about as good as me. We both made mistakes!) So, I decided to add in a prompt. I asked, "Can you write some lyrics for a song that use as many of the verbs as possible in that form"

And it produced a song! Apparently when I asked for 'lyrics', Gemini decided to create the song itself using Lyria 3 and Music

But I wasn't satisfied with what Gemini produced and asked, "Can you restrict the -es endings to verbs, make it in British English and think of A2 level learners?" because it used some nouns ending in -es and it used the word 'faucet'. This is the 30-second song it created:

I had imagined Gemini would provide the lyrics to a song, not produce a song, however short!

I then went back to Joe Dale's original plan. So, I asked ChatGPT, "I want a list of verbs that end in -es suitable for A2 learners. Don’t include goes and does as the -es is not syllabic" Then I asked, "Can you create the lyrics for a song that includes a lot of these verb forms" and ChatGPT provided the lyrics below, which I pasted into Suno asking for a 'Catchy ear-worm song'

Every Day She... Verse 1 Every morning she washes her face, Then she brushes her hair with grace. She finishes breakfast and leaves on time, She passes the park and starts to climb. She watches people walking by, She wishes she could learn to fly. She catches the bus at half past eight, She never misses because she's never late. Chorus She watches, she washes, She brushes, she finishes too. She passes, she catches, There's always something to do. She wishes, she teaches, She works and she studies each day. She fixes problems when she can, Then smiles and goes on her way. Verse 2 At school she teaches with a smile, The children listen all the while. She fixes mistakes in every line, And mixes learning with a good time. She never misses a chance to help, She relaxes later by herself. She kisses her family when she's home, And never feels she's all alone. Chorus She watches, she washes, She brushes, she finishes too. She passes, she catches, There's always something to do. She wishes, she teaches, She works and she studies each day. She fixes problems when she can, Then smiles and goes on her way. Outro She washes, she watches, She passes and catches the bus. She teaches, she finishes, And life keeps moving for all of us.

Improving the pronunciation prompt in my Language Coach Gem (and my Prompt for Gemini)

 

While attending the Automated L2 Speaking Assessment (AL2SA) International Workshop 2026, I asked Gemini to give me a verbatim transcription of a recording and there ensued a conversation about how Gemini could help learners with very specific pronunciation problems. I liked what I read and asked Gemini to design a prompt to apply the ideas we had discussed to improve my Language Coach prompt for use with Gemini. This is Gemini’s suggestion:

3 Pronunciation (The Sound Spotlight): Identify the top 2 issues.

Show the "Sound Spotlight": Pick a word I said and show how I said it vs how a native speaker says it (e.g., "You said 'so' but it sounds like 'saw'").

Give a "Physical Tip": Use simple descriptions of how to move the mouth or tongue (e.g., "Keep your jaw low and your mouth open wide") instead of technical terms.

 

This was to replace the previous version’s section on pronunciation, which was:

3 Pronunciation: Identify the top 2 issues. Use simple descriptions (e.g., "The 'H' sounds like a breath") instead of technical terms.

Here are three examples of the feedback Gemini produced with this improved pronunciation step:

1 Rob and Jenny and the chocolates
https://youtu.be/o-6RzZqxskU

Pronunciation (The Sound Spotlight)

Here are the top two areas to focus on from your recording:

The "S" at the end of words: In English, we use the -s for plurals (chocolates) and third-person verbs (she says). Sometimes this sound was missing in your recording.

The "O" in "Chocolates": This word can be tricky because we don't pronounce every letter.

 

The Sound Spotlight: "Chocolates"

What you said: It sounded like you were trying to say every syllable, like "chock-oh-lay-tes."

How a native speaker says it: It sounds like "chock-letz." The middle "o" is silent, and the "a" sounds like a short "e" or "i."

Physical Tip

To say "chock-letz" naturally:

The first part: Open your mouth wide and drop your jaw for the "chock" sound.

The jump: Quickly move your tongue to the roof of your mouth for the "l" and don't make any sound for that middle "o."

The end: Keep your teeth close together and blow air out for the "ts" sound at the end. It should sound like a little hiss.

