Speakable Blog

Where Instruction Meets Ideas

Practical ideas, research, and product tips to help you teach with clarity and confidence.

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Strategic Planning

Worried About the ACCESS Speaking Test? Let AI-Powered WIDA Estimates Show You Who Needs More Practice

Explore how AI and LLM offer a new angle in language proficiency assessment for ACCESS test prep.
How to Use Speakable

Smarter Grading: Choosing the Right Method for Every Task

With more classrooms adopting AI tools like Speakable, understanding how to apply its grading options effectively can help you give students meaningful feedback without adding to your workload. Each method is designed for different types of language tasks. Here's a simple guide to help you choose the best one for your lesson
School Culture & Leadership

Teacher Retention: How Better Tools Improve Job Satisfaction

55% of teachers plan to quit earlier than initially intended, and 23% left their school between October 2022 and October 2023. But here's what matters: job satisfaction influences retention more than salary alone.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

10 Speaking Prompts That Work in Any Language Classroom

These 10 prompts are your secret weapon. They work across languages, levels, and age groups, and they're designed to get students talking naturally instead of reciting memorized phrases like robots.
AI in Education

🧑🏻‍🏫 6 Things You Didn't Know AI Could Do for Language Teaching

AI isn't just for tech experts anymore. It's becoming the teaching assistant you never knew you needed. Here are six ways it's already changing classrooms like yours.
Strategic Planning

ACTFL Proficiency Meets EdTech: Estimating Language Levels with AI Tools

Learn what ACTFL proficiency levels are, how they're estimated, and how schools can use them to measure student language growth.
Strategic Planning

The 20/80 Rule for Teachers

The school year is full of moving parts, lesson planning, grading, meetings, parent communication, and the endless to-do list can make it feel like there’s never enough time. But what if you could get better results without working more hours?
AI to Support Teachers

How School Leaders Can Successfully Implement AI for Teachers in 2025

The numbers tell a compelling story: about three-quarters of districts will have provided training on AI use by fall 2025, and 62% of academic institutions are preparing to integrate AI into their operations within the next two years. But here's what the statistics don't capture: the difference between AI implementation that overwhelms teachers and AI that genuinely makes their jobs better.
Planning & Routines

3 Game-Changing Teacher Routines You Need to Try

You don't need a complete classroom makeover or an entirely new curriculum. You need three thoughtful systems that support your energy, streamline your instruction, and create space for authentic learning.
AI in Education

AI Grading Decoded for Educators

Schools everywhere are exploring AI grading tools, hoping for faster feedback on speaking and writing assignments. But it's hard to know what's happening in real classrooms.
School Culture & Leadership

What Your Curriculum Might Be Missing

As school leaders, you’re already investing in resources that support vocabulary, grammar, reading, and listening. But what about speaking? In many programs, oral production is still treated as a special event, not a regular habit.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

3 Speaking Routines You Can Set Up in the First Week of School

These three routines are designed to be simple, effective, and flexible enough for any language class. Whether you teach Spanish, French, ESL, or another world language, these ideas help you turn the first week into the foundation for stronger communication all year long.
AI in Education

Is AI Changing How We Teach Speaking?

Speaking used to be the hardest skill to teach at scale. It took hours to prepare, grade, and revisit. But that’s starting to change.AI is making speaking easier to practice, faster to assess, and more consistent to track. And teachers are leading the way in figuring out how to use it with purpose.
Teacher Wellbeing

The Science Behind Teaching With Energy and Intention

Teaching is one of the most demanding jobs out there (physically, mentally, and emotionally). And yet, when breaks roll around, many teachers feel guilty for taking them. The to-do list looms. The emails pile up. The pressure to “use the time wisely” kicks in.
Strategic Planning

Lead the Year Before It Starts

Before your team returns, there’s a small window to reset systems, clean up routines, and make sure the year starts strong. You don’t need to overhaul everything; just focus on the right moves that will support instruction.
AI in Education

