How to practise speaking English on video calls with real people

Many people in India read English comfortably, write emails in it every day, and still freeze when they have to speak it. That gap is normal. Speaking is a separate skill, and like any skill it improves with practice, not with more reading. If you want to practise English on a video call with real people, this guide covers how to prepare, phrases that help, what to do about mistakes, and how to stay safe while you do it.

Why video calls help with spoken English

A video call is close to a real conversation. You hear natural pronunciation, you have to respond in real time, and you can see the other person's face, which helps you understand them and tells you whether they understood you. Compared with practising alone in front of a mirror, it adds the one thing that matters most: another person reacting to what you say.

Video calls also lower the stakes. You are at home, in a familiar place, and if one conversation goes badly, the next one is a fresh start.

Prepare before you call

You do not need hours of preparation. Ten minutes is enough.

Pick one or two topics

Choose topics you can talk about easily in any language: your city, your work or studies, food, cricket, a film you watched, a festival coming up. Familiar topics let you focus on how you speak rather than what to say.

Learn a few key words

For each topic, note five or six words you might need. If you plan to talk about your job in accounts, you might want "reconciliation", "deadline", "quarter-end". Say them aloud a few times.

Warm up

Read a short paragraph aloud, or describe your room to yourself in English for one minute. It gets your mouth and brain into "English mode" before the call starts.

Useful phrases to keep handy

Having a few ready phrases makes conversations smoother, especially when you are stuck. Write these down and keep them near you.

Starting a conversation

• "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm practising my English, so please be patient with me!"
• "Where are you calling from today?"
• "What do you do in your free time?"

When you do not understand

• "Sorry, could you say that again a little slower?"
• "What does that word mean?"
• "Do you mean...?"

When you are looking for a word

• "How do you say... in English?"
• "It's like a... what's the word... a kind of..."
• "Give me a second, I'm thinking."

Asking for feedback

• "Did that sentence sound correct?"
• "Is there a more natural way to say that?"

Ending the chat

• "Thank you, this was really helpful. Have a good day!"

Telling the other person upfront that you are practising is useful. Most people respond with patience, and some will happily help.

Mistakes are part of the process

Fear of making mistakes is what keeps most people silent. It helps to remember a few things:

• Being understood matters more than being perfect. If the other person got your meaning, the conversation worked.
• Native speakers make mistakes too. Casual spoken English is full of half-sentences and restarts.
• Indian English is a real variety of English. You do not need to copy a British or American accent. Aim for clear, not foreign.

How to learn from mistakes without stopping the conversation

• If someone corrects you, repeat the correct version once and carry on. "Ah, I went, not I goed. Thanks!"
• Do not interrupt yourself to fix every small error. Keep talking; fluency grows with flow.
• After the call, jot down two or three things you struggled with: a word you lacked, a tense you mixed up, a sound you found hard. Look them up and practise them before your next call.

A simple weekly routine

1. Three short calls a week, 10 to 15 minutes each.
2. One topic per call, prepared in advance.
3. A two-minute note after each call: what went well, one thing to improve.
4. Once a week, revisit your notes and practise those words aloud.

Small, regular practice beats one long session a month.

Building confidence step by step

If speaking with a stranger feels too big a jump, build up to it:

1. Listen first. Watch live streams or join audio rooms where people chat in English, and just listen to the rhythm of conversation.
2. Type, then speak. Comment in a live chat or send messages in English to get comfortable forming sentences.
3. Short calls. Start with five-minute video calls on easy topics.
4. Longer conversations. Gradually stay longer and try more complex topics: opinions, plans, stories.

On Titli, you can watch live streams, join audio rooms, send private messages and make 1-on-1 video calls, so there is a gentle path from listening to speaking. The app itself is available in 9 languages, including English and Hindi, and you can switch the app language in settings. The people you meet speak many languages, though, so English conversation partners vary; it is always worth saying at the start that you would like to chat in English. Note that calls use coins, billed per minute.

Stay safe while you practise

Language practice is still a conversation with a stranger, so the usual rules apply:

• Do not share your phone number, address, workplace or social handles early on.
• Be wary of anyone offering paid "English courses" or asking you to pay outside the app.
• If someone moves the conversation somewhere you are not comfortable, end the call. You owe no explanation.
• Use block and report if anyone harasses you. Our safety page explains how it works on Titli.

For more on being a good conversation partner, read our guide to video chat etiquette, and if you need openers, see how to start a conversation with a stranger.

Frequently asked questions