Does 'freespeaking' exist as a concept? Freewriting certainly does!

I read a post by Nick James on LinkedIn about freewriting which cited this paper:

Fluency development through freewriting and transfer to other more structured tasks - Raymond Yasuda, 2025

It got me thinking about whether 'freespeaking' might exist as a concept and whether anyone had done research on the benefits to speaking fluency of regular 'freespeaking' analogous to the improvements in writing fluency after regular freewriting observed in the paper.

This is the Customise prompt I used on Google's NotebookLM with the article above as the only source

"I'm interested in how the principles of this research into freewriting could be applied to speaking? Is there such a thing as freespeaking to help deliver fluency in speaking? If students had to do "freespeaking" for a fixed length of time using a transcription tool like Turboscribe.ai, would they be able to measure increases in speaking fluency over an extended period like three months?"

I asked for an audio overview and I then uploaded the audio file of the audio overview to a new NotebookLM.

This is the summary NotebookLM made of the Deep Dive Conversation it had produced itself an hour or two earlier

"This audio recording investigates the concept of "free speaking" as a method to enhance spoken fluency, drawing parallels with the well-established practice of freewriting. It examines research by Yasuda on freewriting's positive impact on writing fluency in Japanese university students, noting significant gains within the initial weeks. The discussion explores practical ways to incorporate free speaking into daily life, such as talking to oneself or using prompts, and considers tools like transcription services for tracking progress. Ultimately, the speakers posit that consistent free speaking can build "speaking muscles," improve communication effectiveness, foster creativity, and contribute to overall language proficiency alongside accuracy-focused practices."

The Podcast or Audio overview is 18 minutes long and may not be interesting enough to spend that amount of time over, but here is a link to it:

https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/950162df-1264-4339-b4e6-11e651d98a97/audio

or,

Sharing the transcript on Rev:

https://www.rev.com/app/transcript/NjdjYTI5Y2E1NzY4YWU2YWQ0NTVmZmU4UW1CNm5IQkxtalh0/o/VEMwMTQ2NDY2MjUw

You might prefer to read these summaries.

Summary from Rev

"This transcript explores the concept of "free speaking" and its potential benefits for improving speaking fluency, based on research on the impact of "free writing" on writing fluency. The key points are:

- "Free speaking" is not an official term, but the idea is similar to free writing - allowing for unconstrained output without worrying about perfection. [14:42]

- Research has shown that free writing can significantly improve writing fluency in a relatively short time, suggesting that free speaking could have a similar effect on speaking fluency. [00:04]

- Free speaking can help automate the speaking process, freeing up cognitive resources to focus on other aspects of communication like tone, pacing, and nonverbal cues. [01:27]

- Incorporating free speaking into daily routines through techniques like speaking prompts, recording oneself, and practicing with language partners can help develop fluency.

- Free speaking may also unlock creative potential by removing barriers between thoughts and words, allowing for more spontaneous and engaging communication. [14:56]"

Reply from ChatGPT

I asked ChatGPT, "Does the concept of 'freespeaking' exist analogous to freewriting which certainly does, both in the context of writers' block and how it helps learners of English become more fluent writers?"

This was the reply:

"Reasoned about freespeaking and freewriting for 28 seconds >

Yes, the idea of freespeaking is similar to freewriting. Both methods encourage learners to produce language continuously without worrying too much about mistakes.

How They Are Similar

• Spontaneity: In both freespeaking and freewriting, you speak or write without pausing to correct every error.
• Overcoming Blocks: They help break through anxiety or a mental block—whether it is a writing block or a speaking block.
• Fluency Building: Regular practice can make your language fluid and more natural over time.

Freespeaking in Language Learning

• Practical Use: Many language teachers use freespeaking exercises to help learners practise speaking spontaneously.
• Informal Term: Although the term is not as widely researched as freewriting, it is used to describe activities where learners speak for a set period without self-editing.

Overall, freespeaking is a useful technique for those who want to improve their spoken English, much like freewriting supports fluent writing."

Conclusion after consulting Perplexity

"While there isn't a direct equivalent of "freespeaking" in research, the principles of freewriting can be applied to speaking to improve fluency. Freewriting, as described by Peter Elbow, involves writing without planning or monitoring, allowing words to flow spontaneously1. This concept can be adapted to speaking to enhance fluency and spontaneity in oral communication."