ChatGPT is a generative AI-enabled chatbot that can generate outputs responding to varied and complex prompts (e.g., languages, instructions, questions) and engage in sustained humanlike interactions. Scholars have reported on the pedagogical benefits of using ChatGPT for language teaching and learning, including acting as a conversation partner and reference tool (Kohnke et al., 2023), creating lesson plans and task-based activities (Hong, 2023), providing tailored feedback on students' written work (Barrot, 2023), and assisting the writing process (e.g., idea generation, drafting, revising, editing and evaluating; Yan, 2023). Equally, the same scholars have warned of the risks to academic integrity and student learning of using ChatGPT (e.g. Yan, 2023). Therefore, for learners to be able to use AI chatbots productively, they need to be aware of the functions of the tool and understand how to interact with them effectively (e.g., construct appropriate prompts and responses; Hockly, 2023;Yeo, 2023). They must also be aware of the tools' limitations and know how to use them critically. For instance, being aware that chatbots can provide biased and untruthful responses (Akgun & Greenhow, 2022), that using these tools for certain tasks could be considered plagiarism (Yan, 2023), and that learners could become over-reliant on the tools in completing tasks, thus limiting opportunities for learning (Kohnke et al., 2023).Due to the release of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools, there is a pressing need for school-age learners to develop digital competencies (Cervera & Caena, 2022). It has been argued that all teachers, including English language teachers, have a responsibility to support their learners to become competent and critically aware digital users and citizens (UNICEF, 2023). Consistent with this concept, this article reports on practitioner research conducted by a secondary school English language teacher in the Philippines (the first author) that aimed to explore how to develop secondary school English language learners' critical and productive use of ChatGPT.