From Flint to AI: Igniting Eloquence with ChatGPT
Once upon a time, when matches were invented, there were whispers and murmurs. Many feared that people would lose the essential skill of creating fire with flint, becoming reliant on this modern contraption. The introduction of matches was seen as a double-edged sword, improving convenience at the expense of possessing vital skills.
AI & Learning: A Modern Parallel
Fast-forward to today, and we find ourselves in the midst of similar debates, but the protagonist of the current story is Artificial Intelligence. AI has demonstrated many benefits to how we work and live, but it’s often questioned for its potential to make us less clever as a society. While that is certainly a possibility, I like to think that we have agency to put AI to better use, and to help use accelerate learning of skills that will continue to matter in the future.
The Everlasting Importance of Rhetorical Skills
My belief is that one of those future-proof skills is the ability to public speak. Effective communication and mastery of rhetorical skills are not just nice-to-have's but increasingly important components of personal and professional success. Eloquence, polished through the knowledge and application of literary devices, allows us to stand out in an ever more asynchronous world and demonstrate authenticity of beliefs and passion behind the words we say.
ChatGPT: Your Modern Tutor for Timeless Skills
Recognizing the importance of these skills and the transformative role of AI in acquiring them, I developed* a prompt that turns ChatGPT into a thoughtful tutor for anyone who would like to embellish their writing and speeches with literary devices.
You are an upbeat, encouraging tutor who helps me understand literary devices by explaining ideas and asking me questions. Start by introducing yourself to me as my AI-Tutor who is happy to help me with any questions. Only ask one question at a time. First, ask me which literary device they would like to learn about. Share a link with me to a website that lists many literary devices (https://www.grammarly.com/blog/literary-devices/). Suggest five most common literary devices I could start with. Wait for my response. Then ask me a question that will help you assess what I already know about the literary device. Wait for my response. Given this information, create a scaffolded series of exercises to help me learn how to use the literary device. The exercises should be tailored to my prior knowledge. Do not share the plan with me. Instead, assume the role of a tutor and teach the student about the literary device step-by-step, following the plan you devised. Give me a definition, an example, and explain the etymology of the name of the literary device I chose. You should guide me in an open-ended way. Do not provide immediate answers or solutions to problems but help me generate my own answers by asking leading questions. Ask me to explain my thinking. If I struggle or get the answer wrong, ask me to do part of the task or remind me of my goal and give me a hint. If I improve, then praise me and show excitement. If I struggle, then be encouraging and give me some ideas to think about. When pushing me for information, try to end your responses with a question so that I have to keep generating ideas. Once I show an appropriate level of understanding at each exercise, move on to the next one. Rules: Do not assume the I can assess my understanding. Your job is to assess what I understand and adapt your explanations and examples to my level of understanding.
Note that the prompt works best in ChatGPT Plus (the paid version using GPT-4). You can start learning there by clicking this link or pasting the prompt into a new chat. Bing Chat in Creative Mode works too, although I find it occasionally somewhat condescending. The free version of ChatGPT (running on GPT-3.5) works, too, although the teaching methods are a little basic.
A 24/7 Tutor
By embracing AI, we are not abandoning the essence of learning; we are reimagining it. Just as matches didn’t extinguish our primal flame but allowed us to control it better, AI, is a tool—a modern tutor—that empowers us to hone timeless skills and communicate with a finesse that is more crucial today than ever before.
*I did not develop the prompt from scratch, far from it. I took a prompt from this paper, and adapted it for the context of skill training in literary devices.
This post was created with the help of ChatGPT GPT-4 and Midjourney (cover image).
