Almost at the end of the course, and I am still going strong, testing out the newest, coolest tools. And today it is about testing an amazing TTS tool. Because if you are like me, then I am sure you are constantly searching for the “perfect” listening comprehension for your students and spending or rather wasting precious time digging through textbooks or audio banks trying to find one that fits my lesson to disappointly end up giving them a listening comprehension that does not quite fit what I have been teaching them.
Well, I’ve got an awesome tool to share with you: Hume. Yes, you read that right — Hume, like “You + Me” but smarter ahhaahha
What is Hume?
Hume is a text-to-speech tool with a twist: the voices it generates don’t just speak — they feel. I’m talking about emotionally expressive, super clear, human-like voices that you can actually use for listening comprehension practice. And guess what? It’s free up to 10,000 characters per month if you register. No strings attached!
How I use Hume
Use ChatGPT (yes, our bestie) to generate a text based on the vocabulary and grammar structures I am teaching.
When I have the right text, I ask ChatGPT to add some comprehension questions
I paste the text into Hume.
I Choose the speaker. (Pro tip: they’ve got different voices AND emotions like happiness, sadness, excitement, etc. You can totally match tone with context. Mind-blowing!
Download the audio.And Boom! Instant, personalized listening activity that fits your class perfectly.
No more outdated CDs. No more “Ugh, this doesn’t really fit today’s topic.” Just custom audio made by you, for your students, in minutes.
I Explain It All In this Video!
Now, I know some of you might be thinking: “But wait! How do I actually use this?” I’ve got your back! I made a step-by-step tutorial video (yup, it’s in Spanish, but I’m sure you can follow along!).
Teaching today goes far beyond simply delivering content. It’s about connecting with students, motivating them, and creating learning experiences that genuinely spark their interest. Of course, textbooks are useful—they provide structure and consistency. But relying on them alone often makes it difficult to truly engage students, especially in a world filled with dynamic, interactive content.
That’s where AI comes in, since it allows us to adapt our teaching in ways that were unthinkable just a few years ago.
Another important aspect is keeping education aligned with the times. While a PowerPoint presentation can still do the job, varying your methods—using multimedia, storytelling, or digital tools—can dramatically boost engagement and retention.
Yes, it takes time. I won’t pretend otherwise. But here’s the good news: once you start creating your own content, it becomes not only incredibly rewarding, but also a little addictive. Seeing your students light up with curiosity and enthusiasm? That’s the real magic.
Today, I’m going to show you how to create a personalized animation using your own image as a reference—only this time, we’re turning it into a fun and expressive 3D cartoon character!
Here’s an example of what I mean:
If you listen closely to the song, you’ll actually catch the names of the AI tools I used to bring this animation to life. Cool, right? Let’s break it down, and make sure you don’t miss a thing.
Step 1: Upload Your Photo and Describe It with Gemini
First things first—upload a photo of yourself toGemini and ask it to describe the image in detail. I used a clear photo of my face, and Gemini generated a description of my facial features that I could use as a base for the next step.
Once you have that description, here comes the creative magic! I gave Gemini the following prompt:
Create this image. Now turn this woman in the image into a 3D-rendered cartoon standing in front of a vintage microphone on a stage. She is wearing a beautiful long white dress and orange feather earrings. Her expression appears happy, and she has one hand gesturing outward, palm up. The background features dark red or brown velvet curtains, softly illuminated by warm, orange spotlights on either side of the character. The floor appears to be a dark, reflective surface, suggesting a stage setting. The overall lighting creates a dramatic and somewhat intimate atmosphere, focusing attention on the central figure.
Step 2: Create Different Scenes for Your Animation
Now that you’ve got your main character and setting, it’s time to create different scenes to bring your animation to life. This is where the real storytelling begins!
To keep consistency, I asked Gemini to recreate the same woman in the same stage setting, but with a new pose and perspective. Here’s the prompt I used next:
“Same woman, but now it’s a closer shot. Her hand is gently holding the vintage microphone, and she’s looking slightly to the side with a soft smile. Keep the background the same—velvet curtains, warm lighting, and stage setting.”
