From Walkman to AI: The Gold Rush Every English Learner Needs to Know About
I Was That Kid
I was the kid who could not afford the gadget. But I always knew where to find it.
Growing up in Mumbai, I knew every tech shop in the city. Colaba. Flora Fountain. Fort area. There were camera shops there — big, serious shops with glass windows and beautiful cameras sitting inside like small works of art. I used to stop and stare. Not for one minute. For a long time. Just looking.
I never bought anything. I could not. But I looked. And I felt something every time I looked. Something like — someday. Someday this world of technology will be mine too.
Later, when malls came to Mumbai — Croma, eZone, Vijay Sales, Reliance Digital — I was there. Every time. Walking slowly through every aisle. Touching the laptops. Holding the phones. Watching the TVs. Playing the free PlayStation demo rounds they used to offer at the entrance — I played those rounds like my life depended on it.
I still have not bought a camera. My iPhone is doing that job for now. But that feeling — that excitement, that child-like wonder when technology does something new — never left me.
And then AI arrived.
And for the first time in my life, I am not standing outside the shop window anymore.
And here is the most beautiful part — neither are you.
What Is the Gold Rush? Let Me Tell You Simply.
You may have heard the words “gold rush” but maybe, like me, you did not study it very deeply in school. So let me tell you what it was — in simple words.
A long time ago — around 1848 — someone found gold in California in America. Just lying there in the ground. Real gold.
When people heard this news, something crazy happened. Thousands and thousands of people from all over the world packed their bags and ran to California. Farmers left their fields. Shopkeepers closed their shops. Sailors jumped off their ships. Everyone was going to the same place for the same reason.
Gold. Free gold. If you could just get there and dig.
Some people became very rich. Some found nothing. But everyone who went had one thing in common — they understood that this was a special moment. A moment that does not come every day. A moment that if you miss, you miss forever.
Now.
I want you to feel something.
What is happening right now — with AI and English speaking practice — is a gold rush.
The gold is not money. The gold is something more valuable than money for a learner like you.
The gold is speaking practice. Real, daily, patient, free, always-available speaking practice.
And most people are walking past it like it is just a rock on the road.
Why Speaking Practice Is the Gold
Let me tell you something I saw again and again in ten years of teaching.
Students who studied grammar — lots of them. Students who read English books — many. Students who watched English movies, listened to English songs, attended English classes for years and years — hundreds.
But students who actually spoke English every day, freely, without fear, with someone patient enough to listen and respond?
Very few. Very, very few.
Not because they did not want to. Because they did not have anyone to speak with.
Think about it honestly. Who do you speak English with today? Your classmates? They are also learning. Your family? They speak in your home language. Your teacher? For one hour, twice a week, in a class of thirty students.
That is not enough. It was never enough.
The gold was always speaking practice. And the gold was always missing.
Until now.
AI Talks Back. That Is the Whole Point.
Here is the thing that most people do not realise when they first use AI.
They type. AI types back. They read. They type again.
All text. All reading. No speaking.
And then they wonder why their speaking is not improving.
Friend, if you only type to AI, you are practising typing. Your mouth is learning nothing. Your voice is getting no exercise. The nervousness you feel before a real English conversation? Still there. Still waiting.
But here is what changes everything.
AI can talk to you. With its voice. And it can listen to you. With your voice.
A real conversation. Back and forth. Like two people actually talking.
This is the gold. This is what nobody told you was possible. And once you experience it — once you actually speak to AI and it speaks back to you in natural, clear English — something happens in your chest. A feeling like — oh. Oh, this is different. This is real.
That feeling is the gold rush moment. And I want every single learner reading this to feel it.
How to Actually Speak to AI — Step by Step, Very Simply
Let us go through all three apps. Simple steps. Nothing complicated. If you can send a WhatsApp voice note, you can do this.
ChatGPT — The Most Fun for Speaking
ChatGPT has something called Voice Mode. It is the closest thing to a real phone call with an AI.
You speak. It listens. It speaks back. You can interrupt it. It will not get angry. You can ask it to slow down. It will. You can ask it to say something again. It will do that too.
How to start — on your phone:
Step 1 — Open the ChatGPT app. If you do not have it, download it free from the App Store or Play Store.
Step 2 — Look at the bottom of the screen. You will see a small wave or headphone icon. Tap it.
Step 3 — A new screen opens. This is Voice Mode. It is listening now.
Step 4 — Just start talking. Say something simple. “Hi, I want to practise English. Can we have a simple conversation?”
That is it. You are in.
What to say when you start speaking:
Hi. I want to practise speaking English. I am a beginner — A1 or A2 level. Please speak slowly and use simple words. If I make a mistake, correct me gently. Let us talk about something from my daily life. You start — ask me one simple question.
Now here is something very important. Something nobody tells you but you need to know.
