Whether your goal is to improve your pronunciation, build your confidence, or simply be a better at English, it's a good idea to get regular practice speaking.
The Video Lab allows you to record videos of yourself speaking in English and get personal feedback on your video.
✅ The Video Lab is available to members at the Plus+ level.
What is it
The Video Lab is an opportunity for you to practice speaking in a supportive, low-pressure format, at a time that works for you.
In the Video Lab, you record a video of yourself responding to a question. After you send the video, you'll get a video (human) reply from Plain English with one or two tips for improvement.
The questions are general-interest questions about your life and preferences. They are easy to answer in a couple of minutes.
Example questions
Previous questions include:
What was your first job like?
What is your favorite room in your house?
Are you more of a morning person or a night person?
Where to find it
Every week, we publish a new Video Lab a question to your Dashboard. Here's what it looks like:
(We also include it in the Sunday Update email to Plus+ members.)
You can answer the question with a video or an audio. Click the blue button and follow the on-screen instructions.
How to make a video
In the Video Lab section of the dashboard, you'll see the current week's question. Press the "play" button to listen to the question prompt. When you're ready, choose the way to answer:
Choose "Video" to record a video reply (preferred method)
Choose "Audio" to record an audio-only reply
Tip: Make sure to allow access to your microphone and camera if your browser asks for it
When it's time to record your reply, you can write notes that will appear over the screen during your recording. Only you will see these notes. They can remind of you of what you want to say.
To type notes, turn on the notes icon next to the "record" button and write your notes at the top of the screen:
After you're done recording, you'll have the chance to send the video or try again.
Feel free to try as many times as you like, but don't worry about getting everything perfect.
What happens next
After you submit your video or audio, you'll get a video reply with personalized advice to help you improve. The feedback video will arrive at the end of current week, usually on a Friday or Saturday.
The reply videos usually include one or two tips based on your submission. The feedback won't be a full correction of the entire video. Instead, you can expect a few pieces of advice on vocabulary, pronunciation, usage, or organization. The idea is to get a little better every week, not to worry about being perfect.
Common questions
How long does my video have to be?
The videos are short! You can record up to three minutes, but there is no pressure to use the full time.
Do I have to be on camera?
No, there is an audio-only option if you prefer not to be on camera. You'll get an audio or video response.
I'm shy. Can I write my response?
The Video Lab is a speaking tool, so you cannot write your reply. However, you can write personal notes in the video recording tool to help remind you about what you're going to say. Only you will see these notes.
I know I'm going to make mistakes. Can I still do the Video Lab?
Yes! The point is to make mistakes in a supportive environment so that you can speak more confidently in the real world.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes! The video recorder is a web-based tool and can be done vertically or horizontally directly from PlainEnglish.com. It's all online, so you don't need storage space available on your phone.