This keeps the mood and aesthetic consistent while adding variety and motion to your final animation. From here, I continued generating different versions by tweaking the prompt just a little each time—like changing her expression, pose, or camera angle:
“Same woman, turning slightly as if introducing a song.”
“Same woman, mid-laugh, hand over her heart.”
Tip: Always mention “same woman” and “same setting” in your prompts. That helps Gemini maintain visual consistency across all your scenes.
Step 3: Animate Your Image with Kling
Alright, now it’s time to bring your character to life! 💃
To animate the image, I used a free tool called Kling. It’s super easy to use and surprisingly powerful. Here’s what I did:
Open Kling and select the Video feature.
Upload the image you created earlier with Gemini.
In the prompt box, describe the movement or action you want your character to perform.
For example, I used this prompt:
“Singing and moving her head elegantly and slowly, as if dancing with the music.”
And just like that—Kling turned my 3D cartoon into a living, breathing (well, almost!) performer on stage.
You can repeat this step with different images or prompts to create multiple clips for your animation. The key is to keep your prompts clear and gentle to match the mood and style of your scene.
Step 4: Add a Voice or a Song (Your Choice!)
Now, what comes next really depends on what you want your animated character to do. Do you want her to sing? Speak? Narrate a story? You’ve got options!
In my case, I wanted the woman to sing, so here’s what I did:
I used ChatGPT to help me write original lyrics—super fun and creative!
Then, I took those lyrics and used Suno, an AI music generator, to turn them into a full song with vocals and background music.
But hey—maybe you’d prefer a talking character instead of a singer. Totally fine!
Alternative option:You can simply record your own voice or generate a voiceover using tools like ElevenLabs or a text-to-speech platform.
Step 5: Put It All Together in a Video Editor
Now it’s time to assemble your scenes and audio into one smooth, eye-catching animation. For this part, I used Canva—yep, the free version works great!
I uploaded each animated clip, added my audio (the song I created in Suno), and arranged everything on a timeline to build the final video. You can also add:
Captions or subtitles
Transitions between scenes
Background music or sound effects
Title screens or fun text animations
Watching your idea come to life—frame by frame—is honestly kind of addictive. And yes, it’s sure to impress and totally motivate your students! Ready to try!
Oral exams are coming fast, and while nothing replaces good old-fashioned studying, AI can seriously level up the way you (or your students!) prepare. We’re talking instant feedback, personalized practice, and support that’s available 24/7.
It’s like having a private tutor in your pocket—but way cooler. And no, it won’t do the talking for you (sorry!). But it will help you speak more confidently, sound more natural, and feel way more prepared.
DESIGNING AN APP THAT HELPS THEM PREPARE THE MONOLOGUE
And just like that!
Who would’ve imagined that I, someone with zero experience in coding, could actually design my own app? Honestly, it still surprises me! Artificial Intelligence has completely transformed the way I teach, and the support I can now offer my students is truly next-level.
So, my students are currently preparing for an oral exam that includes two key parts: a monologue and an interactive task. In this case, I decided to focus on helping them tackle the monologue—and I created an interactive app designed specifically for that. Yes!! Me! And if I can do it, believe me, anybody can!
APP de cristina.cabalWhat Does the App Do? It’s simple but super effective:
Practice Simulations: The student starts by choosing a topic from a list (think: work, crime … you name it!). And as soon as they select one, the app automatically displays 3 prompts related to that topic. Just like the real exam!
Vocabulary & Grammar Boost: Before jumping into the speaking task, students do some brainstorming—in the space provided, they write C1-level topic-related vocabulary and advanced grammar structures that can really impress the examiner. This gives them a chance to reflect and retrieve useful language before speaking.
Time Management: There’s a built-in 3-minute timer, so they get used to managing their time, just like in the real exam.
Continuous Practice: Once they finish one topic, they simply move on to the next. It’s all about practice, practice, practice.
And because I’m all about using free tools (yes, still flying the Free App Teacher flag!), I used Google’s Gemini (the free version) to build the app (you just need to start with the prompt” I want to create an interactive app that… (purpose)” and then, iterate until you get what you want. I then embedded the code on Google Sites, another totally free and user-friendly platform.
