Best Language Learning Apps for Students Who Want to Speak English Better
Even if you have a huge word bank, speaking practice might not come easily since it involves thinking, pronouncing and reacting all at the same time.
The best language learning apps list can help you choose where to begin. Three of these apps provide a good basis for starting off: they each focus on one thing, like clear pronunciation, structured classes, or talking to real people. Let’s find out which app works best for you!
Make Room for Speaking Practice
If you’re too busy to spend time practicing English outside of class and research, don’t wait until you have a free afternoon. Try setting aside just a few minutes to practice after lunch.
A research assignment may take up the time you set aside for speaking practice. You can find the research paper writing service helpful for understanding how to structure that assignment. A research paper writer could offer a worked example to help you see how an argument fits together. That support could leave you more time to understand the topic and return to your speaking routine.
Keep practice tasks small in order to reduce planning. Even saying a few useful sentences aloud makes those minutes worthwhile
Choose an App for Your Goal
Start with the moment where you get stuck. Do familiar words feel awkward in your mouth? Do you need a clear lesson plan? Or do you need someone to answer you back?
Each of these apps has a different purpose, so you don't have to download them all. After you free your time with a research paper writing service, get the one that best serves your most immediate need, then pick up another one if your practice warrants it.
This table compares each app’s main use and speaking-related feature:
|
App |
Main use |
Speaking-related feature |
|
ELSA Speak |
English pronunciation practice |
AI feedback on spoken English |
|
Busuu |
Guided language learning |
Lessons and feedback from a community of speakers |
|
Tandem |
Language exchange |
Voice messages and audio or video calls with language partners |
ELSA Speak for Clearer Pronunciation
ELSA Speak provides AI feedback on spoken English and has pronunciation practice. This might be helpful for you if you recognize the words on the page, but don't quite feel confident enough to say them out loud yourself.
Try one of the exercises in the app, look at the feedback it gives you and repeat the word. After that, put your phone away and say a sentence you just learned. Pick a word you think is hard to say, like "explain," and then use it in another sentence: "Let me explain my answer."
That extra step gets you out of just repeating the phrase and into making your own choices about what words to use. You can do this slowly, and once you know the sentence well enough, try reading it at a normal speed.
Aim for speech that another person can understand. Your accent does not need to disappear. When you feel ready, add a conversation so you also practice listening and responding without knowing the next line.
Busuu for a Clear Learning Path
What makes Busuu stand out is its integration of lessons with the community, which is particularly useful for those who find it challenging to determine what they should be studying. Rather than randomly selecting words to learn from a list, you have the guidance of a lesson path that presents you with a well-defined objective to accomplish.
After a lesson on an everyday topic, put the screen down and answer a question about your own life. For introductions, imagine meeting a new classmate. Say your name, what you study, and one thing you enjoy after class.
Then add a question: “What made you choose this course?” Now you have an opening that gives the other person a turn.
Use community feedback to notice what you can improve while keeping your practice moving between replies. For the next step, learning how to find a speaking partner can help you take that prepared introduction into a real exchange.
Tandem for Real Conversations
Tandem connects language-exchange partners. You help someone practice a language you know, and they help you practice English. Voice messages and audio or video calls give you different ways to take turns.
Start with a voice message if a live call feels scary. Talk about what you study or what you did after class, then ask your partner a related question. You have a little more breathing room when you can listen before replying.
Ask for feedback on one unclear phrase rather than every sentence. A focused request is easier for your partner to answer and gives you something specific to try again.
Make sure you cooperate and respect both your languages by choosing a common topic. Also, always be careful with your private data, follow age requirements and use the safety features provided by the apps. If you are a child, it's best to use safe language exchange apps designed for kids, with supervision.
Build a Routine You Can Keep
Try to do your practice in chunks of 10 minutes. Education expert Adam Jason also recommends incorporating some quick speaking exercises after your regular routine, like right after you've eaten lunch, or when you come home from school. You can structure your routine like this:
- Choose your biggest speaking difficulty. Think about your last conversation. Was it hard to pronounce a word, build an answer, or keep talking?
- Pick the matching app. Try out ELSA Speak first for pronunciation practice.
- Practice aloud on a familiar topic. Describe your classes, lunch, or weekend plans. Record a short introduction now and again later to hear which words feel easier.
- Reuse the language in a fresh answer. Try changing one detail, asking a question, or using the phrase with a friend. Judge progress by what you can say without looking at the screen, not by how many lessons you've finished.
Choose one app and say something aloud today. Then take one new sentence outside the app - to start a conversation with someone new!