Speakable

What is Speakable?

Speakable is a really helpful tool for language learning, packed with features designed to make teaching and learning easier. You can build flexible assignments, record pronunciations for your students, and focus on improving pronunciation and vocabulary. It even lets you turn resources like Quizlet sets into ready-to-go assignments. Plus, it supports learning new grammar concepts and gives you access to a Global Library filled with word sets created by other teachers.

What’s great is that Speakable offers a lot of its core features for free. It automatically grades speaking assignments, giving students instant feedback on their pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Students can also self-evaluate their progress. You can customize assignments to perfectly fit your students’ needs, and it supports over 100 languages. It even integrates smoothly with Google Classroom. Essentially, Speakable helps students build confidence in communicating in a new language by giving them plenty of speaking practice, along with that automated grading and immediate feedback. If you’re looking for more details or need custom pricing for your school or district, reaching out to the Speakable team is a good idea.

Who created Speakable?

Speakable was brought to life by a dedicated team, co-founded by Andrew Platt, who heads up the technology as CTO, and Austin Meusch, who leads the company as CEO. They officially launched Speakable on June 17, 2024, with a clear goal: to offer innovative tools that truly support educators. The team is committed to making teachers’ lives easier by providing a platform that handles the heavy lifting of grading speaking assignments, offers immediate feedback, and makes it simple to create custom assignments that meet every student’s unique learning style.

What is Speakable used for?

Speakable is incredibly versatile for language educators. Here’s a rundown of what you can do with it:

• Crafting Assignments: Build custom assignments focused on pronunciation, vocabulary, and even new grammar concepts. You can add pictures, voice recordings, and translations to make them more engaging.
• Resource Conversion: Easily turn your existing Quizlet sets or vocabulary tables into speaking assignments that are automatically graded.
• Automated Grading & Feedback: Save time with automated grading for assignments. Students get instant feedback on their speaking, covering pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar.
• Student Self-Evaluation: Students can use the platform to assess their own progress and track how their language proficiency is improving.
• Customization: Tailor assignments precisely to your classroom’s needs.
• Communication Practice: It’s designed to help students practice speaking regularly, which is key to improving communication skills in a new language.
• Classroom Engagement: The interactive nature of the tool helps boost student participation and engagement.
• Teacher Resources: Access the Global Library for pre-made word sets from other teachers, saving you creation time.
• Proficiency Estimation: The AI can help estimate proficiency levels, potentially aligning with standards like WIDA or ACTFL.
• Data Privacy: Speakable is compliant with FERPA and COPPA, ensuring student data is protected.
• Integration: It works seamlessly with Google Classroom.
• Skill Development: Beyond speaking, it can help improve pronunciation and even writing skills with AI-driven feedback. Students can also prepare for exams with practice activities and get real-time feedback on listening and reading skills.

Who is Speakable for?

Speakable is a fantastic resource for a wide range of people in the education and tech fields:

• Language Teachers
• ESL Teachers
• Foreign Language Educators
• General Educators
• Software Executives
• Designers (including UI Designers)
• Account Managers
• Customer Success Managers
• Developers
• Representatives focused on AI features

Essentially, if you’re involved in teaching languages, managing educational technology, or developing tools for educators, Speakable is designed with you in mind.

How to use Speakable?

Using Speakable is straightforward and designed to make your teaching life easier. Here’s a simple guide to get you started:

1. Create Your Speaking Assignments:
   • Dive into the flexible assignment builder. You can really customize assignments by adding pictures, recording your own voice for pronunciation examples, and including translations. This is perfect for focusing on specific pronunciation points, new vocabulary, or grammar concepts.
2. Convert Existing Resources:
   • Got a Quizlet set or a table of new vocabulary? Speakable’s bulk import feature makes it super easy to turn these into speaking assignments that get graded automatically.
3. Engage with the Community and Features:
   • Check out the Global Library! It’s full of word sets created by other teachers, which can save you a ton of time. Encourage your students to use the self-evaluation tools so they can track their own progress and see how they’re improving.
   • You’ll love the automated grading and instant feedback – it’s a huge time-saver and gives students immediate insights.
4. Boost Communication Skills:
   • The regular speaking practice, combined with automated grading and feedback on pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, really helps students become more confident communicators in their target language.
5. Customize and Get Support:
   • Speakable offers great customization options, like adding visuals and voice recordings. Plus, the platform is actively developed with research-backed features, so you know you’re using effective tools.
6. Explore Plans and Integrations:
   • While the core functionality is free, Speakable also offers custom pricing plans for schools and districts. It supports over 100 languages and integrates smoothly with Google Classroom, making it easy to fit into your existing workflow.
7. Ensure Data Privacy:
   • You can rest assured that Speakable is compliant with FERPA and COPPA, meaning student data is handled with care and protection.
8. Reach Out for More:
   • If you’re interested in custom quotes, want to run a pilot program, or have any other questions, don’t hesitate to contact the Speakable team directly through their website.

By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to using Speakable to really enhance language learning and communication skills in a fun, interactive way.