Top 5 ways to revolutionise your English language school with AI

In an age defined by technological advancements, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a game-changer in the field of education.

Language schools, in particular, stand to benefit significantly from integrating AI tools into the way they manage their school or provide effective and enjoyable lessons to their learners. From automating administrative tasks to enhancing teaching techniques, AI can transform the way language schools operate and keep students coming back for more. 

Whether you are a school manager, teacher, trainer, or simply became intrigued by the title of this article, this will change the way you think about AI in education and open up many new conversations going forward.

In this blog post, we’ll delve into five practical examples of ways to revolutionise your English language school with AI:

1. Leverage tools to improve administrative efficiency

Language school administrators often find themselves juggling numerous administrative tasks. AI can alleviate this burden by automating routine processes, leaving administrators with more time to focus on strategic decisions and great customer service. Examples of AI tools for administrative efficiency include:

CRM Systems with Predictive Analytics

AI-driven CRM systems can analyse student data to predict enrollment trends, helping administrators allocate resources and plan courses more effectively. Here are some of the main ways AI can do this:

• Collecting student data

Modern CRM systems enable language schools to gather a wealth of data about their students. This includes information such as enrollment history, course preferences, demographics, preferred schedules, and communication interactions. 

• Predicting enrollment trends

With the AI-powered analytics at work, CRM systems can predict enrollment trends by analysing historical enrollment data along with other relevant factors. These factors may include seasonality, economic conditions, marketing efforts, and changes in course offerings. 

• Course Planning and resource allocation

Once enrollment trends are predicted, language school administrators can make informed decisions about resource allocation and course planning. This includes determining the number of classes required for a particular language level, optimising teacher schedules, and ensuring appropriate classroom capacities.

Here are a few popular CRM systems that have proven to be effective for schools:

• Salesforce for Education
• HubSpot for Education
• Slate

When selecting a CRM system for your school, it’s important to consider factors such as the features you require, ease of use, integration capabilities with other systems you use (such as learning management systems), scalability, and budget. 

Chatbots for student queries

In the fast-paced world of language education, providing students with fast and accurate information is crucial for maintaining their interest and trust. This is where AI-powered chatbots can come in.

AI-powered chatbots can handle student enquiries, assisting with course information, schedules, and general questions, providing 24/7 support. An example of this type of chatbot is Engati.

According to Digital Signage today, “In the near future 75-90% of all queries will be handled by bots…And interactions with AI will be indistinguishable from a conversation between two people”.

The main benefits of using chatbots are:

• 24/7 availability: Chatbots provide instant assistance at any time, accommodating customers with varying schedules and time zones.
• Quick responses: Chatbots offer accurate information without delays.
• Reduced workload: Administrative staff can focus on more complex tasks or direct contact with people who walk through the door, because routine enquiries are handled by the chatbot.
• Consistent Responses: Chatbots provide consistent responses, ensuring that all customers receive the same accurate information.

If you would like to learn more about chatbots,, we recommend taking a look at these 26 best real life chatbot examples.

Although very beneficial to your overall communications plan, we don’t recommend relying on chatbots entirely as this will most likely result in a feeling of distance between your organisation and the student. 

Automated Scheduling Tools

Tools like Calendly and Acuity can integrate with AI algorithms to optimise class schedules based on teacher availability, student preferences, and room availability. Avoid all the back and forth with your team: send them a link and wait for the response. It’s that simple.

2. Integrate online language assessment and enhance your students’ abilities

AI-powered assessment tools can accurately gauge students’ language proficiency levels. These tools have the potential to transform language proficiency testing by providing educators and students with objective, data-driven insights.

They not only save time but also offer a level of accuracy and consistency that traditional assessments may struggle to achieve. Examples include:

Speech recognition for pronunciation

Tools like Speechace use AI to assess students’ pronunciation and fluency, offering insights for improvement. It offers real-time feedback on spoken language, enabling learners to enhance their communication abilities. There is a monthly fee but it’s worth it if you or your team use the tool with students very regularly.

Automated language testing platforms

Platforms like Versant by Pearson conduct AI-based language assessments, evaluating listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. It can assist you in the recruitment process of new teachers when checking their command of the English language or it can provide a goal for language learners at the end of term. There is a small fee per test but this can be integrated into your pricing strategy.