The 3 Biggest Myths About AI in Education

What do teachers really think about AI in the classroom? We debunk the 3 most common myths, and show how AI can support teaching and learning.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

The Most Common Mistakes in Speaking Rubrics and How to Fix Them

Most speaking rubrics fall short. This post breaks down five common mistakes and shows you how to create rubrics that can support student growth.
Product Updates

New Plans: More Access, More Flexibility, and AI Feedback for All

AI feedback now included on the Free Plan. The new Team Plan offers flexible seat types and PO checkout. Explore what's new.
Product Updates

Proficiency-Based AI Grading: Support Students in Reaching the Next Level

Proficiency-Based AI Grading is here. Align to ACTFL, WIDA, and more, set targets, and give students feedback that helps them grow.
Product Updates

Introducing Short Answer Pages: A Faster Way to Check Understanding

Short Answer Pages are here. Ideal for vocab, translation, and quick checks with instant grading based on your answer key.
How to Use Speakable

How AI Feedback Works in Speakable

Learn how Speakable uses AI feedback to support student growth with grading summaries, proficiency estimates, grammar help, and more.
Strategic Planning

Strategic Summer Planning Tips for School Leaders

Set your teachers up for success without asking more of them. This post offers three practical ways school leaders can strengthen planning systems over the summer.
Strategic Planning

The Hidden Cost of Manual Lesson Planning in Your School

Lesson planning drains time and energy from your staff. This post breaks down the hidden impact on school operations and teacher wellbeing and outlines what school leaders can do differently.
AI to Support Teachers

How to Choose the Right EdTech for Your School

Choosing EdTech doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Learn how school leaders can evaluate tools with clarity, strategy, and the right framework.
AI in Education

3 AI Tools Every Teacher Should Know (That Actually Save You Time)

This blog breaks down how to use AI in the classroom to save time, reduce stress, and stay focused on real learning—not just survival.
School Culture & Leadership

What Teachers Value Most in School Leadership

Clear communication, real support, and a culture they can trust. Designed for school leaders who want to lead with purpose and build lasting teacher relationships.
Planning & Routines

The Sunday Night Panic: How Teachers Can Plan Their Week in Just 15 Minutes

A quick weekly reset for teachers who feel the Sunday scaries. Learn a simple 15-minute routine to plan ahead, protect your time, and start the week with clarity.
Product Updates

A Faster, Smarter Builder for Speakable Activities

The Builder just got faster—bulk creation, smarter layouts, and a pass/fail criteria generator for open response are live
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Supporting Exam Readiness with Speakable

Use Speakable to prepare students for AP, IB, ACCESS, and Seal of Biliteracy exams with structured speaking and writing practice in the target language.
AI in Education

12 AI Tools That Can Help Teachers Save Time and Support Students

These 10 AI-powered platforms are designed to support teachers by making everyday tasks a little more manageable.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Creating Engaging Quizzes

Learn how to design quizzes that boost retention, encourage creativity, and keep students motivated. Explore real-life examples like scenario-based questions, multimedia-enhanced activities, and combining Repeat and Respond for maximum impact.
AI in Education

AI in Education: What We’ve Learned in 2024 and Where We’re Headed

In this post, we explore how AI is changing classrooms, the challenges it brings, and how we can ensure it improves learning instead of complicating it.
School Culture & Leadership

Why Curriculum Doesn’t Stick and How to Fix It

Struggling with curriculum implementation? Discover how Teams can simplify sharing, grading, and collaboration for teachers.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Keep Students Engaged with Real-Time Feedback

Instant feedback keeps students engaged: auto-grade responses, real-time speech transcription, and grammar checks help them improve instantly.
Planning & Routines

Create Standards-Aligned Activities in Minutes, Not Hours

Build and assign standards-based speaking and writing tasks in less time without sacrificing quality or consistency.
How to Use Speakable

How to Enable Microphone and Speech Recognition

Step-by-step guide to enable microphone and speech features on Safari, Chrome desktop, and mobile devices.
How to Use Speakable

