16 Online English Speaking Courses to Become a Confident English Speaker

With practice, effort and the right resources, you can boost your skills and have the confidence to hold full English conversations.

In this post, I have curated a list of 16 online English speaking courses. Each has its specific advantages, and you can pick the ones that best fit your learning needs and budget. Just bring your dedication and willingness to learn, and you will be good to go.

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1. Coursera: Advanced Academic Speaking and Listening Specialization

If you are aiming to get into an English-language university, the University of California, Irvine offers a special Coursera class that focuses on the English used in academic settings.

This class will teach you both listening and speaking skills—specifically, how to listen to lectures and boost your presentation and discussion skills.

The course takes about two months to complete (assuming you spend 10 hours a week on it). Since this course is at the advanced level, you should at least have an intermediate mastery of English before you take it.

2. FluentU

FluentU is a website and app that teaches you English using short videos like news clips, movie trailers and music videos.

Each video comes with interactive subtitles that let you click any unfamiliar word to access a video dictionary where you can see the word’s definition, example sentences, a pronunciation guide and a list of other videos that include the word.

FluentU immerses you in English by exposing you to real-world content made by and for native English speakers. While you can find this sort of content on video streaming services, FluentU’s language learning tools make it easier and more intuitive to follow along and and remember the English you hear.

This learning method can especially help with your speaking skills, since you are listening to how native speakers use English in casual situations. And it should get you used to the pace of native English speech and the way phrases are used in context.

Each video has a personalized review quiz that adapts to your needs based on what you have learned so far. And if you are using the FluentU app on iOS or Android, the speech recognition feature lets you practice your pronunciation during these review sessions.

3. Oxford Online English: Free Spoken English Lessons

If you are looking for customized English lessons to help you become a better speaker, give Oxford Online English a try. They have a number of English courses, including one devoted to speaking skills.

All you need to do is book a class, get paired with a native teacher and have video lessons over Skype, WhatsApp or whatever is convenient for you.

Because you have a teacher, you will get personalized feedback on how to improve. You will also have access to free lessons that will help you in your overall language learning.

They have flexible pricing and you can check out some of their free videos to decide if it is worth the investment.

4. London School Online

For those looking for personalized English lessons, another option is London School Online.

They provide English lessons that cover speaking and presentation skills for general use or the workplace environment.

The lessons are pretty flexible: discuss your learning goals with your trainer, assess your English level and then begin learning.

In addition to their speaking lessons, they also have a few other courses you can check out. For instance, their “English For Hospitality” course is an excellent option for developing soft skills and effectively communicating with clients.

5. Alison: Speaking And Writing English Effectively

If you want to improve both your speaking and writing skills, this course on Alison may be worth a shot. It works best for students and those looking to work in academics or journalism.

The course will cover points on how to use language effectively, tips for exams and how to best approach a text.

You will learn vital communication skills, including tips on the right tone and voice to use, that will help you during presentations or when facing a large audience.

This introductory course is designed to last for three to four hours. It is completely free and even comes with a certificate you can add to your CV.

For a more general course from Alison, check out this Introduction to Conversational English course. It promises to improve your English speaking confidence in just one to three hours of coursework.

6. Future Learn: Understanding IELTS: Speaking

You might be looking to improve your speaking skills for an exam like the IELTS. The IELTS is one the most popular exams used to measure English proficiency, so getting a good score is a top priority for a lot of people.

British Council’s FutureLearn platform has a specific section devoted to the IELTS. You will pick up tips on how best to ace the speaking section, as well as improve your overall communication skills.

Plus, you will only have to commit three hours a week for three weeks.

Although the course is not running right now, you can sign up for it using your email address and you will be informed when it begins again.

7. EF English Live

Want more personal help?

EF English Live lets you practice your English speaking (and reading, writing and listening) with real teachers.

First, you answer a few questions and give a few details on your current English level.

Then, a special course that fits your level is provided to you, and you review what you learn with interactive exercises. A voice recognition system also lets you test your speaking skills.

Your teacher will provide feedback for every exercise you complete. The course itself does not focus on a specific kind of English, but the live private or group classes are great opportunities to practice conversations and pronunciation.

8. Perfectly Spoken

Perfectly Spoken has a ton of English speaking resources of varying levels. Best of all, you can access hundreds of them for free!

The courses are taught with video lessons that cover different topics and speaking skills. For each course, Perfectly Spoken details what kind of learner it is best for.

Besides general beginner, intermediate and advanced courses, you can also find courses that cover more situation-based English. Examples include English used in hospitality settings, business English, English used in films and so forth.

There are also other free resources, including live practice sessions on Facebook, English-language podcasts, clips on Instagram and blog posts. You should definitely check all of them out, since you do not have to pay for any of them.

But if you want a bit more, there are also priced plans that give you extra items. These include practice tests, specialized courses, unlimited lesson access and certificates of course completion.

9. YouTube: Learn English with Let’s Talk

Even though this is a YouTube channel, Let’s Talk offers so many lessons, all organized into different themes, that it may as well be an English course.