I’ve been experimenting with app design for quite a while now, but this particular app was inspired by one shared by the brilliant Eli Gozalo, who used a similar structure for a speaking task. Her work sparked the idea, and I adapted it to suit my students’ exam prep.
BUT WAIT—WHO’S CORRECTING THEIR SPEAKING? USING CHATGPT ADVANCED MODE.
Okay, so if you’re thinking, “Wait, ChatGPT can actually listen to my students speak and give feedback?!”—The answer is YES. It totally can. But only if you’re using the mobile app (yep, the magic happens on your phone!). This is where ChatGPT’s advanced voice function comes in! It’s like having a private tutor available 24/7. I ask my students to practise their monologues out loud and then use ChatGPT to give them corrections and suggestions.
Here’s a simple set of instructions I give ChatGPT:
ChatGPT acting as a tutor , correcting mistakes and giving feedback
“Hi ChatGPT, I need your help! I’m going to practise a monologue for my speaking exam. Please listen carefully and, when I finish, give me:
Corrections for any grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation mistakes
Suggestions for using more advanced vocabulary or grammar
Let me know when you’re ready, and I’ll begin!”
2. ChatGPT modelling asnwers to inspire you.
Hi ChatGPT, please respond to the following prompt as if you were a C1-level English learner (adult, non-native). Your answer should be about 45 seconds long and demonstrate advanced vocabulary, accurate grammar, and complex sentence structures. This is the prompt … ” “
And just like that, students get instant feedback. It’s targeted, it’s specific, and it helps them grow fast. Perfect??? Of course, not! Only teachers are perfect!! hahahah!
You know that moment when you think your students have totally nailed something… and then reality taps you on the shoulder?
That’s exactly what happened after I gave my class a test where they had to write a formal email. Structurally? Nailed it. They knew how to open and close it like pros.
But the language? Ohhh no. We had “I wanna,” “Hey,” and “It’s pretty bad” floating around like they were writing to a friend, not a company rep.
And you know what? It really got me thinking. Had I not explained things clearly enough? Had we just not practiced it enough? Or… had they maybe skipped a bit of the studying part?
Whatever the reason, I knew one thing for sure: I wanted to sleep with a clear conscience! So, I decided to come back to this writing task—but from a slightly different angle. This time, we weren’t going to talk about structure or where to put your “Dear Sir/Madam”. Nope. We were going to zoom in on what really makes a formal email sound formal:
👉 the language.
Comparing informal and formal vocabulary
I created a one-page reference sheet comparing informal and formal vocabulary and gave them some time to read it. It includes:
Everyday verbs such as buy, get, and find out → elevated to purchase, obtain, and ascertain 🔝
Basic connectors like but and so → upgraded to however and therefore
Casual phrases such as Any questions, just ask! → replaced with Please do not hesitate to contact me…
But we all know a list of vocabulary alone doesn’t do the trick.
I gave students two short emails—both written in a very informal tone. One was a complaint email; the other was a grant information request. Both had the kind of casual language you’d expect in a message to a friend, not an institution.
COMPLAINT EMAIL
For the first task, I asked students to take the complaint email and transform it into a formal version in their notebooks. The instructions were clear and simple:
“Transform the following informal email into a formal email. Use the vocabulary provided in the INFORMAL VS FORMAL LANGUAGE section of the document to replace the informal words and phrases with their formal equivalents. Maintain the original meaning and intent of the email.”
The goal here wasn’t to expand or rewrite the message—just say the same thing, but using formal vocabulary.
As they worked, I moved around the room, offering individual feedback and answering quick questions. It was a calm, focused activity—great for noticing patterns and building confidence.
Then came the second task—same idea, but a different format. This time, the students tackled the grant request email, but in a much more dynamic way.
I paired them up and gave each pair a section of wall space with a small whiteboard. (If you don’t have mini whiteboards, sheets of paper work just as well!) Each pair worked together to rewrite the informal email in a formal tone, using the same vocabulary support as before.
As they wrote, I provided real-time feedback, corrected mistakes, and asked guiding questions. We wrapped it up by asking students to read and compare each other’s versions. It’s always interesting to see how different pairs interpret and rephrase the same content!