How to Turn a Quizlet Set into a Speaking Exercise or Assignment

You can now turn a Quizlet set into a Listen & Repeat activity in seconds using Speakable’s Bulk Creator. Just paste, preview, and assign.
How to Use Speakable

How AI Grading Works in Speakable

Discover the grading power of Speakable! Whether it's simple pass/fail or detailed rubrics, customize your assessments for student success.
How to Use Speakable

Creating and Using Rubrics for Automatic Grading in Speakable

Learn how to use the Rubric Builder, apply templates, and make grading way easier with just a few clicks.
How to Use Speakable

How to Prepare Students for the ACCESS Speaking Test: Use Real-Time WIDA Feedback to Boost Scores

Explore how AI and LLM offer a new angle in language proficiency assessment for ACCESS test prep
How to Use Speakable

How to Create a Simulated Dialogue Activity in Speakable

Use Spoken Open Response pages to build realistic, back-and-forth conversation practice, no grading required.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Spanish Pronunciation Guide

Understanding the pronunciation rules of Spanish can significantly enhance your speaking and listening skills. This guide will walk you thro
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Unleashing the Potential of Your Language Learners

The initial phase of learning a second language is a fascinating odyssey that often merges triumphs, challenges, and occasional...
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

How to Create a Safe Place to Practice Speaking

Speaking a new language can be daunting, especially in front of friends and classmates. Make your language students feel at ease...
Planning & Routines

Travel Projects that Inspire

Looking for new ways to have your students explore the Spanish-speaking world? Send them on a trip!
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Spanish Grammar 101: Present Perfect Tense Explained

In Spanish, the present perfect tense is one of the most important tenses to learn.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Foreign Language Anxiety Is Real. Here’s How Teachers Can Help.

You’ve probably heard other teachers, professors, and business professionals discuss the advantages of knowing a second language in the...
How to Use Speakable

Smarter Grading: Choosing the Right Method for Every Task

With more classrooms adopting AI tools like Speakable, understanding how to apply its grading options effectively can help you give students meaningful feedback without adding to your workload. Each method is designed for different types of language tasks. Here's a simple guide to help you choose the best one for your lesson
AI in Education

🧑🏻‍🏫 6 Things You Didn't Know AI Could Do for Language Teaching

AI isn't just for tech experts anymore. It's becoming the teaching assistant you never knew you needed. Here are six ways it's already changing classrooms like yours.
AI in Education

AI Grading Decoded for Educators

Schools everywhere are exploring AI grading tools, hoping for faster feedback on speaking and writing assignments. But it's hard to know what's happening in real classrooms.
AI in Education

Is AI Changing How We Teach Speaking?

Speaking used to be the hardest skill to teach at scale. It took hours to prepare, grade, and revisit. But that’s starting to change.AI is making speaking easier to practice, faster to assess, and more consistent to track. And teachers are leading the way in figuring out how to use it with purpose.
AI in Education

The 3 Biggest Myths About AI in Education

What do teachers really think about AI in the classroom? We debunk the 3 most common myths, and show how AI can support teaching and learning.
Product Updates

New Plans: More Access, More Flexibility, and AI Feedback for All

AI feedback now included on the Free Plan. The new Team Plan offers flexible seat types and PO checkout. Explore what's new.
Product Updates

Proficiency-Based AI Grading: Support Students in Reaching the Next Level

Proficiency-Based AI Grading is here. Align to ACTFL, WIDA, and more, set targets, and give students feedback that helps them grow.
Product Updates

Introducing Short Answer Pages: A Faster Way to Check Understanding

Short Answer Pages are here. Ideal for vocab, translation, and quick checks with instant grading based on your answer key.
AI in Education

3 AI Tools Every Teacher Should Know (That Actually Save You Time)

This blog breaks down how to use AI in the classroom to save time, reduce stress, and stay focused on real learning—not just survival.
Product Updates

