One reading, four proficiency levels, same discussion
Generate genuine reading-level variants of a single text so a mixed-proficiency section can discuss the same content — then check what the simplification quietly threw…
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Voice AI at five cents a minute changed what a language lab can afford, and leveled-text tools let a mixed-proficiency section finally discuss the same reading. The equity upside here is real — and so is the risk of tools that quietly penalize the accent they were never trained on.
Workflows
How people actually chain these tools together to get something done.
Twenty minutes of speaking practice a week that a twenty-eight-person class cannot provide
Structured role-play with a voice assistant between class meetings, where the graded artifact is a marked communication breakdown, not the transcript.
Getting every student substantive feedback on a draft when you have ninety of them
Peer review first, AI second, and the graded artifact is the reflection comparing them — which is where the thinking actually shows.
Remediating a semester of course materials without hand-writing two hundred alt texts
AI drafts descriptions and captions at volume while the judgment — what the image is for — stays with you, because that is the part the machine genuinely cannot do.
Tools for English as a Second Language
Descript
Edit video and audio by editing the transcript; removes filler words and repairs audio automatically.
Diffit
Generates leveled versions of a reading passage with vocabulary and comprehension questions.
Why here: Leveled variants of one passage let a mixed-proficiency section discuss the same content.
ElevenLabs
High-quality voice generation tools that convert text into natural-sounding audio, with options for consistent voice profiles and multilingual support to enhance accessibility. Best for: Voiceovers for presentations and…
Elispeak
Elispeak is an AI English speaking practice tool that helps learners build confidence through realistic conversations and instant feedback. It is useful for adult learners, job seekers, workforce-English practice…
ELSA Speak
Pronunciation coach giving phoneme-level feedback on recorded speech.
Why here: Phoneme-level feedback is genuinely useful, but the General American benchmark needs framing.
Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM)
Source-grounded research assistant that answers only from documents you upload, with citations back to the text.
Google (Gemini Pro)
A multimodal AI assistant integrated with Google Workspace, capable of summarizing Docs, analyzing Sheets, and generating or outlining Slides. Can be paired with Veo 3 for high-quality video creation within the Google…
GPTZero
Standalone AI-text detector with sentence-level highlighting. Listed as a risk to understand, not a tool to adopt.
Grammarly (with Authorship)
Writing assistant with grammar and clarity feedback, plus Authorship, which logs how text entered a document.
MagicSchool AI
Teacher-facing generators for lesson plans, rubrics, IEP support and family communication, plus student tools.
OpenAI for Education
A versatile AI assistant for lesson planning, rubric creation, parent communication, accommodations, and role-play scenarios. Can be paired with Sora (OpenAI’s video generation tool) to create short lesson clips and…
Otter.ai
Real-time transcription and meeting notes with speaker labels and searchable transcripts.
Why here: Live transcript alongside speech lowers listening load — but accuracy drops on accented speech.
PlayLab AI
PlaylabAI is a 501c3 nonprofit organization devoted to creating a future where educators and students around the world have the agency to not just use AI, but to shape it. On their terms. As part of a global community…
Quill.org
Nonprofit writing-skills platform with sentence-level practice and AI feedback; core activities free forever.
Read&Write (Everway)
Literacy support toolbar with text-to-speech, word prediction, picture dictionary and vocabulary tools.
Why here: Note that the free-for-teachers offer excludes community college faculty.
Turnitin AI Writing Indicator
Percentage estimate of AI-generated prose inside Turnitin's similarity report. Listed as a risk to understand, not a tool to adopt.
Universal Access Bot (Accessibility)
An AI-powered accessibility assistant built in Playlab that helps instructors adapt course materials to be more inclusive, readable, and aligned with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. Best for: Improving…
General-purpose tools that work in any discipline (11)
Nothing here is specific to English as a Second Language. They are listed once, in every discipline, so the section above stays about the tools that actually are.
Adobe
Boost classroom and career success with Adobe solutions for education. From critical thinking and creative problem-solving to communication and collaboration, Adobe’s creative apps, PDF tools, and responsibly developed…
Anthropic-Claude for Education
An advanced writing and analysis assistant known for strong summarization, nuanced reasoning, and the ability to handle long documents and extended context. Best for: Drafting policies and professional communications…
Beautiful.ai
Presentation tool whose slides auto-adjust layout as content changes, free for a year to verified students.
BoodleBox
BoodleBox is an innovative AI-powered platform designed specifically for educators, offering a collaborative workspace where teachers can efficiently create, organize, and share lesson plans, assessments, and classroom…
Brisk Teaching
Chrome extension layering feedback, leveling and lesson tools onto Google Docs and the browser.
Canva Magic Studio
An AI-powered design suite for creating slides, handouts, posters, infographics, and quick visuals using ready-made templates and smart layout tools. Best for: Visual lesson materials, anchor charts, and classroom…
Gamma.app
Gamma is an AI-powered tool for creating presentations, documents, websites, and visuals fast, with polished design, easy sharing, and exports.
Microsoft CoPilot
An AI assistant integrated across Microsoft 365, supporting document summarization, email drafting, and data analysis within familiar school workflows. Best for: Quick drafts, meeting summaries, and extracting insights…
Napkin AI
Turns written text into editable business diagrams, flowcharts and visual frameworks.
Perplexity Comet
AI browser with a built-in assistant that reads, summarizes and acts across open tabs.
Perplexity for Education
An AI-powered research assistant that provides cited sources and organized collections, making it especially useful for current topics and rapid topic overviews. Best for: Unit background research, current events, and…
Recent coverage
- Top 10 AI News This Week — September 14–20, 2026 · Sep 21, 2026