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In the rapidly evolving landscape of English Language Teaching (ELT), artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly reshaping how educators and learners approach language acquisition. One domain experiencing a noteworthy shift is speaking, where AI has transformed how learners enhance their skills through personalization, real-time feedback, and immersive experiences that break the confines of traditional speaking instruction. This article explores the benefits, challenges, and future of AI-driven speaking tools, providing insights for educators, business English students, and teacher trainers alike.
Conventional speaking practice methods have long struggled with fixed curricula and delayed feedback, limiting opportunities for differentiation and growth. Teachers often lack the bandwidth to provide in-depth, customized feedback or error correction, leaving learners without timely support to work on challenging areas.
This is where AI-based speaking tools come into play. They provide learners with instant, adaptable, and consistent language support and revolutionize the speaking practice paradigm.
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The AI Advantage: Personalization, Feedback, and Immersion
AI-powered speaking practice tools address these limitations by dynamically adapting to individual learners’ needs. Unlike static curricula, these tools analyze learner performance in real-time and adjust content accordingly, tailoring lessons to strengths and weaknesses.
FLOW Speak, for example, touts structured learning tracks known as FLOW Speak Pathways.
“Our Pathways learning structure ensures learners work on lessons suited to their current skill levels while progressively introducing more challenging content,” says Matthew Sussman, CEO and Co-founder of FLOW Speak.
“This progression is thoughtfully aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale and Pearson’s Global Scale of English (GSE), helping learners build their skills step by step,” says Sussman, in a way that recognizes the granularity and nuance in language learning.
AI tools provide immediate feedback on pronunciation and grammar, eliminating the waiting period common in traditional classrooms. These characteristics boost learner confidence by addressing errors as they occur, fostering a sense of progress and achievement.
“Research shows that the sooner feedback is received, the more effectively learners can remember and self-correct. FLOW Speak provides instant feedback after each response, offering detailed insights into pronunciation, fluency, relevance, grammar, and vocabulary, depending on the lesson type,” says Sussman.
“In addition to a numerical score, FLOW Speak offers written explanations to help learners understand why they received their score and what steps they can take to improve.”
FLOW Speak allows learners to retry their responses as many times as they need, with repetition ensuring learners steadily improve and internalize their progress. FLOW Speak users earn certificates to mark their achievement on the platform, highlighting that external demonstration of success and validation can be effective in sustaining engagement.
Many learners struggle to maintain motivation because progress often feels intangible, but FLOW Speak solves this by making accomplishments visible and rewarding. “The Progress tab promotes autonomy by providing learners with access to detailed data on their daily activity, lesson completion, and participation in the Community channel,” shares Sussman.
By putting progress tracking directly in learners’ hands, they hold the tools and confidence to take charge of their learning journey. “As learners see their scores improve through regular practice, their confidence grows, enabling them to actively participate in class and use English comfortably in real-world situations.”
And the proof is in the pudding.
In surveys conducted with schools and institutions trialing FLOW Speak’s platform, over 80% of learners reported feeling more confident after use. “It’s straightforward: consistent, repetitive practice paired with real-time feedback builds lasting confidence.”
Another important contributor to student confidence is the cultivation of individual agency, ensuring students feel that they have ownership over the language learning process.
FLOW Speak users record and playback their speaking activities, encouraging metacognitive reflection – a sound pedagogical approach that increases both learner agency and linguistic awareness.
Giving the learner tools to support self-assessment and drive growth is an approach featured prominently across this market segment.
ELSA Speak, for instance, focuses on pronunciation at both the word and sentence levels, helping learners develop phonemic and suprasegmental awareness.
Segmentals and suprasegmentals are two key components of pronunciation learning and teaching. Achieving fluency in a language requires competence in both segmentals – individual sound units, or phonemes, including consonants, vowels, and diphthongs – and suprasegmentals, the prosodic elements of speech that extend over more than one sound segment that include stress, intonation, rhythm, and tone.
After an initial assessment, ELSA Speak users receive feedback on different areas, including grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. Using advanced speech recognition, the tool also analyzes utterances produced and scores users on clarity, stress, and intonation.