A Faster, Smarter Builder for Speakable Activities

The Builder just got faster—bulk creation, smarter layouts, and a pass/fail criteria generator for open response are live
AI in Education

12 AI Tools That Can Help Teachers Save Time and Support Students

These 10 AI-powered platforms are designed to support teachers by making everyday tasks a little more manageable.
AI in Education

AI in Education: What We’ve Learned in 2024 and Where We’re Headed

In this post, we explore how AI is changing classrooms, the challenges it brings, and how we can ensure it improves learning instead of complicating it.
How to Use Speakable

How to Enable Microphone and Speech Recognition

Step-by-step guide to enable microphone and speech features on Safari, Chrome desktop, and mobile devices.
How to Use Speakable

How to Turn a Quizlet Set into a Speaking Exercise or Assignment

You can now turn a Quizlet set into a Listen & Repeat activity in seconds using Speakable’s Bulk Creator. Just paste, preview, and assign.
How to Use Speakable

Creating and Using Rubrics for Automatic Grading in Speakable

Learn how to use the Rubric Builder, apply templates, and make grading way easier with just a few clicks.
How to Use Speakable

How AI Grading Works in Speakable

Discover the grading power of Speakable! Whether it's simple pass/fail or detailed rubrics, customize your assessments for student success.
How to Use Speakable

How to Prepare Students for the ACCESS Speaking Test: Use Real-Time WIDA Feedback to Boost Scores

Explore how AI and LLM offer a new angle in language proficiency assessment for ACCESS test prep
How to Use Speakable

How to Create a Simulated Dialogue Activity in Speakable

Use Spoken Open Response pages to build realistic, back-and-forth conversation practice, no grading required.
Teacher Wellbeing

5 Back-to-School Tips for a Calmer Classroom

The first weeks of school set the tone for your entire year. A calmer classroom isn't just nicer, it's essential for your well-being as a teacher.When your classroom runs smoothly, you spend less energy managing chaos and more time actually teaching.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

10 Speaking Prompts That Work in Any Language Classroom

These 10 prompts are your secret weapon. They work across languages, levels, and age groups, and they're designed to get students talking naturally instead of reciting memorized phrases like robots.
Strategic Planning

The 20/80 Rule for Teachers

The school year is full of moving parts, lesson planning, grading, meetings, parent communication, and the endless to-do list can make it feel like there’s never enough time. But what if you could get better results without working more hours?
Planning & Routines

3 Game-Changing Teacher Routines You Need to Try

You don't need a complete classroom makeover or an entirely new curriculum. You need three thoughtful systems that support your energy, streamline your instruction, and create space for authentic learning.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

3 Speaking Routines You Can Set Up in the First Week of School

These three routines are designed to be simple, effective, and flexible enough for any language class. Whether you teach Spanish, French, ESL, or another world language, these ideas help you turn the first week into the foundation for stronger communication all year long.
Teacher Wellbeing

The Science Behind Teaching With Energy and Intention

Teaching is one of the most demanding jobs out there (physically, mentally, and emotionally). And yet, when breaks roll around, many teachers feel guilty for taking them. The to-do list looms. The emails pile up. The pressure to “use the time wisely” kicks in.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

The Most Common Mistakes in Speaking Rubrics and How to Fix Them

Most speaking rubrics fall short. This post breaks down five common mistakes and shows you how to create rubrics that can support student growth.
How to Use Speakable

How AI Feedback Works in Speakable

Learn how Speakable uses AI feedback to support student growth with grading summaries, proficiency estimates, grammar help, and more.
Planning & Routines

The Sunday Night Panic: How Teachers Can Plan Their Week in Just 15 Minutes

A quick weekly reset for teachers who feel the Sunday scaries. Learn a simple 15-minute routine to plan ahead, protect your time, and start the week with clarity.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Supporting Exam Readiness with Speakable

Use Speakable to prepare students for AP, IB, ACCESS, and Seal of Biliteracy exams with structured speaking and writing practice in the target language.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Creating Engaging Quizzes