3. Introduce AI tools to help students overcome specific barriers in their learning

AI can augment teaching methodologies, creating engaging and effective learning experiences. Think of it as your co-pilot and don’t be afraid of introducing it to your students to help them overcome specific challenges in their learning. Let them experiment in their free time and get feedback in the following class! Examples include:

Virtual language tutors

Tools like Replika offer AI-driven conversation partners, helping students practise language skills through simulated interactions. While not specifically built for language learning, Replika’s interactive and conversational nature can provide valuable benefits to language learners.This is a great tool which can be used outside of class to help improve student’s levels of confidence and fluency as well as pick up colloquial expressions, idioms and other language specific to a variety of cultural contexts. Replika is free to use, though there is also a paid tier.

Language translation tools

AI-powered translation tools like DeepL can assist in understanding complex texts and idiomatic expressions. It learns from vast amounts of text data to generate more accurate and contextually relevant translations.This means it can maintain the integrity of the content, ensuring that subtleties and intricate details are preserved. Deepl is also free to use, though there is also a Deepl Pro plan.

4. Gather data-driven insights to understand your students better

AI generates valuable data-driven insights to help online language schools enhance their offerings and understand their students better. Tools such as Moodle (our personal favourite online educational platform and used for our teacher development courses and Trinity DipTESOL courses) or Brightspace provide educators with data on student engagement, performance, and progress, facilitating informed decision-making.

As technology continues to shape education, tools like Moodle and Brightspace play a vital role in empowering educators to optimise their efforts, nurture student growth, and deliver impactful learning experiences. Here are some ways they can do this:

• Tracking student engagement
• Assessing performance and progress
• Tailoring teaching strategies
• Early intervention and support
• Data-driven decision-making
• Enhancing student success

Some alternatives to Moodle and Brightspace are:

• Blackboard Learn
• Google Classroom
• Canvas
• Chamilo

Each platform has its strengths, so finding the one that aligns best with your business and educational goals is key to a successful implementation.

5. On-the-spot grading with ChatGPT

ChatGPT can assist in grading certain types of assignments by automating the assessment process for tasks that have clear and objective criteria. Here are a few ways it can help save time for teachers:

• Multiple Choice Questions: ChatGPT can quickly evaluate multiple choice questions by comparing the student’s selected answers with the correct ones. It can provide instant feedback on correct and incorrect answers, helping students understand their mistakes.

• Basic language exercises: ChatGPT can evaluate assignments that require basic language comprehension, such as identifying synonyms, antonyms, or completing sentences with appropriate words.

• Simple short answers: For assignments that require short, factual responses, ChatGPT can analyse the submitted answers against a predefined list of correct answers. It can flag any discrepancies or language errors.

• Matching exercises: When assignments involve matching items from two lists, ChatGPT can compare the student’s matches with the correct pairings and identify any mismatches or errors.

It’s important to note that while ChatGPT can be very useful when well incorporated into English lessons, it may not be suitable for more complex tasks that require subjective judgement, creativity, or in-depth analysis. Not only that, review from the teacher is essential to ensure fairness and address any nuances that automated grading might miss. Spot a mistake? Why not ask your students if they can spot it too?

Are you using AI to manage your English language school?

And, in case you were wondering, I used ChatGPT to guide me as I wrote this article. Google’s message remains the same. Google says: “Rewarding high-quality content, however it is produced: Google’s ranking systems aim to reward original, high-quality content that demonstrates qualities of what we call E-E-A-T: expertise, experience, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.” So, what’s to stop you using AI to help you write articles for your language school website too?

Incorporating AI into language school management is a transformative step that can yield significant benefits. These examples merely scratch the surface of the diverse AI tools available to English language schools. It’s important to select tools that align with your school’s unique needs and goals. 

Remember that while AI can automate and enhance various aspects of management, the human touch and expertise of your team will remain invaluable in creating a truly enriching language learning experience. By effectively harnessing AI’s capabilities, language schools can propel themselves into a new era of efficient and personalised education.

Let us know how you get on in the comments section!

Are you looking for new ways to help you manage your English school or team? You could consider registering for some of our free online training events.

You could also consider enrolling in one of our 30-hour online teacher development courses with expert tutor support:

• Managing and Supporting Teachers
• Observing Teachers and Giving Feedback
• Leadership in ELT