The 7-Day English Speaking Sprint
Six tasks a day, about twenty minutes. The rooms tick themselves when you finish them. Tick the voice note once you have sent it to your tutor.
Your before and after
Read the Sprint card out loud on Day 1, and again on Day 7. The same five sentences, seven days apart. Recordings stay on this device until you send them.
Hi, I'm ____. I'm from ____.
I speak Spanish, and I'm studying English.
I live in a big city, and I really like it.
Yesterday I worked, and then I watched a film.
I think this is a very good start.
Day 7: your 2-minute talk
Four parts, thirty seconds each: who you are, what you like, what you did last week, and why you are learning English. No script. Keep going until the clock stops.
Quests from your tutor
ExamplesIn the real programme your tutor sets these after each lesson. These three are samples.
What the 7-Day Sprint is
The 7-Day Sprint is a one-week English speaking programme for Spanish speakers. It has two 45-minute calls with a tutor, one on Day 1 and one on Day 7, and about 20 minutes of practice a day in between.
The seven days
| Day | Theme | Goal | Practice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Me | I can introduce myself. Say five true sentences about yourself, without reading. | Lesson 1 and Sound Lab (sp- and st-); Shadow "My script"; Word Order and Speech Mode: Meet someone new; Voice note: Tell me about yourself. 30 seconds, no reading. |
| Day 2 | Order and ask | I can order food and drink. Order a drink and something to eat, and pay. | Lesson 2 and Sound Lab (the English h); Shadow "Ordering coffee"; Fill the Gap and Speech Mode: Café order; Voice note: Order your real breakfast in English. 30 seconds. |
| Day 3 | Questions | I can ask for what I need. Ask where, what time and how, and ask for something politely. | Lesson 3 and Sound Lab (short i and long ee); Shadow "At the airport"; Flash Translate and Speech Mode: Airport check-in; Voice note: Ask me three questions. I will answer them. |
| Day 4 | Yesterday | I can say what I did. Say three things you did yesterday and how it was. | Lesson 4 and Sound Lab (-ed endings); Shadow "Yesterday"; Word Order and Speech Mode: Chat about yesterday; Voice note: What did you do yesterday? 45 seconds. |
| Day 5 | Opinions | I can give my opinion. Say what you think, give a reason, and agree or disagree. | Lesson 5 and Sound Lab (th); Shadow "My opinion"; Fill the Gap and Speech Mode: Coffee chat: opinions; Voice note: The city or the beach? Say why. 45 seconds. |
| Day 6 | Keep talking | I can keep a conversation going. Ask for a repeat, ask what a word means, and send the question back. | Lesson 6 and Sound Lab (v and b); Shadow "Keep talking"; Flash Translate and Speech Mode: Meet someone new, without Help me; Voice note: The first minute of your talk: who you are and what you like. |
| Day 7 | The 2-minute talk | I can talk for two minutes. Give a two-minute talk in four parts, with no script. | Lesson 7 and Sound Lab; Shadow your own talk; Rehearse against the 2-minute clock; Day 7 call: give the talk to your tutor |
Your daily routine
- Learn (7 minutes). The day's lesson from the course, the sound of the day in Sound Lab, and a clip to shadow three times.
- Practise (10 minutes). One of the games with the day's sentences, then a spoken scene in Speech Mode.
- Speak (1 minute). A voice note of up to 60 seconds, with no reading. The tutor replies within 24 hours with one thing that worked, one fix and one sentence to say back.
Your before and after
On Day 1 and again on Day 7 you read the same five sentences, the Sprint card, and record them on this page. The recordings stay on your device until you send them. On Day 7 you play the two side by side and hear what a week changed.
Questions people ask
Can you really learn to speak English in 7 days?
You will not be fluent. You will have said hundreds of real sentences out loud, learned the phrases for six everyday situations, and given a 2-minute talk on Day 7. For learners who freeze when they speak, that first week is the hardest part.
How much time does the Sprint take each day?
About 20 minutes, in three steps: learn (the lesson and the sound of the day), practise (a game and a spoken scene), and speak (a voice note of up to 60 seconds to your tutor).
What are the two calls with the tutor?
On Day 1, a 45-minute Kickoff call: your goals, a short recording of where you start, and five sentences about yourself. On Day 7, a 45-minute Showcase call: your 2-minute talk, your Day 1 and Day 7 recordings side by side, and a short live lesson.
What happens after the Sprint?
If you want to keep going, you can join the 12-week programme with weekly lessons with the same tutor. There is no obligation.
What homework is there?
No written homework. Each day has six short tasks on this site: a lesson, a sound game, a clip to shadow, a sentence game, a spoken scene, and one voice note to your tutor. The page ticks them off as you finish.
What if I miss a day?
You can catch up the next day. The Sprint is about doing a little every day, not doing it perfectly.