5 Best Ways to Practice Speaking a Language Online

I know the language, but I understand it better than I speak it. Anyone who has ever studied another language knows those words all too well. That's why, in this article, we set out to list the 5 best ways to practice speaking a language online.

1. Virtual Language Cafés

Today's go-to solution for improving spoken language skills

Have you ever met up with friends at a café? Now, picture that online, with friends that you've just met, in another language. A virtual language café is exactly that. You talk with a small group (usually 3-5 people) about casual, real-world topics in a café-like atmosphere (at Articulatte's language cafés you're actually placed in a virtual café!). Each session has a host, a barista if you will, who keeps the conversation flowing, and ensures a safe space for speaking. Consequently, the session feels more like a get-together with friends than a language lesson.

Pros:

• Simulates real-world social dynamics: Unlike 1-on-1 setups, you learn how to navigate a group conversation by following multi-person dialogue, listening to different accents, and jumping in naturally.

• Low stakes, low anxiety: Language cafés are intentionally cozy and designed to build speaking confidence.

• Host-ensured flow: The presence of a host means that there is always someone making sure that the conversation flows smoothly, preventing awkward silence or any single person from dominating.

Cons:

• Reduced speaking time: Since you share a 60-minute session with other people, you will be actively speaking for a fraction of that time.

2. Language Tutoring Platforms

Unlimited topic and tutor variety

Looking for a personal language trainer? Say less. Language tutoring platforms such as Preply or italki have thousands of tutors with equally many teaching styles and topics to choose from. If you know what you're looking for, and are willing to do a bit of searching to find your match, these platforms might just do the trick. The sessions are mostly 1-on-1, so the learning experience is more personalized and fit for those who enjoy the more traditional tutor-student dynamic. At the same time, they require intense concentration.

Pros:

• Individual attention: The entire time revolves around your needs. You get maximum speaking time, immediate corrections, and lessons tailored to your pace.

• Flexibility: With thousands of tutors worldwide, you can find someone to match your topic wishes and timezone at virtually any hour.

Cons:

• Tutor shopping fatigue: Finding the right conversational chemistry requires trial and error, which costs both time and money.

• The tutor-student bubble: Speaking with a highly patient tutor who deliberately slows down for you doesn't fully prepare you for the chaotic speed of native speakers in the wild.

3. Online Language Schools

Back to school

Does your senior year, as well as your nearest physical language school, feel too far away? Bring the classroom to you! Online language schools are the closest equivalent to a traditional classroom setting, but online. Some online language schools, such as Lingoda, also offer classes specifically for speaking.

Pros:

• Structured progress roadmap: Excellent if you want to know exactly what you are learning next. You follow a clear syllabus that balances grammar, vocabulary, and speaking.

• Certified teachers: You are guaranteed an instructor who can tell you why a grammatical rule exists.

Cons:

• Rigid content: Conversations are bound to the day's lesson topic (e.g., "Booking a hotel room"). There is little room for spontaneous chatting.

• Strict scheduling rules: Missing a class due to last-minute life events usually means missing that class altogether, making it tricky for unpredictable schedules.

4. Online Communities

Be the internet explorer

Do you just want a place to chat with people for free? Check out online communities. There are many language-oriented Discord servers out there for meeting people and practicing languages together. You get to enjoy the freedom of the internet. The downside is, so does everyone else.

Pros:

• Free & 24/7: Someone is always awake and talking in an open voice channel.

• Hyper-organic language: You are guaranteed to learn internet slang, idioms, pop culture, and how people text and speak casually.

Cons:

• Unmoderated chaos: There is no professional structure. Speaking up might require a bit more courage.

• Law of the Jungle: Introverted or less advanced learners can get drowned out by highly confident speakers or native speakers who hijack the voice rooms.

5. AI & Language Exchange Apps

One more app?

The realm of language learning apps has exploded in the past years, mainly due to the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI). While speaking practice with AI can be a convenient tool for low-stakes speaking practice as it is essentially 0% social anxiety (as they're 0% social), it cannot truly replicate the emotional intelligence, cultural nuances, or organic pacing of human connection.

The genre of language learning apps focusing on human interaction usually means language exchange. On apps, such as HelloTalk and Tandem, you connect and practice with a native speaker of your target language, with the expectation that you help learn your native language in return.

Pros:

• Lack of social anxiety (AI apps): Practicing speaking with an AI bot means you can make grammatical blunders without any fear of human judgment or embarrassment.

• Direct cultural connections (Exchange apps): You can build genuine, long-term friendships with native speakers globally without spending a dime.

Cons:

• Lack of deep conversational realism (AI apps): Chatting with an algorithm isn't the same as talking to a person. AI doesn't have a personality and cannot simulate the spontaneity of human communication.

• The 50/50 tax (Exchange apps): Because it's a mutual exchange, you must spend half your time teaching your partner your native language, effectively cutting your own active practice time in half.

BONUS: Foreign language monologue

Nothing beats a self-hosted meditative podcast

For those of us who process our thoughts through language, change it up! Talking to yourself (internally or out loud) is a great way to reorganize your thought patterns in another language and prepare yourself for the next conversation. You can start, for example, by describing what you're doing, and gradually introduce more foreign language speak into your everyday routine.