How to Use DeepSeek and Doubao (豆包) to Generate Custom English Flashcards for Your Host Kid

Shop-bought flashcards show apples and balloons. Your host kid loves dinosaurs, Ultraman and their grandma’s dumplings. With two free Chinese AI apps, DeepSeek and Doubao (豆包), you can make a set of flashcards about exactly what your child cares about in about twenty minutes, complete with Chinese translations so the whole family can join in.

The method, step by step

1. 1

   Choose a topic your child loves

   Pick one theme for each set: dinosaurs, the zoo, breakfast, the metro, Spring Festival. Ten to twelve words per set is the sweet spot.

2. 2

   Ask DeepSeek for the word list

   Open DeepSeek, paste the prompt below and fill in the brackets with your child’s age, level and topic. DeepSeek is excellent at clear, structured text and returns a ready-made table.

3. 3

   Check every card yourself

   Read through the table before you use it. Make sure the English is natural, the sentences suit your child’s age and the Chinese looks right. Ask your host family to double-check the Chinese if you are unsure.

4. 4

   Make the pictures with Doubao

   Copy the picture prompts from the table into Doubao and ask it to draw each one, or let your host kid draw the pictures themselves, which is a great activity in itself.

5. 5

   Print or write the cards

   Put the picture on the front and the English word and sentence on the back, with the Chinese in small letters underneath. Paste the table into WPS or Word, print it, or simply copy it onto index cards by hand.

6. 6

   Play with them

   Use the game ideas DeepSeek suggests, or try memory pairs, “hide the card” and TPR actions. Five minutes a day is enough. Add a new set every week or two.

DeepSeek or Doubao: which does what?

Both apps are free, popular in China and understand English well. They are strongest at different things, so this method uses both.

	DeepSeek	Doubao (豆包)
Made by	DeepSeek	ByteDance, the company behind Douyin
Best for	Word lists, sentences, tables, game ideas	Pictures, voice chat, quick everyday questions
Language	Replies in the language you write in	Replies in the language you write in; the app menus are mostly in Chinese
Where	chat.deepseek.com and app stores	doubao.com and Chinese app stores

Your host family almost certainly has at least one of them on their phones already, so ask them to show you around. It is a nice way to start a conversation.

The copy-paste prompt

Copy this prompt into DeepSeek, then replace everything in [square brackets]. You can write the details in plain English: “6 years old”, “knows colours and numbers, very shy about speaking”, “dinosaurs”.

You are a friendly early-years English teacher helping an au pair in China make flashcards for a Chinese child.

Child's age: [AGE]
Child's English level: [e.g. knows colours and numbers, understands simple questions, shy about speaking]
Topic: [e.g. dinosaurs]
Things the child loves: [e.g. T. rex, Ultraman, playing football, grandma's dumplings]
Number of cards: [10]

Please create a table with these columns:
1. English word (simple, useful, right for the child's age)
2. A short example sentence using the word (max 8 words, present tense, fun and about the child's world)
3. Chinese translation of the word in simplified characters, with pinyin
4. An action or gesture the child can do to show the word (for TPR games)
5. A picture prompt in English for an AI image app: a cute, simple, colourful cartoon of the word on a white background, no text in the picture

Rules:
- Use British or American spelling consistently.
- Avoid words that are hard to picture.
- Keep everything positive and age-appropriate.

After the table, suggest 3 short games (under 10 minutes each) I can play with these flashcards, with simple instructions.

Make it your own

Once you have the table, keep chatting with DeepSeek to improve it:

• “Make the sentences easier for a 4-year-old.”
• “Replace the three hardest words with easier ones.”
• “Add a question on each card that I can ask the child, like ‘What colour is it?’”
• “Make a second set on the same topic for next week, with no repeated words.”

Making the pictures in Doubao

Open Doubao, choose the image option (look for 图像生成, “image generation”) and paste one picture prompt at a time from your table, for example: a cute, simple, colourful cartoon of a T. rex on a white background, no text in the picture. If you want all the cards to look alike, add the same style words to every prompt, such as “in a soft watercolour style”.

AI pictures are not always perfect. Check each one: an animal with five legs might be funny, but it will confuse a three-year-old. Just ask Doubao to try again.

Even better: let your host kid draw some of the cards. Say the English word, then let them draw it. Children remember the cards they made themselves far better than any picture an app can produce.

Play ideas for your new flashcards

• Memory pairs: print two of each picture, place them face down and take turns to find pairs, saying the word each time.
• Hide the card: hide cards around the room and give English clues, “It’s under the sofa!”, then swap roles.
• Card actions: hold up a card and do its action together, like the TPR movement games.
• Odd one out: show four cards, three from one topic and one from another. Which one doesn’t belong?
• Take them with you: a ring of cards fits in a backpack for the metro or the car ride to school.

Using AI safely and wisely

• Protect the family’s privacy. Never type in the child’s full name, school, address or photos. “A 6-year-old who loves dinosaurs” is all the AI needs.
• You are the editor. AI is fast but sometimes wrong. Always read the cards before the child sees them, and check the Chinese with your host family.
• Keep screens out of play time. Use AI to prepare, then put the phone away. The magic happens when you and the child play together.
• Ask the family first. Show your host parents a finished set. Many will be delighted, and some will have ideas for words they would like their child to learn.

Want more ideas? Browse the full Au Pair Toolkit, or read about the language school and Mandarin study that come with the program.