The Language Speaking practice scheme is up and running for 2024-25. It allows language learners within the Queen Mary community to book 30-minute speaking sessions with native or proficient speakers, for 15+ languages, for free. We also offer English speaking practice for international students. Our volunteers are taking a break from 16 Dec 2024 to 19 January 2025. Sessions will resume from 20 January, but can be booked from the beginning of January.
You can practise your speaking skills in the language you're learning, in an informal way. Sessions are offered by volunteers – QMUL students and staff, who enjoy helping others learn. It’s a great way to practise the language, and get to know Queen Mary students from different schools and different backgrounds. If you are interested in offering speaking practice sessions as a volunteer in semester 2 of 2024/25, please complete this form.
Any member of the Queen Mary community, from any school, can book sessions – students as well as staff. You don’t need to be taking a QMUL language module to be able to participate. Maybe you are learning the language by yourself, or you just want to brush up your speaking skills. The sessions are for any level, except complete beginners. The session hosts (volunteers) will encourage you to speak, ask questions, suggest topics, and will listen, but they won’t formally ‘teach’ the language. If you want to learn a language as a taught course in a classroom setting, please enrol for one of our language modules.
We offer Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Catalan (also for beginners), English, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hindi (also for beginners), Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Kurdish, Mandarin Chinese (also for beginners), Polish, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tamil, Turkish and Urdu. Not all languages are available at all times - the languages available depend on the volunteers that offer them. We’re adding new languages and new slots as they become available – so come back regularly to check this site for updates! Are you a native or proficient speaker in any other language? Why not sign up as a volunteer?
You can book a session by clicking on the link below. On the booking page you can choose the language you're interested in (more languages may be added as more volunteers join), and when you scroll down you will see the days and times of available slots, for the following three weeks. Can't find a slot that doesn't clash with your modules? Email languagepractice@qmul.ac.uk to check if there is flexibility and slots could be offered at a different time.
In academic year 2024/25, the scheme will be running from 3rd of October 2024 up till Christmas in the first semester, and will resume in January 2025 for the second semester.
Use your QMUL email address to make the booking. You can book sessions until 24 hours before the session is due to take place, to give the volunteers sufficient notice. Once you have booked, you will receive an email confirmation for your booking, with a link to join the meeting on MS Teams. The session will appear in your Outlook calendar, and you will also receive a reminder email on the day before your session is due to take place.
You can book sessions up to three weeks ahead. Bookable slots further ahead will become available on a rolling basis. To book further sessions please come back to this booking page.
If you need to cancel a booking, please do so as early as possible so that another learner can book that session. You can cancel a booking up to one day ahead of the session. Check the confirmation email you received as you booked - there's a link to reschedule or cancel your booking.
We are looking for new volunteers for semester 2 of 2024-25 (from end of January to end of June 2025). Any Queen Mary student or staff member can volunteer. As a volunteer, you will receive training, become part of a Speaking Practice volunteering community, and receive a certificate for the volunteering work you have put in. For undergrad student volunteers, your contribution will be recorded as a 'QM Extra' on your Higher Education Achievement Record (HEAR). If you are interested in volunteering please complete this short form.