We tested our voicebot in Amersfoort – here’s what we learned from teenagers
At Linguineo, we have one mission: to make language learning more fun and more effective. Not just by reading or listening, but by doing. By speaking, to be exact. And that’s often where things get tricky in the classroom. Because let’s be honest: do you know that feeling too? You think, “Okay, I speak pretty decent German,” until you actually have to say something. Your phone’s dead, no data left, and your only option is to talk to a stranger… and suddenly, buying an old-school city map sounds like the better idea. 😬 That’s exactly the kind of situation we want to eliminate at Linguineo. So, together with publisher Noordhoff and the team behind the German curriculum, we headed to a school in Amersfoort. There, we had two classes of 13- to 15-year-olds from 2 HAVO/VWO and 3 HAVO/VWO try out our voicebot. We wanted to know: does it work in the classroom? Do they actually speak? And most importantly: do they dare to? Spoiler alert: they do. And how. 1. Talking to a voicebot is less scary than talking to a real person What we suspected turned out to be true: students find it way less intimidating to talk to a voicebot than to a teacher or classmate. “It’s nice to practice without the stress,” one of them told us. And she wasn’t the only one.By putting on a headset and practicing calmly with the bot, most of that speaking anxiety just disappears. No judgment. Just practice, at your own pace. More confidence, less pressure. 2. There’s simply not enough time in class to let everyone speak Creating a truly safe space to practice speaking in class is hard. You’ve got 25 students, limited time, and a jam-packed curriculum. Not everyone gets the chance to speak equally. And when they finally do, over 20 pairs of ears are listening in.Our voicebot changes that. Students practice one-on-one, using earphones or a headset. No one’s listening. No one interrupts mid-sentence. And they get immediate feedback, clear and tailored to their level.What’s more, our bot is highly adaptive: it adjusts to each student individually. Whether you’re a beginner or more advanced, you get the right feedback and support, exactly when you need it. The bot literally guides you step by step toward your speaking goal.This way, students can grow and practice independently, without pressure. And the teacher? They finally have some breathing room to focus on what AI can’t replace: coaching, deeper learning, and tailored support. 3. Practical, goal-based tasks We don’t believe in just drilling random sentences or memorizing word lists without context. Language only comes to life when you use it in real, meaningful situations. That’s why our voicebot works with realistic, goal-oriented speaking tasks: introducing yourself, asking for directions, giving your opinion, or describing something.During our test in Amersfoort, we saw students fully engage with these tasks. Sure, a few ran into small tech issues, like a glitchy mic, but that was the exception.What really stuck with us? They dared. They spoke. And they learned. What did we take away from this? We’re genuinely excited about the outcome of this test day. It confirmed what Linguineo is all about: more speaking confidence, more practice, less fear. Thanks to tech that doesn’t replace teachers, but supports them. And thanks to an approach that empowers rather than overwhelms. A big thank you to the school in Amersfoort, to Noordhoff Publishers, and of course to the students who participated so openly (and honestly). Want your students (or yourself!) to speak with more confidence? To get unstuck? Or just practice more with feedback that actually helps? Let us know! We’ll get the voicebot ready for you.