Immersive, judgment-free environments further set AI tools apart. Virtual tutors and conversational simulations replicate real-world scenarios, allowing learners to practice without fear of judgment.
With ELSA Speak, learners get to choose a scenario to practice their output, with common transactional language scenarios, including asking for directions, chatting with a friend, or participating in a job interview. Users can also create their own scenario, describing the context and situation of the role play for a chatbot.
AI-powered tools also cater to professional learners who require highly specific language skills. For example, business professionals can simulate workplace interactions such as negotiations or presentations using AI-driven speech analysis. This ensures that learners develop confidence in industry-specific language, allowing them to practice and refine their speaking abilities in a targeted, structured manner.
Such interactive simulations are shown to significantly reduce learner anxiety by facilitating real-world interactions in a no-pressure practice environment. This feature makes these tools valuable not only for language learners but also for individuals with social anxiety, highlighting their potential to enhance inclusivity in AI-powered learning.
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FLOW Speak
FLOW Speak provides structured, scenario-based conversation practice, simulating real-world business and social interactions. The platform integrates AI speech recognition to analyze fluency and pronunciation, offering detailed feedback on areas for improvement.
“One of the biggest challenges language learners face is the leap from structured coursework to real-world fluency,” says Sussman. “FLOW Speak bridges this gap by offering scenario-based learning pathways.”
FLOW Speak’s lessons help learners develop a natural conversational style, teaching them how to respond effectively to common questions across a wide range of scenarios – whether in the workplace, at school, or in social settings.
“Learners often share that they practiced a lesson on FLOW and then encountered the same type of conversation in real life just days later,” Sussman shared.
As a former English teacher, Sussman believes that partnering with teachers is essential to helping students build speaking confidence. To achieve this, FLOW Speak aligns its library of 1,200 lessons with teachers’ curricula and provides a detailed dashboard to track student progress.
Additionally, the FLOW Assessment allows teachers to periodically measure students’ speaking skills in detail, enabling a data-driven approach to speaking practice and assessment that effectively tracks improvement. This tailored approach sets FLOW Speak apart from more general AI tools.
FLOW Speak offers a Community channel that provides a supportive space where learners can share their voices, receive peer feedback, ask questions, encourage one another, and celebrate milestones together.
Pronounce
Pronounce specializes in refining pronunciation with precision-focused AI algorithms. The platform allows learners to record their voice in meetings or casual conversations, providing instant feedback on mispronounced words and grammatical errors. It evaluates phoneme-level accuracy, stress patterns, and intonation, offering users a breakdown of their speech patterns with actionable corrections.
Xenia Busheva, Chief Marketing Officer of Pronounce, explained that the company was developed by immigrants who experienced the challenges of achieving fluency in a second language firsthand. “Even when you reach an advanced level, there’s often this ‘last mile’ that makes you feel less confident, especially in professional or academic settings,” she noted.
Busheva highlighted a common experience for individuals who didn’t start learning English until later in life: interlocutors asking about their accented English. “The first thing in a conversation is a series of questions that include ‘Where are you from?’ and ‘What’s that accent?’” she says. “It just kind of brings you down a little bit at the beginning of a conversation.”
While biases toward non-native speakers still require attention from the greater ELT community, AI-powered speaking tools like Pronounce allow multilingual professionals to take steps to increase their fluency and confidence in a way that wasn’t possible before advances in speech recognition technology.
“I personally hired a very cheap pronunciation coach, but it was not enough to build my confidence,” says Busheva. “We chose some sounds to focus on, but I found myself going from lesson to lesson to lesson without seeing progress.”
With Pronounce, users can record themselves during a casual conversation or reading an article aloud, after which the tool analyses input in real time and provides an overview of sounds pronounced incorrectly. Allowing the users to read an article aloud is especially useful for learners who may not have regular interactions in the target language. This feature offers learners who might be preparing for travel or work in an international organization a chance to prepare in advance.
Users can receive unlimited corrections on mispronounced words and practice using the targeted words in sentences. “One of the best techniques for improving pronunciation is not just repeating words but integrating them into actual speech,” Busheva shared.
