DrillKit is an AI-powered tool that turns your online lesson chat from Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or Microsoft Teams into professional, print-ready ESL lessons in under 30 seconds. It automatically extracts vocabulary, generates exercises (gap-fill, error correction, vocab match, word formation, and more), and produces beautiful PDFs tailored to the student's CEFR level and native language.

Does DrillKit support Zoom chats?

Yes! Simply copy the chat text from your Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, or Microsoft Teams lesson and paste it directly into the input area. You can also paste vocabulary lists or handwritten notes. DrillKit's AI strips out timestamps, sender names, and other noise automatically.

Can I export lessons to PDF?

Absolutely. Every lesson is generated as a high-quality, print-ready PDF. Pro users can also export to Google Docs and customize branding with their school logo and accent colors.

Which languages are supported?

DrillKit supports translations in 11 languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Arabic, Turkish, and Russian. The AI auto-detects the student's native language from the chat transcript.

What exercise types can DrillKit generate?

DrillKit generates 11 exercise types: Gap Fill, Vocab Match, Error Correction, Sentence Completion, Multiple Choice, Word Scramble, Sentence Reorder, Translation, Word Formation (Cambridge Part 3), Key Word Transformation (Cambridge Part 4), and Dialogue Builder.

How does the AI extract vocabulary from chat transcripts?

The AI scans your pasted chat transcript, strips out noise (timestamps, reactions, media placeholders), identifies teachable vocabulary, phrasal verbs, idioms, and student errors, then scores each item by relevance. You review and select the best items before generating exercises.

Is DrillKit free to use?

Yes! The free plan includes 20 generations per month with full access to all 13 exercise types, all lesson styles, and custom branding. The Pro plan ($4.99/month or $3.33/month billed yearly) unlocks unlimited generations and priority AI processing.

Can I customize the lesson with my school branding?

Pro users can add their school or institution name, choose custom accent colors, select from 5 lesson styles (Standard, Classic, Modern, Playful, Academic), and add footer text to every generated lesson.

Teaching Idioms in ESL: When, How, and Which Ones to Prioritize

The Idiom Trap

Every ESL teacher has seen the worksheet: '50 Essential English Idioms' with decontextualized definitions that students memorize and immediately forget. The problem isn't that idioms are unimportant — they're everywhere in natural English. The problem is how they're typically taught: as lists to be memorized rather than as chunks encountered in meaningful contexts. Cognitive linguistics research shows that most idioms aren't actually random — they're grounded in conceptual metaphors. 'Time is money' (spend time, save time, waste time, invest time) reflects a deep metaphorical mapping. Teaching the underlying metaphor makes dozens of related expressions learnable as a system rather than isolated items.

Which Idioms at Which Level?

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A2-B1: Transparent Idioms

Start with idioms whose meaning is partially inferable: 'break the ice', 'hit the road', 'keep an eye on'. These build confidence because students can often guess the meaning from context.

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B1-B2: High-Frequency Idioms

Teach idioms students will actually encounter: 'at the end of the day', 'it's not rocket science', 'get the hang of'. Focus on those used in conversation, not literary or archaic expressions.

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B2-C2: Opaque & Culturally Rich

'Bite the bullet', 'the elephant in the room', 'add insult to injury'. These require cultural context and are best taught through authentic reading or listening where students encounter them naturally.

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Teacher Tip

“Group idioms by conceptual metaphor rather than topic. The metaphor 'ARGUMENT IS WAR' generates: 'defend your position', 'attack an argument', 'she shot down my idea', 'his criticism was right on target'. Once students grasp the underlying mapping, new expressions become predictable rather than arbitrary. This approach is far more efficient than teaching random lists.”

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start teaching idioms in ESL?

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Introduce the most transparent, high-frequency idioms at B1 when students have enough base vocabulary to appreciate figurative vs. literal meaning. Earlier than B1, most students lack the linguistic foundation to process non-literal language effectively.

How many idioms should I teach per lesson?

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Maximum 3-5 per lesson, always in context. Quality over quantity. Students who deeply learn 3 idioms with example sentences, practice activities, and contextual usage will retain them far better than students who see a list of 20 with definitions.

Should ESL students learn British or American idioms?

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Teach the idioms your students will encounter most. For students in the US or consuming US media, prioritize American idioms. For students in the UK or taking Cambridge exams, British idioms are more relevant. Many high-frequency idioms are shared across all varieties of English.

Teaching Idioms and Figurative Language Without Overwhelming Your Students