At Trinity College London, we believe spoken communication is at the heart of meaningful language learning. As an educational charity, our mission is to create positive impact through education and to support teachers and learners with accessible, high-quality tools that improve learning outcomes. We believe in the use of technology as a tool to enhance teaching and learning outcomes, backed by 88 years of pedagogic expertise in language assessment.
We know that many teachers experience uncertainty when assessing learners’ real communicative ability in English and deciding how best to support large mixed-ability classes. Our innovation was created to address this challenge by giving teachers immediate, reliable insight into learners’ speaking proficiency – with follow on lesson planning tools.
By combining AI-supported assessment with research-informed pedagogy, the platform helps teachers stream learners more effectively, personalise instruction, identify specific areas for improvement and make informed decisions about teaching and assessment. The Diagnostic Speaking Tool enables teachers to organise classes by proficiency level, design lessons focused on areas of need through our bespoke lesson planner and select the most suitable assessment pathways to support learner progression
The diagnostic speaking tool is integrated into NoteLab English, TCL’s teacher platform, positioned alongside a free-to-access CEFR-aligned lesson planner featuring up to 17 communicative classroom activity types.
Teachers create an account and upload their classes to generate secure learner access codes. Learners can complete the seven-minute speaking test, anytime, anywhere, on a mobile or desktop device. During the assessment, learners interact with “Sara”, an avatar who guides them through a series of questions that include image description and an adaptive conversation that responds dynamically to their language level in real time. Using development foundations that are underpinned by research into communicative competence (Hymes 1964) and including more recent research into modern day learner communication (Leung 2005), this innovation recognises the role of developing learner cognition while working with an AI system.
Immediately after completion, teachers receive detailed diagnostic feedback linked to communicative competence, including learner responses, CEFR-aligned insights, task fulfilment analysis and practical next-step teaching recommendations, helping them quickly identify learner strengths and areas for development.
Teachers are able to move seamlessly from assessment to action, creating a frictionless experience that transforms diagnostic insights into targeted communicative learning opportunities
The response from teachers has been extremely positive. They have reported that the platform has helped them better understand learners’ speaking abilities, while also supporting more informed decisions around lesson planning and assessment entry choices. Many teachers have highlighted that the tool helps shift assessment from being perceived as a single event to a more continuous part of the learning process.
The tool was initially launched exclusively in the Italian market, where it was piloted with teachers and learners across a range of educational settings and contexts, including mixed-ability classrooms, varying levels of digital readiness and strong demand for communicative English language assessment. Following the positive reception and successful implementation in Italy, the innovation was gradually introduced into other international markets.
The platform is currently being implemented in Italy, India, and Argentina, with further international expansion planned. Its adoption across culturally and educationally diverse contexts demonstrates the flexibility and transferability of the innovation.
A key factor supporting its spread has been its strong alignment with real classroom needs. Teachers are increasingly looking for solutions that save time, provide meaningful learner insights, and support differentiated instruction without increasing workload. Our innovation addresses these challenges directly within a single platform.
Continuous improvement through teacher feedback and input is central to our development process. Since launch, we have refined task types, included more imagery and strengthened onboarding support for teachers with varying levels of digital confidence.
The innovation is grounded in established and contemporary research into communicative competence and learner interaction. Drawing on the work of Hymes’ (1964) and Leung (2005) on communicative competence, alongside more recent perspectives on digital communication and formative assessment, we recognise that language develops most effectively through meaningful interaction and responsive feedback.
Our approach is further guided by the principle that AI should function as a scaffold for learning rather than a replacement for learner thinking or teacher expertise. Consequently, this tool incorporates adaptive prompts, supportive interaction patterns, and visible learning pathways designed to encourage cognitive engagement and authentic communication.
The platform also supports teachers in making learning more visible through immediate diagnostic feedback, while emerging research into AI-supported speaking assessment supports the role of AI in enhancing learner confidence, improving access to feedback, and supporting differentiated instruction.
This iterative and research-informed approach ensures the tool remains pedagogically meaningful, ethically grounded, technologically accessible, and responsive to real classroom needs
You need to register for a free account on NoteLab English, where you can use our custom English language lesson planner for free. To access the speaking diagnostic tool you must be located in India, Italy and Argentina. However, we’ll be launching globally soon. If you'd like to join our super user programme email us at labs@trinitycollege.com