Learn how to design quizzes that boost retention, encourage creativity, and keep students motivated. Explore real-life examples like scenario-based questions, multimedia-enhanced activities, and combining Repeat and Respond for maximum impact.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Keep Students Engaged with Real-Time Feedback

Instant feedback keeps students engaged: auto-grade responses, real-time speech transcription, and grammar checks help them improve instantly.
Planning & Routines

Create Standards-Aligned Activities in Minutes, Not Hours

Build and assign standards-based speaking and writing tasks in less time without sacrificing quality or consistency.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Spanish Pronunciation Guide

Understanding the pronunciation rules of Spanish can significantly enhance your speaking and listening skills. This guide will walk you thro
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Unleashing the Potential of Your Language Learners

The initial phase of learning a second language is a fascinating odyssey that often merges triumphs, challenges, and occasional...
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

How to Create a Safe Place to Practice Speaking

Speaking a new language can be daunting, especially in front of friends and classmates. Make your language students feel at ease...
Planning & Routines

Travel Projects that Inspire

Looking for new ways to have your students explore the Spanish-speaking world? Send them on a trip!
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Spanish Grammar 101: Present Perfect Tense Explained

In Spanish, the present perfect tense is one of the most important tenses to learn.
Speaking Activities & AI Tips

Foreign Language Anxiety Is Real. Here’s How Teachers Can Help.

You’ve probably heard other teachers, professors, and business professionals discuss the advantages of knowing a second language in the...
Strategic Planning

Worried About the ACCESS Speaking Test? Let AI-Powered WIDA Estimates Show You Who Needs More Practice

Explore how AI and LLM offer a new angle in language proficiency assessment for ACCESS test prep.
School Culture & Leadership

Teacher Retention: How Better Tools Improve Job Satisfaction

55% of teachers plan to quit earlier than initially intended, and 23% left their school between October 2022 and October 2023. But here's what matters: job satisfaction influences retention more than salary alone.
Strategic Planning

ACTFL Proficiency Meets EdTech: Estimating Language Levels with AI Tools

Learn what ACTFL proficiency levels are, how they're estimated, and how schools can use them to measure student language growth.
AI to Support Teachers

How School Leaders Can Successfully Implement AI for Teachers in 2025

The numbers tell a compelling story: about three-quarters of districts will have provided training on AI use by fall 2025, and 62% of academic institutions are preparing to integrate AI into their operations within the next two years. But here's what the statistics don't capture: the difference between AI implementation that overwhelms teachers and AI that genuinely makes their jobs better.
School Culture & Leadership

What Your Curriculum Might Be Missing

As school leaders, you’re already investing in resources that support vocabulary, grammar, reading, and listening. But what about speaking? In many programs, oral production is still treated as a special event, not a regular habit.
Strategic Planning

Lead the Year Before It Starts

Before your team returns, there’s a small window to reset systems, clean up routines, and make sure the year starts strong. You don’t need to overhaul everything; just focus on the right moves that will support instruction.
Strategic Planning

Strategic Summer Planning Tips for School Leaders

Set your teachers up for success without asking more of them. This post offers three practical ways school leaders can strengthen planning systems over the summer.
Strategic Planning

The Hidden Cost of Manual Lesson Planning in Your School

Lesson planning drains time and energy from your staff. This post breaks down the hidden impact on school operations and teacher wellbeing and outlines what school leaders can do differently.
AI to Support Teachers

How to Choose the Right EdTech for Your School

Choosing EdTech doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Learn how school leaders can evaluate tools with clarity, strategy, and the right framework.
School Culture & Leadership

What Teachers Value Most in School Leadership

Clear communication, real support, and a culture they can trust. Designed for school leaders who want to lead with purpose and build lasting teacher relationships.
School Culture & Leadership

Why Curriculum Doesn’t Stick and How to Fix It

Struggling with curriculum implementation? Discover how Teams can simplify sharing, grading, and collaboration for teachers.