Who is ChunkThought for?
English learners who know plenty of words but get stuck expressing their thoughts. Practise useful phrases from real videos and build a habit of saying them aloud.
English speaking practice
58% of everyday English / is spoken in chunks // Not word-by-word //
If you freeze during conversations / memorizing more single words won't fix it // Practise ready-made phrases / from real videos / as complete chunks // and turn the English you know / into English you can say //
Start free Try the demoPractise the first 5 sentences per video for free.
Hear a phrase. Say it aloud.
Listen, pause, and repeat a phrase from a real video.
Enable JavaScript to try the interactive video player and transcript.
Have familiar phrases to reach for.
You can know each word in a sentence and still need time to put it together. You’ve learned the words. Now practise recalling useful phrases while you speak.
Hear a phrase, say it together, and use it for your own thought. The goal is to make those words easier to recall in conversation.
What I mean is … we need more time.
Research behind the approach
58.6%: Familiar word combinations in speech
One study found that 58.6% of the spoken English it analysed was formulaic: fixed or semi-fixed combinations of words. This describes the language in that sample, not how all speakers think or how much practice improves fluency.
Erman & Warren (2000), as reported in this research articleAbout 23% longer stretches between pauses
In a small five-week study, the phrase-focused group increased its average stretch of speech from 4.8 to 5.9 syllables between pauses. The comparison group changed from 5.7 to 5.4.
Calculated from published group averages. 19 learners: 11 phrase-focused and 8 comparison. Independent classroom research, not a study of ChunkThought.
Read McGuire & Larson-Hall (2017), Table 1Hear it. Say it. Use it. Review it.
Hear it in a real video
Listen to the sentence and notice how the words sound together. Replay the phrase when you need to.
Say it aloud
Repeat the phrase as a whole. Record your attempt in speaking practice and compare it with the original.
Use it for your own thought
Try this exercise: finish the phrase with something relevant to you, then say the whole sentence aloud.
Review it again
Save useful phrases and return to them in review. Keep practising the language you want to use.
Before you start
What are ready-made phrases?
They are groups of words you can learn and use together, such as “I was going to” or “What I mean is”. Some are complete expressions; others give you a familiar opening for your own idea.
I already know these phrases. Why practise them?
Recognising a phrase and recalling it while speaking are different tasks. Here, you practise saying it aloud and using it to express your own thought.
Can I practise on my own?
Yes. Listen to a video, repeat the phrase aloud, and record your attempt in speaking practice. You can also try finishing a phrase with your own thought. Use it in a conversation when you get the chance.
How do I know whether I am improving?
Notice whether a practised phrase comes to mind in a new situation. Repeating an example is a starting point; using it to express your own thought is the next step. Pauses are normal, and progress varies.
What can I practise for free?
Free includes the first 5 sentences per video. Choose Monthly or Yearly when you want full access.
Practise a phrase you want to say.
Start free with the first 5 sentences per video. Hear a useful phrase, say it aloud, and build from there.
Start free