Besides typical ESL lessons, there are also videos that cover a range of topics related to spoken English. You can watch clips that discuss accent improvement, idioms and slang, common speaking mistakes and much more.

You will have plenty of fun scrolling through the different playlists.

Let’s Talk is suited for beginner learners, but because the channel has such a wide variety of content, any learner of any level can pick up useful tips and tricks on speaking English like a native.

10. USA Learns: Speaking English

As a government-sponsored resource, all of the courses on USA Learns are available for free.

The English speaking course is separated into different units.

Your first focus is to improve your listening comprehension with short video stories that include dialogues.

You then review key vocabulary and sentences by saying them aloud into your microphone and comparing your pronunciation to a native speaker’s.

There are other activities that aim to improve your ability to answer questions and use grammar properly. These will be guided by a teacher named Ms. Marquez.

USA Learns is best recommended for beginner to intermediate learners. Advanced learners can use the website for review. But you should definitely check out the other courses that USA Learns offers. For example, one is focused on English pronunciation.

11. Udemy: English Language Pro | Spoken English Language and Culture

Want to learn the essentials of natural English conversation?

This course will teach you what you want and need to know for everyday English dialogue.

Plus, you get to learn a bit about American culture.

Your friendly teacher is Kallan. He will teach you the vocabulary, phrases and idioms used for many situations, such as when you are describing yourself, out traveling or in a business setting.

Assignments, which can be done by writing, video or audio, are given at the end of each unit.

The course description states that those who are not absolute beginners can benefit the most from the lessons. Kallan is also responsive to questions and feedback.

12. British Council: Speaking Course

The British Council has a lot of English-learning resources for anyone interested in the language. One or some of these resources can work great for your wants and needs.

The self-study online course comes with many lessons that aim to improve your English communication skills for both social and workplace situations.

At your own pace, you work on your skills with teacher-led videos, audio clips and more. New content is released monthly to keep your learning fresh.

There are also live lessons, where you can ask questions and put your skills to the test with other classmates or a teacher. If you want, you can also book private tutor sessions that focus on conversation skills.

You can take your lessons whenever you want, and there is no level restriction for the British Council’s resources.

13. ABA English

Calling itself a “digital English language school,” ABA English has a special self-study course that promises to turn you into a confident English speaker. You can download it on any smart device so you can learn on the go.

There are 144 units categorized into six levels, from beginner English (A1) to business level (C1). For that reason, anyone of any level can take the course and practice their skills.

ABA English uses its own teaching method based on video lessons and short, dialogue-filled films. You work to improve your listening comprehension skills before tackling your speaking and writing skills.

Live classes and conversation lessons are also offered if you want more specialized practice with a teacher.

14. Great Learning: Spoken English

In this free online English speaking course, you can brush up on your communication skills—both for everyday use and for the workplace.

It will not only teach you basic phrases: it also covers the theory and elements of communication.

Interestingly, you will learn the differences between also, as well as and too, which seem like very similar words on the surface. There is also a discussion of what alone means versus lonely.

The course is intended for beginners, but upper level English learners can benefit from it as well.

Best of all, it only takes an hour or so to complete, and you will be issued a free certificate afterward.

15. edX: Upper-Intermediate English: Business and Modern Life

This course from the Universitat Politècnica de València is intended for lower-intermediate English learners.

Aside from speaking in English, the course also covers vocabulary, grammar, listening and rephrasing.

You will also learn skills specific to a professional context, such as writing letters and preparing for a job interview.

The live course lasts for 4 weeks (for three to five hours per week). You can study the course at your own pace until the session ends.

16. engVid

To date, engVid has nearly 300 speaking lessons. The great thing about these is you can easily sort them according to level, topic and the teachers (if you already know some of them). You can also use the search box to find a specific topic if you do not see them under “Topics.”

Each lesson contains a video, a quick summary of what will be covered and a quiz to help you review the lesson.

To use the site, you can sign up for free.

Tips to Speak Better English from Your Own Home

To make the most of the online English speaking courses above, here are some tips and tricks that will take your skills to the next level.

• Practice speaking English in front of a mirror (or with a friend). Speaking fluently is not just about saying the right words. It is also about body language, tone and confidence. So practice speaking in front of a mirror, paying close attention to your gestures, expressions or posture. You can even have a friend or family member give you feedback.
• Use a pronunciation app and a voice recorder. The English language has some weird rules and sometimes the best way to know the right pronunciation of a word is to check the dictionary. There are also apps that use voice-recognition software and tell you if you are pronouncing it the right way or not. You can also record your own voice and play it back to check your progress.
• Use apps to find native speakers. Services like HelloTalk and Tandem help you find native speakers with whom you can practice your English and get authentic feedback.
• Watch English media content. Watching English movies or TV shows, especially on Netflix or YouTube, is a good way to immerse yourself in English culture and learn about the aspects of the language that grammar books often miss out on.

Becoming a fluent English speaker is a long process, which will require a lot of hard work and dedication on your part.

But if you keep practicing and push yourself to go beyond your limits, you will soon get there.

These courses are a great place to start!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)