What research says about learning to speak English

By Olga Dobrozhan, founder of SpeakingCamps. Each finding links to its source, with what it means in practice.

1. Speaking is the most stressful part

Horwitz, Horwitz and Cope (1986) described foreign language classroom anxiety and found learners very self-conscious when they had to speak. Later studies (Young, 1990; von Wörde, 2003) also point to speaking in front of others as the most anxiety-provoking activity.

In practice: lower the pressure. Small groups at your level, cameras optional, and a prepared topic so you never search for something to say.

2. Feedback on your mistakes works, and it lasts

A meta-analysis of 33 studies (Li, 2010) found a medium overall effect of corrective feedback (d ≈ 0.6), and the effect was maintained over time.

In practice: record an answer, get specific feedback, then record again. Hearing the difference is part of the learning.

3. Shadowing helps pronunciation and fluency

In a 10-week study with 42 university students, shadowing practice combined with speech recognition led to a significant improvement in pronunciation accuracy and fluency (Hsu, Journal of Computers in Education). It's one study with a small sample, and it matches what teachers report from classrooms.

In practice: a few minutes a day of listen, pause, repeat, with the same rhythm and stress as the speaker.

4. A habit takes about two months

Lally and colleagues (2010) followed 96 volunteers building a new daily habit. The median time to feel automatic was 66 days, with a range of 18 to 254 days. Missing a single day did not materially affect the process.

In practice: practice at the same time each day, expect it to take a couple of months, and don't quit after a missed day.

5. Each level takes hundreds of hours

Cambridge English gives approximate guided learning hours, counted from beginner: about 180-200 for A2, 350-400 for B1, 500-600 for B2 and 700-800 for C1. Cambridge calls these a guideline only; your background and practice outside lessons change the number.

In practice: 20 minutes a day adds up to about 120 hours a year. Steady practice moves you forward, and it's honest to expect months, not days.

6. App practice and speaking

Duolingo's own 2024 report tested learners who finished A2-level Spanish and French content. Their speaking scores were Novice High on the ACTFL scale (about A1), slightly below the course's target. The authors note that around 20% of learners had turned off speaking exercises.

In practice: apps are useful for words and habit. If speaking is your goal, add speaking out loud, with people and with feedback.

A note on our own results

SpeakingCamps is young and small, so we don't have an outcome study of our own yet. Instead, every member records a Day 1 and a Day 7 answer to the same question, and the tutor tells you what changed. You can hear it for yourself.

Sources

• Horwitz, E. K., Horwitz, M. B., & Cope, J. (1986). Foreign language classroom anxiety. The Modern Language Journal, 70(2), 125-132.
• von Wörde, R. (2003). Students' perspectives on foreign language anxiety. Inquiry, 8(1).
• Li, S. (2010). The effectiveness of corrective feedback in SLA: A meta-analysis. Language Learning, 60(2), 309-365.
• Hsu, H.-W. Utilizing shadowing practice and automatic speech recognition technology to enhance EFL learners' pronunciation accuracy and speaking fluency. Journal of Computers in Education.
• Lally, P., van Jaarsveld, C. H. M., Potts, H. W. W., & Wardle, J. (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6), 998-1009.
• Cambridge English. Guided learning hours.
• Duolingo (2024). Duolingo Path meets expectations for proficiency outcomes. Duolingo research report.

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