The platform also includes grammar and fluency modules, which provide word choice suggestions and sentence structure corrections. “For example, if a user says ‘very beautiful,’ the AI suggests a more sophisticated synonym like ‘gorgeous,’ helping learners develop more natural speech patterns,” she explained. This feature can also lend itself to more fluent users who are looking to expand their vocabulary lexicon.
Pronounce boasts a robust and user-friendly interface, allowing learners to interact with different parts of the language. With ratings powered by GPT, learners can examine how they’re performing in areas including correctness, clarity, filler words, pace, and more.
The platform also offers lessons tailored to learners’ weak areas, which Busheva described as a highly personalized experience. “Our goal is to give learners exactly what they need to improve, rather than making them follow rigid, pre-set courses,” she shared.
Busheva highlighted that Pronounce’s primary audience includes business professionals and graduate students. “Many of our users are preparing for presentations, interviews, or advanced academic discussions. They don’t need beginner courses; they need targeted feedback to refine their speech,” she emphasized.
Pronounce also offers a chatbot that can engage with users on any topic. “You can insert a topic, for example, ‘marketing,’ and AI will speak to you about it, imitating a conversation. It’ll almost be like chatting with a tutor or a teacher because it will lead you towards saying more sentences and providing hints in the conversation.”
Eduling Speak
Endorsed by leading second language acquisition experts, Eduling Speak is a mobile app with over 40 courses ranging from test prep to pronunciation, to research communication, and culture and idioms.
Eduling Speak integrates AI-driven speaking tasks based on authentic, real-world conversations. The innovative platform connects learners to complete interactive tasks in pairs, with AI, or individually, all designed “to help you to speak naturally and fluently through daily practice.”
In addition to being a sort of one-stop shop for casual language learners and aspiring academics, the platform was designed with teachers in mind. One standout feature is the platform’s educator dashboard, which enables teachers to create assignments, track progress, and provide supplemental guidance to users.
Linh Phung, founder of Eduling Speak, highlighted how the platform supports teachers through its educator dashboard. “With the educator dashboard, teachers can create classes, assign tasks, and review student progress. Students submit their recordings, and teachers can see AI feedback before providing additional comments. This streamlines the feedback process and ensures that students engage meaningfully with their corrections.”
Phung emphasized that learning doesn’t happen when feedback is simply given; it happens when students actively engage with it. Knowing that the teacher is also contributing to the feedback a learner receives can act as a motivator and a form of positive reinforcement.
Phung also noted the task-based approach of Eduling Speak, which aligns with second language acquisition principles. “When I think about tools, I go back to principles of second language acquisition to see if they facilitate these conditions in terms of meaningful input, interaction, focus on form,” says Phung. “Those usually can be satisfied with task-based language teaching if you have engaging content.”
While the platform was created to get users to use the target language orally, Eduling Speak seamlessly integrates the four domains. “With task-based language teaching, it’s actually about teaching all of the skills together, although the communicative components are really strong,” says Phung.
The platform includes three learning modes: solo tasks, AI-supported conversations, and peer-to-peer collaboration. Learners can choose how they want to engage – whether they want to practice alone, work with AI, or complete interactive tasks with a peer.
A major highlight is its pronunciation course, where students practice perception-based tasks to refine their pronunciation. Phung highlights research that shows learners must first hear phonemic differences before they can produce them accurately.
“We’ve developed exercises where learners listen to a story with minimal pairs, and then they have to move the words into a picture to complete a map or to illustrate a story,” says Phung. Engaging with phonemes in this way can help learners to improve perception and articulation naturally.
The app also includes courses for professional development, IELTS and TOEFL test preparation, and even US citizenship interviews.
All of the courses on Eduling Speak focus on real-world applications and spoken language. “We feature real people’s stories as models, giving learners exposure to diverse accents and speaking styles,” Phung noted. It’s crucial that learners are given tools to work on receptive language skills alongside their productive counterparts.
Speak
Speak, “the language learning app that gets you talking,” is a leading AI-driven English language learning platform that has rapidly grown in popularity, particularly in South Korea and other global markets.