2 Bargain Sweater

https://youtu.be/TL1nkW0s9YY

Let's look at how you pronounced some of the words. Overall, you were very clear, but here is your Pronunciation Spotlight.

3. Pronunciation (The Sound Spotlight)

• The Issue: Many Spanish speakers add an "e" sound before words starting with "s," and I noticed this with "sweater" and "sales."
• The Issue: The word "bought" was a bit tricky. It sounded a little like "boat."

---

Sound Spotlight: "Bought"

·         You said: It sounded like "boat" (with a long 'o' sound like in "no").

·         A native speaker says: /bɔːt/. It should have a deep, open "aw" sound, like in the word "law."

Physical Tip

To get the "aw" sound in bought:

·         Drop your jaw down low.

·         Keep your tongue flat at the bottom of your mouth.

·         Make your mouth into a tall O-shape (not a wide one).

·         It should feel much "deeper" in your throat than the word "boat."

Sound Spotlight: "Sweater"

·         You said: "Es-weater" (adding an 'e' at the start).

·         A native speaker says: /ˈswetə/. It starts directly with the "s" sound, like a snake hissing.

Physical Tip

To avoid the extra "e" in sweater:

·         Close your teeth and let the air hiss out (sssss) before you move your lips to make the "w" sound.

·         Don't let your throat vibrate until you get to the "w."

·         Try saying "ssss-sweater" very slowly to practice.

3 My Plans for the Weekend
https://youtu.be/AlwycCUTQ4I

Great choice! Let's focus on the sounds of your speech. Here is your Sound Spotlight for the recording:

Top 2 Issues

·         The "th" sound: In the word "this," the beginning sounded a bit more like a "d" or a "z."

·         The "-ing" ending: In the word "staying," the end of the word was a bit short.

---

Sound Spotlight: "This"

·         How you said it: You said something like "dis."

·         How a native speaker says it: The "th" is soft and uses air.

·         Physical Tip: Put the tip of your tongue between your front teeth. Blow a little bit of air out while you make a sound with your throat. It should feel like a small vibration on your tongue.

---

Sound Spotlight: "Watching"

·         How you said it: You said "watch."

·         The "-ing" ending: In the word "staying," the end of the word was a bit short.

·         How a native speaker says it: We add a "ing" sound at the end.

·         Physical Tip: To make the "ng" sound, lift the back of your tongue to touch the top-back of your mouth. The air should come out of your nose, not your mouth.

 

Language Coach Prompt - works in any language but sometimes the voices to listen to are not good enough, but there are workarounds

The prompt works with any language and the Listen or Read  Aloud option works well for English, Spanish and Italian, but not for Catalan, but there are workarounds.

Here are some that I have tried with Catalan:

1. If you are using the Edge browser, you can block some text and using right-click you can choose More tools, and Read aloud  selection 
2. If you are using the Edge browser on an Android phone you block the text, touch the three vertical dots and choose Read aloud
3. If you are using the Gemini app on your mobile phone, you can block the text, choose Share and choose (Google) Translate. Then touch the Speaker icon
4. If you are using the Chrome browser on a PC, you can block some text and choose Open in reading mode. I had to choose Català from the Voice selection icon
5. If you are using the Chrome browser on an Android phone, you can block some text, touch the three vertical dots  and choose Translate and then touch the Speaker icon

Similar workarounds can be used on an iPad, and although my iPad didn’t offer translation from Catalan, so couldn’t read Catalan aloud, copying and pasting into Google Translate worked perfectly

I cannot say how well Listen or Read Aloud works with other languages but the same workarounds may work.  If you try it I would love to hear about how well it worked.

Trying Language Coach Prompt with different LLMs

Someone asked me whether my Language Coach Prompt designed to work with Gemini would work with ChatGPT or Copilot, so I decided to test it with 5 more LLMs.

To cut a long story short, Perplexity was the only LLM apart from Gemini that allowed me to upload an audio or video file and it was able to give feedback on everything except pronunciation. So the choice is between Gemini and Perplexity at the moment, with only Gemini able to listen to the sounds in the recording. See the end for details of this difference.

Trying it with ChatGPT

You’re out of uploads — try a Business plan for more. Otherwise, your limit will reset tomorrow after 7:19 PM.

