Speaking practice

English speaking practice: free ways to practise out loud, online, with AI or alone

The short answer

English speaking practice means saying full sentences out loud and getting something back, such as a reply or a correction. You can do it free by yourself, with ChatGPT or Gemini in voice mode, in a speaking app, with a partner online, or in a class. Ten minutes out loud every day does more than an hour once a week.

By the Chappie team · Updated 30 September 2026

What counts as English speaking practice?

Reading a grammar book doesn’t count, and neither does watching a lesson on YouTube, however good the teacher. Both help you understand, and you probably understand plenty already. Practice starts when your own mouth makes the sentence. It works best when something comes back: someone answers or corrects you, or you hear yourself on a recording.

Which way of practising is right for you?

Way to practise	What you get	What it costs	Good if
Way to practiseOn your own	What you getSpeaking time whenever you want it. No reply and no corrections, unless you record yourself and listen back.	What it costsFree	Good ifYou’re shy, or you want to warm up before anything else.
Way to practiseChatGPT or Gemini in voice mode	What you getA patient partner that replies. It corrects you only if you ask it to.	What it costsFree within limits that change	Good ifYou’re happy to set the practice up yourself.
Way to practiseA speaking app	What you getReady-made situations, and feedback after each answer.	What it costsUsually a free trial or a small free tier, then a subscription	Good ifYou want it set up for you, with corrections every time.
Way to practiseA partner online, or a friend	What you getA real person and real surprises. How much they correct you depends on the person.	What it costsFree, once you’ve found someone and agreed a time	Good ifYou’re ready for a real listener.
Way to practiseA class or a tutor	What you getA teacher, a plan and a fixed time each week. In a big class your own speaking time is short.	What it costsFees vary widely	Good ifYou want a person guiding you, or a certificate.

Each of these has its own guide: practising alone, prompts for ChatGPT and Gemini, what’s actually free in speaking apps, and class, tutor or app.

A ten-minute speaking practice you can do today

1
Pick three questions (1 minute)
Take them from the lists below. Choose ones you’d really be asked.
2
Answer each one out loud (5 minutes)
Three or four sentences each. Record it on your phone, or say it to an app or a chatbot.
3
Find one thing to fix (2 minutes)
Listen back, or read the corrections. Choose one slip and leave the rest for tomorrow.
4
Say the fixed answer again (2 minutes)
The second time through is when it starts to stick.

English speaking practice questions for beginners

Start with your own life. You already know the answers, so all your effort can go into the English.

What’s your name, and where are you from?
Who do you live with?
What do you do on a normal weekday?
What did you eat today?
What’s your job, or what are you studying?
How do you get to work or to class?
What do you do on Sundays?
What’s your favourite food, and who cooks it best?
What’s the weather like today?
What are you doing after this?

Questions that make you tell a story

A story needs the past tense and a few joining words, and that’s where practice begins to feel like real speaking.

Tell me about your first day at your job or your campus.
What’s the best trip you’ve taken in Sri Lanka?
Describe a time something went wrong, and how you fixed it.
What did you do last weekend?
Tell me about a teacher you remember.
What was your home town like when you were a child?
Describe a festival day at your house.
What’s the most useful thing you’ve ever bought?
Tell me about a time you helped someone.
What’s a mistake you learned something from?

Questions that ask for your opinion

Say what you think, then why. One reason is enough.

Is it better to live in Colombo or outside it?
Should people work from home?
Is tuition necessary to pass exams?
What’s the best way to learn English?
Are phones good or bad for children?
Would you rather have more money or more free time?
Should everyone learn to drive?
What would you change about your town?
Is it better to work for a company or for yourself?
What makes a good manager?

Questions from real situations

These matter most, because sooner or later someone will ask you them for real.

Tell me about yourself.
Why do you want this job?
Can you give me an update on your work this week?
Why is this delayed, and when will it be ready?
Could you explain how this works to a new colleague?
What’s the purpose of your visit?
A customer says: “I’ve been waiting for twenty minutes.” What do you say?
Can you tell me about a problem you solved?
What are your plans for the next year?
Do you have any questions for us?

There are sample answers for many of these in job interview questions in Sri Lanka, visa interview questions and phrases for meetings.

Can you practise English speaking with AI?

Yes, in two ways. A general chatbot such as ChatGPT or Gemini will talk with you in voice mode, and with the right prompt it’ll correct you too; you bring the plan. A speaking app built for practice comes with the situations and gives you feedback after each answer.

Chappie is one of those apps, and it’s ours. You pick a situation such as a job interview or a client call and answer out loud. Then you see notes on your pronunciation, grammar, word choice and fluency, explained in Sinhala, Tamil or Hindi if you’d like. It’s free to download with a free trial, and after that it’s a subscription.

How do you know the practice is working?

Record yourself answering the same three questions on day one, and again four weeks later. Listen for longer answers and shorter pauses. Counting mistakes tells you little, because you’ll make more of them as you start saying more.

Practise it

Pick three questions from this page and answer them out loud in Chappie. You’ll see what to fix after each one.

App Store Google Play

Questions people ask

How can I practise English speaking for free?

Talk out loud by yourself and record it, or use ChatGPT or Gemini in voice mode within their free limits. Speaking apps usually offer a free trial or a small free tier.

Can I practise English speaking online?

Yes. Online you can talk with an AI in voice mode, use a speaking app, or find a practice partner. A partner gives you a real listener, and an AI gives you practice at any hour.

Is there an app for English speaking practice?

Several. Some drill pronunciation and some hold conversations, with or without feedback after each answer. Chappie is built for people in Sri Lanka who understand English but hesitate to speak it, and explains its corrections in Sinhala, Tamil or Hindi.

How long should I practise speaking each day?

Ten to fifteen minutes out loud, every day. A short daily session keeps the words ready in a way one long weekly session doesn’t.

What should a beginner practise first?

Questions about your own life: your name, your family, your day, your job. You know the answers already, so all your effort goes into saying them.

Is speaking practice with AI as good as with a person?

They do different jobs. AI is patient and always available, which suits building the habit. A person brings real pressure and surprises. Rehearse with AI, then try it on people.