Designed as an interactive mobile app, Speak uses AI-powered voice recognition and adaptive learning algorithms to provide real-time pronunciation feedback, interactive dialogue simulations, and personalized speaking exercises. The app tailors its feedback based on a user’s progress, helping learners build confidence and fluency through simulated real-world conversations.
The company’s mission is to make high-quality English education accessible to learners worldwide, leveraging AI to provide structured, engaging learning experiences that mimic human conversation. According to the company’s website, “users say over 1,110 phrases out loud” in their first week.
A key feature of Speak is its ability to keep up with niche topics. If you tell your AI tutor that you’re traveling to San Francisco, for example, it stores that in its memory and goes on to design a personalized curriculum “by getting to know you on a surprisingly deep level.”
With over 10 million downloads worldwide, it’s clear that users are looking to feel understood by their AI tutors.
Speak’s focus on augmenting fluency through immersion represents a larger shift in independent language learning technology: speaking as much as possible as soon as possible.
The San Francisco-based startup secured $78 million in Series C funding in January 2025, boosting its valuation to $1 billion. Speak’s achievement of unicorn status with a $1 billion valuation is both a testament to the company’s innovative approach and the growing demand for AI-powered language learning.
“The company’s commitment to expanding its platform and reaching new markets will likely continue to drive its success and further establish its position as a leader in the language-learning industry,” highlights Walker in his recent FundraiseInsider blog post.
Loora
Loora is an AI-powered English learning platform that enhances speaking skills through interactive, real-world conversations. It provides an adaptive, low-pressure environment where learners receive real-time feedback on fluency, pronunciation, and grammar. The platform personalizes lessons based on proficiency level, interests, and goals, covering a variety of topics from casual chats to professional discussions.
Key features include instant corrections, speech recognition for pronunciation refinement, and goal-setting tools to track progress. Loora also reinforces vocabulary through contextual learning and spaced repetition, making it an engaging and effective tool for independent learners.
The platform also offers accent training, guiding users on intonation and pronunciation nuances to help them sound more fluent and confident. According to the company website, Loora “believe[s] everyone deserves the opportunity to speak English fluently” and that “learning English shouldn’t be a barrier that holds anyone back from fulfilling their dreams and aspirations.”
SmallTalk2Me
SmallTalk2Me offers AI-driven conversation simulations for immersive English practice. Its scenario-based approach helps learners navigate real-life contexts such as job interviews, casual dialogues, and academic discussions. Personalized learning adapts to individual proficiency levels, providing targeted exercises and instant feedback on pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.
For learners preparing for standardized exams, SmallTalk2Me offers dedicated IELTS preparation modules, focusing on improving fluency, coherence, and lexical resource – the key components of the IELTS speaking section. These modules allow users to simulate test conditions, ensuring they build confidence and familiarity with exam-style speaking tasks.
A standout feature of the platform is its “Vocabulary Booster” function, which supports learners in expanding their lexicon before applying new words in oral storytelling. The AI generates exercises based on a user-selected topic, helping them read and interact with context-rich texts before answering comprehension questions. Finally, learners create their own spoken narratives using the key vocabulary, reinforcing their ability to use new words in meaningful, real-world scenarios. By integrating listening, reading, speaking, and writing, SmallTalk2Me provides a holistic approach to language acquisition that strengthens all aspects of communication.
ELSA Speak
ELSA Speak specializes in AI-driven pronunciation training, leveraging speech recognition technology to provide precise, instant feedback on articulation. Tailored lesson plans focus on users’ native language and specific pronunciation challenges.
To enhance pronunciation clarity, ELSA Speak includes visual pronunciation guides, showing learners the correct mouth and tongue positions for accurate articulation. The platform also features an extensive word library with over 60,000 words and phrases, covering both American and British English accents.
ELSA Speak makes learning engaging by incorporating gamification elements, such as challenges and rewards, to motivate users and maintain consistent practice. The app includes progress tracking and analytics, helping learners monitor their improvement over time and adjust their study plans accordingly. Additionally, the offline mode allows users to practice anytime, anywhere, making it a flexible option for language learners on the go.