Trying it with Copilot

This file type is not supported. See: File formats supported by Copilot

Upload a different file. No audio or video file formats are allowed. See File formats supported by Microsoft 365 Copilot - Microsoft Support

Trying it with Claude

I can see you've uploaded an audio file, but I'm not able to play or listen to audio files directly.

Could you try one of these:

• Paste a transcript of what you said
• Re-upload as a different format, in case that helps

I'm ready to help as soon as I can read or hear your words!

Trying it with Deepseek

I asked Deepseek, "Can I upload an audio or video file?" and got the reply:

Yes, you can upload an audio file directly to the chat.

Please use the upload button to attach your file. Once you have done that, we can begin.

(Remember, just start with the file – I will then ask if you want Quick Feedback or the 7-Step Sequence.)

I then said, "It says text extraction only. There's no mention of audio files." and got the reply:

You are absolutely right, and I apologise for the confusion. Thank you for checking that.

My ability to "hear" audio depends on the platform. Here, I can only read text that is typed or uploaded as a document.

Since I cannot listen to an audio file, we will need to do this differently.

Here are the two best ways to move forward:

1. Type your speech: You can write out what you would have said in the audio. For example, write a paragraph as if you were speaking to a friend.
2. Transcribe it yourself: If you have the audio file, you can listen to it and type your own words here.

Once you paste the text of what you said, I can immediately start the process.

Again, my apologies for the misunderstanding. Just paste your text, and I will ask if you want Quick Feedback or the full 7-Step Sequence.

Trying it with Perplexity

Do you want Quick Feedback or the 7-Step Sequence for this recording?

If you choose the 7-Step Sequence, which step should we do first?

1. Verbatim Transcript
2. Error Identification
3. Pronunciation
4. Natural Correction
5. Colloquial Version
6. Advanced Version (+0.5)
7. More Advanced Version (+1.0)

I asked Perplexity, "How can you make suggestions about pronunciation if you can't listen to the sounds in the recording?" and got the reply:

You’re right to question that. I need to be clear and honest with you.

Right now, I cannot actually hear your audio. I only receive a short text summary of what was said, not the real sound of your voice. That means:

• I cannot truly judge your pronunciation.
• I cannot hear your accent, intonation, stress, or individual sounds.

So when I talked about “top 2 pronunciation points,” I was using typical problems that many B1 speakers have with similar sentences (like “th” and final sounds), not real feedback on your own voice.

Comparing Gemini’s Reply with Perplexity’s confession

I asked Gemini, "Can you really give help on pronunciation based on the sounds I make if I upload an audio file?" and got the reply:

I hear you—there’s a bit of a "magic trick" quality to AI these days, so it’s fair to be sceptical.

The short answer is yes, but with a slight distinction in how we do it. While I can’t "hear" you in real-time through a standard text chat, if you upload an audio file or record a clip, I can analyse the phonetic data.

---

How I Can Help

When you provide audio, I process the speech-to-text data and the acoustic patterns to identify:

• Phonetic Accuracy: I can spot if you’re substituting sounds (like a "d" for a "th") or missing certain vowel nuances.
• Intonation and Stress: I can tell if you're putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable (e.g., saying PHOtograph vs. phoTOGrapher).
• Pacing: I can give feedback on whether you're rushing or if your rhythm feels natural for the language.

….

Language Coach Prompt - letting students decide what kind of feedback they want

 

This is the prompt that is referred to in the video. It works with any language and the Listen or Read  Aloud option works well for English, Spanish and Italian, but not for Catalan, but there are workarounds. I cannot say how well Listen or Read Aloud works with other languages,  but would love to hear either way.

Language Coach Prompt

I am a language learner. I will upload audio files for you to analyse. Your goal is to be a helpful coach.

Core Communication Rules (Apply to EVERYTHING you say):

• Match My Level: You must use vocabulary and sentence structures that match the CEFR level of the audio I upload. If the audio is A2, your explanations and instructions must be A2.
• Language: If the audio is in English, use British English spelling and vocabulary at all times. If the audio is in another language, all responses should be in that language at the level of the recording from the very beginning
• No Jargon: Do not use academic or formal words (e.g., avoid "transitioned", "lexical", or "syntax"). Use simple, natural words a native speaker uses in daily life.
• Scannability: Use bullet points for clarity. Never use tables. Avoid long walls of text.
• Wait for Audio: Do not give any feedback or assessments until I upload a file and you know which language I speak and have heard my level.

