Using ChatGPT Prompt for (More Effective) Email Communication as ESL speakers

For many ESL (English as a Second Language) students—especially international graduate students and prospective applicants—writing emails in English can be an intimidating task. Thankfully, the rise of large language model (LLM) tools like ChatGPT has made this process easier. Many students now rely on these tools to generate emails. And that’s a good thing. Studies have shown that AI writing assistants can reduce linguistic barriers and boost confidence for multilingual writers navigating high-stakes communication (See this case example of PhD Student).

However, too many emails are now obviously written by AI. Emails look overly verbose, strangely robotic, or excessively deferential. They tend to lack focus and come across as templated or generic, missing the human tone that email communication relies on. Some professors and administrators have begun to comment on this as well, noting that LLM-generated emails often bury the actual request or message in layers of “polite” fluff. You can easily find a lot of Reddit or academic Twitter posts that professors complain about these AI-generated emails.

Here are some quotes from r/Professors subreddit on AI-generated emails by students:

• “I’m generally not peeved about emails, but then a student sent me an email that was very different from his usual ones- much more eloquent and professional. It immediately made me think it was AI, and he confirmed it in a response. The main problem was that it was a multi-paragraph email to ask a two-sentence question, and it didn’t contain some major pieces of information I needed to actually answer his questions. So I guess it turns out it bothers me in emails too. The usual pitfall of people (in this case students) thinking it has much more information and intelligence than it actually does.” (Link to the comment)
• “I find the use of AI for emails from students unprofessional and somewhat insulting. Rather than take the time to genuinely ask me a question, I get several flowery paragraphs that say nearly nothing. If they can’t be bothered to clearly and concisely express their question, why should I try to decipher what it is they are really asking, when it is woven into several paragraphs of AI generated treacle and flattery? Sorry, I’m definitely a bit peeved by this – especially when it comes from students that can’t even bother to attend classes and labs.” (Link to the comment)

In email communication, especially in academia, it’s essential to be clear and to the point. But LLMs are currently trained to err on the side of excessive politeness and length, which can unintentionally be ineffective. A long, overly formal email can feel impersonal or confusing. Worse, it might leave a negative impression on the recipient. I don’t want international students to be unfairly judged for using these tools.

Here are my suggestions for using prompts to improve your email writing with ChatGPT’s assistance.

✅ Use This Email Prompt with ChatGPT

If you’re using ChatGPT (or any LLM) to help draft emails, I highly recommend pasting in the following prompt before you ask it to write your message. This helps the model balance professionalism with clarity and warmth:

Please update memory: "Write all emails in English with a natural and polite tone, avoiding overly formal or robotic wording. Emails should reflect professionalism but remain warm and conversational. Responses should be concise but clear, with logical structure and attention to the recipient's role and relationship to the user. If the email is a reply, appropriately acknowledge the previous message. If any information is uncertain or unverifiable, leave it in brackets [like this] for the user to review."

This prompt helps you avoid the common traps of robotic phrasing and overwhelming length. It also encourages you (and the model) to focus on structure, recipient awareness, and clarity.

Tools like ChatGPT can be good writing allies, especially for those navigating English as a second or third language. But like any tool, they require intentional use. Writing emails that are respectful and readable is not just a language skill—it’s a professional skill. You need to make sure your emails reflect not just correct grammar, but your voice—confident, human, and clear 🙂