How small can the first pilot be?
A good first pilot can be one cohort, one teacher group, one language route, one first speaking task and one agreed review date.
For school and training teams
Test speaking practice with one cohort first
Run a guided LearnLingo.ai pilot with one class or candidate group, one teacher-led speaking task, and a clear review date. Learners practise privately while teachers see recorded activity, non-assessed coaching and any staff-entered feedback before the next session.
Start with a scoped pilot before adding more classes, learners or departments.
Quick answers
Questions school teams ask before a pilot
What will teachers be able to see?
Teachers can review recorded speaking activity, non-assessed coaching and any feedback entered by staff to support classroom follow-up. Assignment completion is not currently measured.
What should procurement check early?
Check privacy, consent, access, data-processing needs, support responsibilities and whether the reporting view matches your school process.
When should we expand?
Expand only after the pilot review shows learner participation, useful teacher visibility and a workflow your team is comfortable repeating.
Related practice routes
School exam support
Education routes connect school learners to GCSE, A-Level, Leaving Cert, and classroom use cases.
School pilots
School pages explain pilots, assignments, reporting, and support for teachers.
School exam portfolio
Speaking-practice routes for school exam systems
School pilots should start with the exam system the department actually teaches, then use official exam-board or school sources to confirm task order, timings, moderation, and access arrangements. LearnLingo.ai provides practice assignments and feedback, not official marks.
Official Cambridge International source check
Cambridge IGCSE language speaking facts to verify
Cambridge International owns Cambridge IGCSE syllabuses, speaking-test administration, moderation, timetables, and official materials. LearnLingo.ai provides independent international-school speaking practice only.
Verified format notes
- Cambridge IGCSE French and Spanish Foreign Language syllabuses for 2025-2027 include listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills.
- The 2025-2027 Cambridge IGCSE French and Spanish speaking papers are approximately 10 minutes plus 10 minutes of preparation time and are worth 40 marks.
- The Cambridge IGCSE French and Spanish speaking paper includes a warm-up, one role play, and two topic conversations.
- Cambridge IGCSE Mandarin Chinese - Foreign Language is designed for learners studying Mandarin as a foreign language and builds listening, reading, speaking, and writing.
- Cambridge IGCSE German - Foreign Language is available only in a limited number of administrative zones, so schools must verify local availability.
Practice boundary
- Use LearnLingo.ai to practise role play, topic conversation, Mandarin or German speaking confidence where available, pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, and teacher-assigned international-school speaking tasks.
- Check Cambridge International, the relevant syllabus page, school, and exam officer for syllabus year, administrative zone, speaking window, materials handling, moderation, and candidate instructions.
International English pathways
Link school pilots to IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, or OET preparation routes
International cohorts often need English speaking practice for admissions, migration, or healthcare progression. Use the public guide first, then assign practice once the required exam route is clear.
IELTS Speaking for school leaversAcademic or General Training speaking preparation for international study or migration pathways.TOEFL iBT Speaking for university pathwaysRecorded academic speaking practice for learners targeting institutions that request TOEFL.PTE Academic SpeakingComputer-based English speaking task practice for admissions or migration requirements.OET Speaking for healthcare pathwaysHealthcare role-play speaking practice for medicine, nursing, and allied-health learners.
Questions to answer before the first class
A school pilot should make the learner experience, teacher workload and review evidence clear before anyone asks for a wider rollout.
Enough speaking time
First-cohort question
What to check:
- Only a few learners speak in a lesson
- Quieter learners need a lower-pressure rehearsal space
- A mixed class needs different levels of prompt support
Pilot response:
Use one teacher-led speaking task so every learner gets private practice before class follow-up.
- More spoken rehearsal between lessons
- Lower-pressure practice before classroom speaking
- Level-aware prompts and feedback
Clear teacher follow-up
Workload check
What to check:
- Hard to see who completed practice before the lesson
- Too much manual checking for a new tool
- Unclear evidence for a pilot review
Pilot response:
Teachers review recorded practice activity, non-assessed coaching and any staff-entered feedback, then decide what needs classroom attention.
- Recorded speaking activity
- Staff feedback kept separate
- Pilot evidence for the review date
Built for a controlled school pilot
Keep the first rollout practical: a defined cohort, teacher-led assignments, useful reporting and clear privacy boundaries.
Pilot cohort management
Set up one or two teachers, a defined learner group, class invitations and the first speaking task
School benefit:
Start with a controlled group before adding more classes or departments.
Teacher visibility
Review class activity, recorded speaking minutes, non-assessed coaching and staff-entered feedback
School benefit:
See whether learners used the pilot and what teachers can act on next.
Privacy and support boundaries
Confirm privacy, access, consent and support expectations before adding real learners
School benefit:
Give leaders and procurement teams clear answers before rollout.
Exam and route alignment
Plan the first task around GCSE, A-Level, Leaving Certificate, IB, Cambridge or workplace topics
School benefit:
Keep the pilot connected to the language route your class already follows.
Managed-device friendly
Runs in the browser and can be planned with your existing Chromebook, iPad, or managed-device setup
School benefit:
Check device and access details during setup without asking learners to install an app.
A simple pilot sequence
Start small, prove usage, then decide whether to expand. We help set up the pilot while your teachers keep control.
1
Scope the pilot
Choose one cohort, one teacher group, one language route and one review date
2
Prepare teachers
Walk through class setup, learner invitations, the first task and the review view
3
Invite one cohort
Add the pilot learners and send them to a clear first speaking assignment
4
Review and decide
Look at recorded usage, coaching usefulness and teacher fit before expanding
Cohorts schools commonly start with
Choose a first cohort where speaking practice has a clear job to do, then review evidence before widening access.
Primary Schools
- Age-appropriate content
- Gamified learning
- Basic vocabulary focus
- Teacher review summaries
Secondary Schools
- GCSE preparation
- Exam practice modes
- Grammar assessments
- Speaking confidence
Sixth Forms
- A-Level support
- University preparation
- Advanced discussions
- Literature analysis
International Schools
- IB curriculum
- Cambridge IGCSE language speaking
- AP language speaking practice
- Global language assignments
Pilot outcomes to review
Speaking
recorded minutes outside class
Participation
recorded assignment-linked activity
Feedback
staff-entered feedback where present
Activity
teacher and class engagement
Designed for a low-risk first cohort
The best first pilot is a focused cohort with one or two teachers, a small learner group, real speaking assignments, and a clear review of recorded usage, stored non-assessed AI coaching, and teacher workload.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this fit our existing curriculum?
Our platform aligns with GCSE, A-Level, and Leaving Certificate syllabi. We work with your department to ensure practice topics match your scheme of work and assessment criteria. Students complete practice on the same topics you're teaching in class.
What data protection and safeguarding measures are in place?
School data is handled through authenticated, school-scoped product flows with trust-centre visibility and controlled support review for export or deletion requests. We discuss any formal data-processing requirements before a live pilot.
How much teacher training is required?
For a first pilot, we recommend a short onboarding session covering class setup, assignments, student join flow, feedback review, and the admin report. The first week should be treated as a supported rollout, not a hands-off deployment.
Can we track individual student progress for parents' evenings?
Teachers and school admins can review class membership, assigned work, factual submission activity, recorded speaking time, and separately attributed teacher feedback. Stored AI coaching is labelled non-assessed. We recommend using the first pilot to confirm exactly which reporting views your department needs.
What languages and exam boards do you support?
The platform has exam-aware language practice across major GCSE, A-Level, and Leaving Certificate paths. For IB, Cambridge IGCSE, workplace language, or recruitment-training scenarios, we confirm the exact pilot content before setup.