Today’s students are eager to travel, connect with new cultures, and use language for real-world communication. The top reasons Americans aged 18 to 30 travel abroad are rest and relaxation, wildlife experiences, and cultural exploration. That cultural motivation reflects a deeper shift. Young people want to immerse themselves, not just observe.
For students who choose to study abroad, the benefits are significant. A 2021 survey found that while only 49 percent of graduates found a job within a year of finishing college, that number jumped to 97 percent for those who studied abroad. Studying abroad leads to higher employment rates, better salaries, and jobs that align with students’ majors.
And yet, many students are held back by one persistent barrier: fear of speaking another language.
Students may enjoy learning vocabulary and grammar. They may do well on written exams or listening activities. But when it comes to speaking aloud, many freeze. This is not because they don’t care or aren’t capable. It is because they are afraid of making mistakes.
This is what researchers call Foreign Language Anxiety. It is one of the most common and deeply felt forms of classroom stress. Students become so focused on getting everything right — every conjugation, every article, every tense — that they would rather stay silent than risk being wrong.
In most language classrooms, speaking happens less often than reading or writing. This gives students fewer chances to build confidence and fewer opportunities to work through their fear.
Teachers have the power to change this dynamic. The most impactful shift is cultural: creating an environment where speaking is valued over perfection.
This means:
When teachers prioritize speaking practice and reduce the pressure to be perfect, students are more likely to participate, engage, and grow. But even in the best classroom environments, students need more opportunities to practice outside of class.
Motivated students often study at home using apps and flashcards. These tools help reinforce vocabulary and basic comprehension. But they rarely include meaningful speaking practice. They don’t help students say the words they are memorizing or apply what they are learning in a conversation.
This is where Speakable comes in.
Speakable was designed to give students structured, low-pressure opportunities to practice speaking aloud, receive feedback, and build confidence.
Using Speakable, students can:
Teachers can:
These tools save hours of planning and grading time while keeping everything aligned to your classroom goals.
Many students struggle to understand native speakers — not because they lack vocabulary, but because they haven’t practiced hearing and producing language at a natural pace. A 2020 study found that pronunciation practice directly improves listening comprehension, especially when students are exposed to authentic accents and speed.
Pronunciation helps bridge grammar, vocabulary, and fluency. As students speak more, they internalize sentence structure and become more confident listeners and responders.
As linguist Joan Morley put it, even students with strong grammar and vocabulary cannot communicate if they don’t have enough pronunciation practice.
Students want to connect with others. They want to travel. They want to use language beyond the classroom. The biggest barrier for many is not their motivation or ability — it is their fear of speaking out loud.
Teachers can shift that. With the right structure, the right support, and tools that make practice feel manageable, students can gain the confidence they need to communicate in another language.
Speakable is here to help you create that space.
You are already doing the hard work. We are here to help you get your students speaking — and keep them speaking — until they are ready to use their voice in the real world.
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