Praktika
Praktika is an AI-powered language learning platform designed to help users enhance their speaking skills through immersive, interactive, and personalized practice. Unlike many platforms that focus solely on English, Praktika supports multiple languages, broadening opportunities for learners worldwide.
AI-driven conversations provide real-time corrections on pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary, ensuring targeted improvement. With diverse conversation topics, vocabulary-building exercises, and progress tracking, Praktika helps learners refine their communication skills in everyday and professional settings.
For those looking to refine their pronunciation further, Praktika offers accent training, guiding users on intonation and natural speech patterns in their target language. By combining AI-driven interaction, real-time corrections, and structured conversation practice, Praktika creates an engaging and effective environment for learners aiming to boost their speaking confidence and communicate fluently in real-world situations.
Gabble.ai
Gabble.ai creates AI-powered, realistic conversation experiences to develop speaking skills. It adapts learning exercises to individual goals, providing real-time feedback on pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Users benefit from context-specific practice for interviews and standardized test prep, including both IELTS and TOEFL exams.
The platform includes diverse discussion topics, contextual vocabulary building, and accent training for more natural speech. Progress tracking helps learners monitor improvement, while flexible practice options accommodate different learning paces. Gabble also supports multiple languages, making it a versatile tool for language learners worldwide.
Yoodli
Yoodli is an AI-powered platform designed to enhance public speaking and communication skills through advanced speech analysis and real-time feedback. While not specifically a language learning tool, it helps multilingual professionals refine their presentation skills for high-pressure situations.
The platform provides a judgment-free space for rehearsing speeches, job interviews, and presentations, offering instant feedback on pace, filler words, and body language. Customizable scenarios help users prepare for various professional speaking engagements with AI-driven insights.
A standout feature is Yoodli’s automatic transcription, which allows users to review, edit, and refine their speech content for greater clarity and effectiveness. The platform also supports video recording for self-assessment, progress tracking to monitor improvements over time, and personalized recommendations based on AI analysis. Collaborative tools enable peer feedback, while integration with video conferencing platforms like Zoom provides real-time speech analysis during live meetings.
By making public speaking practice accessible and data-driven, Yoodli empowers users to build confidence and refine their communication skills in both professional and personal settings.
What Users Are Saying
Educators who have incorporated AI-powered speaking tools into their classrooms emphasize their transformative impact.
Sussman, CEO of FLOW Speak, highlights that educators frequently commend the platform for fostering learner autonomy and motivation. He emphasizes that a key benefit is students’ ability to practice independently, anytime and anywhere, without requiring a teacher’s presence. “Students can repeat exercises as many times as needed until they feel confident in their performance,” he explains.
Additionally, teachers value the platform’s structured learning pathways, with many reporting that students demonstrate greater confidence in class after using FLOW Speak, as they gain clear insights into areas for improvement.
According to Sussman, educators and institutions have provided positive feedback on FLOW Speak. Teachers report that after using the platform, students are more willing to participate in class discussions. Many students also appreciate the realistic, real-world practice it offers, along with its modern and user-friendly interface.
Sussman shares that companies frequently note that employees want to improve their English skills but struggle to fit traditional lessons into their schedules. FLOW Speak’s flexibility allows users to “practice at their convenience – whether during lunch breaks or late at night – making language learning more accessible and practical.”
Learners appreciate being acknowledged for their progress. Educators and institutions find it simple to motivate students by tracking their achievements on the FLOW Admin dashboard and offering encouragement, such as “Great job earning the 500 Confidence Level badge – aim for 600 next!” This kind of recognition boosts motivation and inspires learners to continue improving.
Busheva shares that the reception of Pronounce has been similarly extraordinary. She notes that teachers using Pronounce appreciate its ability to streamline instruction and ensure it’s meaningful for the learner. Instead of spending time on repetitive drills, teachers can focus on fostering critical thinking and meaningful interactions. Pronounce handles the granular details of pronunciation correction, freeing educators to guide learners through higher-order language tasks.