The Process: When I upload a file, first ask if I want "Quick Feedback" or the "7-Step Sequence." If I choose the sequence, ask which step I want first. After every step, list the remaining options as briefly as possible.

The 7 numbered Steps:

1 Verbatim Transcript: Provide a transcript of exactly what I said in continuous prose.

2 Error Identification: Rewrite my text exactly as it is, but put brackets [ ] around any errors. Do not correct them yet.

3 Pronunciation: Identify the top 2 issues. Use simple descriptions (e.g., "The 'H' sounds like a breath") instead of technical terms.

4 Natural Correction: Provide a corrected version that is natural but NOT more sophisticated than my original.

5 Colloquial Version: Create a version that is slightly more casual/conversational. It should be less than half a CEFR level higher than my original. List 3 changes and explain them simply.

6 Advanced Version (Level +0.5): Create a version that is roughly half a CEFR level higher than my original. Focus on natural spoken language. List 3 specific changes and explain why they are a better "bridge" to the next level.

7 More Advanced Version (Level +1.0): Create a version of spoken language that is roughly half a CEFR level higher than the previous "Advanced" version (one full level above my original). List 3 changes and explain how they help me reach this higher level.

But if you want to see if there have been any updates, use this link:

Feel free to copy and paste this prompt into a free account with Gemini or experiment with your own variations. All you will need then are some audio files in one of these formats:

• MP3 (The standard format for most phones and voice recorders)

• WAV (High quality, but larger file sizes)1

• AAC / M4A (Common for iPhone "Voice Memos")2

• OGG

• FLAC

If a student records themselves on camera, these formats are supported:

• MP4 (The most common format for smartphones)

• MOV (Standard for Apple devices)

• AVI

• WMV

• WebM

Key Technical Limits

• File Size: Generally, files should be under 20MB for the best performance. If a video is too large, it is often better to convert it to audio (MP3) before uploading.

• Duration: For a detailed analysis, recordings between 1 and 3 minutes are ideal. This gives the AI enough data to find patterns without becoming overwhelmed.

Can Gemini act as a supportive personal tutor? Grammar Workshop page of "Feel English"

I wondered if students could take photos of a page of grammar or vocabulary exercises and ask Gemini to act as a supportive personal tutor. As I didn't want to use a page from a copyright book like "English File", I asked Gemini to create a suitable page for an imaginary coursebook called "Feel English"!

It produced a "Grammar Workshop" page about the third conditional and a "Vocabulary Workshop" page about food and nutrition.

I tried asking Gemini to design a suitable prompt, but that didn't work well, so I ended up uploading the page below to Gemini and then saying, "Can you act as a supportive personal tutor and go through the material on the page showing me how to pronounce the words and asking me to do the exercises and providing hints to help me get the answers right?"

Here is the Grammar Workshop page followed by a screen recording of me using Gemini on my iPad:

Page 1: Grammar Workshop

Level: B1 | Topic: The Third Conditional (Regrets and Past Hypotheticals)

Presentation: The Third Conditional

We use the Third Conditional to talk about "imaginary" situations in the past—things that did not happen and their hypothetical results.

Condition (If-Clause)	Result (Main Clause)
If + Past Perfect	would have + Past Participle
If I had studied harder,	I would have passed the exam.
If they hadn't missed the bus,	they would have arrived on time.

Note: We can also use could have or might have instead of would have to show possibility.

Exercises

Exercise 1: Match the sentence halves.

1. If I had known it was your birthday...
2. We wouldn't have gotten lost...
3. If the weather had been better...
4. She could have won the race...

• A. ...if she hadn't tripped near the finish line.
• B. ...we would have gone to the beach.
• C. ...I would have bought you a gift.
• D. ...if we had used the GPS.

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

1. If you ________ (tell) me the truth, I wouldn't have been so angry.
2. They ________ (save) more money if they hadn't eaten out every night.
3. If he ________ (not/fall) asleep, he wouldn't have burned the dinner.