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 English Register & Formality: ESL Activities for All Levels

The Register Blind Spot

An ESL student emails their university professor: 'Hey Prof! Wanna know if u can help me with my essay lol.' The grammar is mostly correct. The vocabulary is adequate. But the register is catastrophically wrong — and this kind of error creates far more negative impressions than a grammar mistake ever could. Register — the level of formality appropriate to a given social context — is one of the most underteached aspects of ESL. Textbooks present 'formal' and 'informal' as two categories, when in reality English operates on a spectrum from intimate (close friends and family) through casual, neutral, formal, and ritualistic (legal/ceremonial).

Teaching Register Through Contrasts

💬

Casual

'Can you cover my shift tomorrow? Something came up.' Between close colleagues. Contractions, phrasal verbs, direct requests.

📧

Professional

'Would you be able to cover my shift tomorrow? I have an unavoidable personal commitment.' To a boss or less-familiar colleague. Modal verbs, indirect language, no slang.

📜

Formal

'I am writing to request a shift exchange for tomorrow's date due to an unforeseen personal obligation.' Official written request. Passive voice, Latinate vocabulary, no contractions.

lightbulb

Teacher Tip

“Give students the same 'message' (e.g., asking for a deadline extension) and have them write three versions: to a friend, to a teacher, and to a company HR department. Then swap papers and identify the formality markers. This single exercise teaches more about register than any grammar explanation ever could. DrillKit worksheets with error correction exercises work well here — include register-inappropriate sentences for students to fix.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is register in English language teaching?

add

Register refers to the level of formality in language use, determined by context (who you're speaking to, the medium, and the purpose). ESL students need to learn that grammatically correct English can still be socially inappropriate if the register doesn't match the situation.

When should I teach register to ESL students?

add

Introduce register awareness at B1 with simple formal/informal contrasts (emails to friends vs. teachers). At B2+, teach the full spectrum with workplace writing, academic language, and the nuances of indirect language and hedging.

Why do my students always sound too formal or too informal?

add

Students typically learn either textbook English (overly formal) or media English (overly casual). They lack exposure to the middle register that most situations require. Provide examples of 'just right' formality for everyday professional situations: workplace emails, customer interactions, and academic discussions.

Teaching Register and Formality in English: Knowing When to Switch