Using AI tools to create EFL vocabulary learning materials: comparing ChatGPT and MagicSchool/Raina

Abstract

This thesis compares the process of creating vocabulary learning materials for Estonian Grade 9 English learners with the help of two AI programs – ChatGPT and MagicSchool/Raina – and the quality of these materials. It first reviews literature on vocabulary materials development and evaluation, AI-assisted materials creation, evaluation of AI-generated teaching materials, and prompt formulation. The empirical part used a qualitative, descriptive comparative design with two phases: materials creation and teacher evaluation. Both tools produced usable draft materials within the time limit but required different types of teacher mediation. ChatGPT was more technically stable, while MagicSchool/Raina offered more educational framing but produced longer, less manageable outputs. The teachers who reviewed the materials found some useful features in both sets, but neither was classroom-ready without adaptation. Keywords: AI-generated materials; EFL vocabulary; ChatGPT; MagicSchool; materials evaluation