Busheva emphasized how teachers value the tool’s ability to enhance pronunciation and fluency without altering a learner’s identity. “We are not trying to change anyone’s accent. Pronounce helps learners refine their pronunciation so they can be better understood, not erase where they come from.”
She pointed out that teachers appreciate the confidence-building aspect of the platform, stating, “Learners often hesitate to speak up because they fear mispronouncing words. With Pronounce, they receive targeted feedback that helps them improve naturally over time.”
English learners also express enthusiasm for these tools. According to ELSA Speak’s website, 95% of users express higher confidence in speaking English after using the app.
Learners using Pronounce have also praised its impact on their spoken language. One learner said, “[t]he impressive thing about Pronounce is that it lets you communicate in a real-life scenario with an AI bot.” Another user shared “[t]his is amazing, it really helps to record your pronunciation and compare it to how you should pronounce.”
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Opportunities for Advancement
Advancements in speech recognition and natural language processing are evolving at a remarkable pace, creating exciting opportunities for language learning. Sussman believes that this is a crucial moment for educators and HR professionals to integrate these tools into classrooms and workplaces, as they empower learners to take charge of their language development.
He shares what users can expect from FLOW Speak soon.
“Recently, we’ve been particularly excited about the potential of AI agents in speaking skill development. This technology holds great promise for making coaching and adaptive, personalized learning a powerful addition to the overall learning experience,” he says. “The entire experience will continue to improve, feeling more natural as the speaking experience, feedback, and insights evolve. This will make it possible for all learners, regardless of location or socioeconomic status, to improve. That’s why our mission is ‘Everyone deserves a voice.’”
In addition to the expansion of access, users can expect more detailed feedback and customization opportunities.
“In the future, we’ll see advancements like hands-free practice through voice-only interactions, tailored tools for public speaking and meeting preparation, and greater integration with learners’ daily lives,” says Sussman.
It’s likely that tools catering to populations learning languages will borrow initiatives from more workplace-oriented tools, like Yoodli’s focus on presentations.
Sussman sees the opportunity: “Students and professionals will be able to use AI to practice school presentations or discuss work assignments.”
Phung shares that Eduling Speak is also experimenting and testing the boundaries of AI. She highlights the video call feature recently rolled out by Duolingo. “It’s kind of the same ideas in terms of interacting with the chatbot, but more multimodality,” explains Phung.
In addition to being the creator of Eduling Speak, Phung also serves as the Chief Learning Officer for Pangea Chat, an instant messaging-based platform that focuses on enhanced social communication. It enables learners to “text in their target language even when they are beginners,” says Phung.
Recognizing that fear often hinders progress in the language learning process, Pangea Chat is equipped with an interactive translation and grammar checker. This function enables learners, even at the very beginning of their learning journey, to engage in a meaningful way, fostering motivation and learner agency.
Phung, who is using Pangea Chat herself to learn Spanish, shares how the app supports her language development. “Because of the AI-powered tools that we now have, I can compose messages to say whatever I want to say, I can comprehend the messages from the bot, from other people. I’ve developed language in this really contextualized manner.”
Phung noted that we’re moving in an exciting direction in the sense of enhanced social communication. “We don’t have to lose that just because we have chatbots available. We can still cultivate that human connection with others.”
Looking to the Future
While there is strong evidence that AI-powered tools enhance speaking skills, motivation, and learner autonomy, challenges such as technological limitations and the need for pedagogical awareness remain.
Future developments should focus on creating personalized, authentic learning experiences grounded in sound educational principles and ongoing research. As AI technology continues to evolve, educators and developers must collaborate to integrate AI responsibly, ensuring that it complements human instruction rather than replaces it.
Phung shares that she’s not worried about AI replacing us or even replacing the need to learn a language, emphasizing that “people still need to be engaged with one another and creating by putting things together.”
“These are incredibly exciting times, and we’re still just at the starting line of what’s possible with AI in transforming language learning, says Sussman.
AI-driven tools like these are transforming the way we teach and learn languages, making personalized speaking practice accessible to all. With that in mind, it’s safe to say AI’s role in ELT will continue to grow, shaping a future where technology enhances confidence and communication for all.
