You can read English, follow a film and write an email. Then someone asks you a question face to face and the words will not come. That is normal, and it has a simple fix: speak English with a real person, for long enough that it stops feeling strange.
Reading, listening and writing can all be practised alone. Speaking cannot. When you speak, you have to find the words, build the sentence and say it while another person waits for your answer. That is a different skill, and most courses give it the least time. This is why many people who have studied English for years still freeze in a real conversation. The knowledge is there. What is missing is practice producing English in real time, with someone listening.
A useful practice session has three things. You speak most of the time. The other person is relaxed and speaks naturally, the way people really talk. And the topic is something you care about, so you have something to say. It does not need a lesson plan. It does not need corrections after every sentence. Stopping to fix grammar every few seconds is exactly what makes people freeze more. Thirty minutes of ordinary conversation, repeated, builds more confidence than most people expect.
What The Talk connects people learning a language with native speakers for 30-minute video conversations. For English, you pick a native English speaker whose interests overlap with yours, choose one of the times they have opened, and talk by video from your browser. It is practice, not a lesson. There is no curriculum and no homework, and the speaker is not there to mark your grammar. You talk about things you both find interesting: work, travel, food, films, family, life in a new country. Native English speakers are available on the platform today. English is also one of four languages we offer, with French, German and Spanish.
We are early. We are not open to new learners yet. You can reserve a place now: pick the plan you would choose and pay nothing today. Founding members keep 10% off for as long as they stay subscribed, and we email you the day we open. Payments are not live yet, so nothing is charged when you reserve. You will see the prices on our pricing page.
It suits adults who already know a fair amount of English and want to speak it more easily: people who work in English, people who have moved to an English-speaking country or a place where English is used every day, students, and anyone who has stopped at "I understand more than I can say". If you are a complete beginner, a course or a tutor will probably help you more first. If you are past the basics and want to talk, this is for you.
Choose a topic you like before you start, so you are not searching for something to say. Write down three things you could talk about. Say it simply. A short, clear sentence is better than a long one you abandon halfway. Native speakers prefer that too. If you do not know a word, describe it. "The thing you use to open a bottle" works, and describing words is a real skill in any language. Ask for repetition when you need it. "Could you say that again, a bit slower?" is something native speakers hear all the time and are glad to do.
Yes. English is one of the languages with native speakers available. You choose a speaker, pick a time they have opened, and talk by video for 30 minutes.
No. It is a conversation. There is no curriculum and no homework. You talk about things you both care about.
Not yet. We are opening to new learners in small groups. You can reserve a place now by choosing a plan and paying nothing today, and we email you the day we open.
Payments are not live yet. The plans are Starter, Regular and Frequent, and founding members keep 10% off for as long as they stay subscribed. The pricing page shows the current amounts.
Each conversation is 30 minutes, by video, in your browser.
You should be able to say simple sentences. It works best if you can already read and understand a fair amount and want to speak more easily.
What The Talk — real 30-minute conversations with native speakers in English, French, German and Spanish.