Abstract: Being able to speak to friends, colleagues, visitors and even strangers, in a foreign language or in a language which both speakers can understand, is surely the communication goal of very many learners. Yet speaking in a foreign language is very difficult, and competence in speaking takes a long time to develop. To speak in a foreign language, learners must master the sound system of the language, have almost instant access to appropriate vocabulary and be able to put words together intelligibly with minimal hesitation.