Finally, once both activities were done, I gave students a “teacher’s version” of both emails to keep as a reference. That way, they could clearly see what was expected and how close they had come.
How cool would it be if your students walked into class and felt like the lesson was designed just for them? Like, not some generic worksheet, but content that feels real, relevant, and totally engaging. Well,guess what? With a little help from artificial intelligence, we can actually make that happen!
Let me walk you through three super fun, highly customizable activities I’ve designed using AI tools — and trust me, your students are gonna love them.
While this example focuses on the topic of crime, the real beauty of these activities is their flexibility. The prompts, tools, and AI-generated content can be easily adapted to suit any topic or level — from beginners learning food vocabulary to advanced students tackling social issues. It’s all about making the content work for your class
Creating a Personalised Listening Comprehension Text and Questions
We’ve been diving into the topic of crime for the past two weeks, and students have already built up a solid bank of vocabulary: burglary, fraud, suspect, on probation, to be sentenced, life sentence, to sue… you name it. So I thought, why not take it up a notch?
I used ChatGPT to help me craft a fictional news story about a crime happening right in their own region. Yep, something that felt local, real, and instantly relatable. I made sure to weave in the vocabulary they’d been learning — so as they read, they were like, “Wait, I know that word!”
But I didn’t stop there. I also asked ChatGPT to generate comprehension questions — true, false, or not stated — based on the story.
These are the prompts I used.
Prompt 1. Create a piece of news about a crime in Asturias for C1 students of English. Use C1 vocabulary and structures. Include the words: assault, on probation… Length:about 250 words.
Prompt 2. Write 10 True, False, or Not Stated statements based on the text, ensuring you do not copy the exact wording but instead paraphrase or use synonyms. The statements should follow the same order as the information appears in the text and include a balanced variety of true, false, and not stated items. Be careful that the Not Stated sentences are clearly distinguishable from the false ones. For each statement, provide the correct answer (True, False, or Not Stated) and indicate the relevant section or line of the text as evidence where applicable.
From Teacher to News Presenter — with a Little AI Magic!
This is where things got extra fun — I took a photo of myself (because why not?) and turned it into an AI avatar that read the story out loud in a perfect native English accent. And listen, my English is good… but let’s not kid ourselves — it’s not BBC News-level good!
Did I feel awkward about putting my animated face on a fake newscast? Nope. Not even a little. I mean, I’m clearly past the point of being easily embarrassed — and honestly, it was a hit! I used a news-style template, added some dramatic music and headlines, and just like that, we had a super realistic, super fun classroom news report.
The students? Mesmerized. It was like watching the 6 o’clock news — except starring their teacher, speaking English they actually understood!
I have used Canva for education to create the video and the avatar
From Teacher to App Creator: Making Vocab Revision Fun with AI
Okay, now let’s talk about Claude, one of my favorite language models (yes, I’m a bit of a fan). I used it to create an interactive app that helped us revise all that juicy vocabulary we’d been working on — and throw in some new words too. And let me tell you, that mix of revision and fresh vocabulary? It made the whole thing way more exciting!
So, I designed the game for two teams to compete. The rules were simple: each team took turns choosing a square on the grid and picking the correct option. If they got it right, they scored a point automatically and the grid changed to green. If a team got it wrong, the other team could choose that square again and steal the point by answering correctly.
But here’s where the fun kicked in: some of the vocabulary was just revision, while other words were completely new. This added a whole new layer of competition!
This the prompt I have used. I have had to iterate 4 or 5 times until I got what I wanted.
Create an interactive board game using html. I want two Teams. Team A and Team B who take turns answering questions. Each team has its own score counter that updates when they answer correctly. There should be visual indicators showing which team’s turn it is.
The game should include 20 different questions about crime and punishment, vocabulary appropriate for C1 English students. Each of the 20 squares has a unique question. When you click on one square a question about crime and punishment for C1 students will be displayed. When a team answers a question correctly, the corresponding square permanently changes to green.
The background colour should be red and the website link “www.cristinacabal.com” is displayed at the bottom
Finally, can you give me the answers to the questions in the game?
Ready to try them and adapt the prompts to your own context?