You can interrupt AI while it is speaking.
If it is talking too fast — interrupt. Just start speaking. Say “Wait, please say that again slowly.” It will stop and repeat.
If the words are too difficult — interrupt. Say “Please use simpler words.” It will change immediately.
If the tone feels wrong, too formal, too fast, too serious — tell it. Say “Can you talk more like a friendly teacher?” and it will shift.
You are in control. Always. AI is patient. It does not have a bad mood. It does not check its watch. It is there for you completely until you close the app.
One honest thing to know: Finding the right pace and tone that works for you will take a few sessions. The first conversation might feel a little strange. That is completely normal. It is like the first day at a new job or the first day in a new class. A little awkward. Then it gets comfortable. Then it gets good. Keep going.
Gemini — Great for Speaking and Reading Together
Google’s Gemini works a little differently. You speak — it converts your words into text — and then it responds. This is actually very useful for learners because you can see exactly what it heard.
If the text looks right — your pronunciation was clear. If it shows strange words — that tells you something about how you are pronouncing things. Useful feedback without anyone saying a word.
How to start — on your phone:
Step 1 — Open the Gemini app or go to gemini.google.com on your phone browser.
Step 2 — See the microphone icon in the message bar at the bottom. Tap it.
Step 3 — Speak your message. Speak clearly, not too fast. Gemini will listen and convert your words to text.
Step 4 — It will respond. Read the response, then tap the microphone again and speak your reply.
What to say:
I am going to speak to you in English. I am an A2 or B1 learner. I want to have a simple conversation. Please reply in short, simple sentences. After every 3 or 4 of my messages, tell me one thing I said that sounded a little unnatural and show me a better way to say it. Let us start — please ask me about my day.
Claude — Best for Thoughtful Conversations and Deep Feedback
Claude does not have live voice mode like ChatGPT. But do not let that stop you. Claude is extraordinary for speaking practice in a different way.
The best method with Claude:
Speak into your phone’s microphone — using the mic button inside the Claude mobile app — and Claude will convert your words into text and respond. You speak, it reads what you said, and it responds in text. You read the response, speak again.
It is a little slower than ChatGPT’s voice mode. But Claude gives some of the most thoughtful, detailed, and caring feedback you will find anywhere.
What to say:
I am speaking to you using my microphone. I am an A1 or A2 English learner. Please treat my words as spoken English, not written English. Respond in very simple, short sentences. Be patient. After I speak a few times, tell me what I am doing well and one thing I can improve. Let us have a simple, friendly conversation. Please start by asking me one easy question.
The Gold Rush Feeling — When It Happens
I want to tell you when the gold rush feeling happens. Because it will happen. And I want you to be ready for it.
It happens the first time AI says your name back to you in a sentence and responds to something personal you shared.
It happens when you say something in English — imperfect, a little messy — and AI understands you completely and responds naturally, like it always knew what you meant.
It happens when you realise the conversation has been going for fifteen minutes and you were not scared once.
It happens when you say something and then think — wait, did I just say that in English? Did I just do that?
That moment. That is the gold.
And you will not find it by typing. You find it by speaking.
Small Things That Make a Big Difference
These are small tips. Easy. But very helpful.
Start with one sentence. Do not prepare a long speech. Just say one sentence. “I want to practise English.” That is enough to begin.
Speak like you are talking to a friend. Not a teacher. Not an examiner. A friend. Relax your shoulders. Breathe. Talk.
Do not stop when you make a mistake. Keep going. AI understands imperfect English very well. You can ask for corrections at the end.
Ask AI to slow down any time. Just say “Please speak more slowly.” It will. Every time. Without any problem.
Change the tone whenever you want. If it feels too serious, say “Can we talk more casually?” If it feels too simple, say “You can use slightly harder words now.” You are always the boss.
Give it time. The first session might feel a little strange. The second feels easier. The third feels natural. By the tenth session you will wonder how you ever practised without it.
From That Kid at the Shop Window to This
I spent years standing outside shop windows. Looking at cameras I could not buy. Playing PlayStation demos for free because I could not afford the console. Sitting in Croma and eZone longer than any customer should — just to be near the technology. Just to feel it.
I became a teacher. Then a trainer. Then an author. And through all of it, that love for technology — that excitement, that child-like feeling when something new and powerful arrives — never left.
And then AI arrived.
And for the first time, I am not window shopping.
The most powerful learning tool in history is in my hands. For free. For everyone.
And I am not keeping it to myself. That is why I travel to colleges and NGOs and schools across India. That is why I write these blogs. That is why I built the Confluent Speaker mission.
Because that kid who could not afford the gadget? There are millions of them in India right now. Talented. Motivated. Dreaming in English even if they cannot yet speak it.
And the gold is right there. Free. Patient. Waiting.
All they have to do is tap the microphone and start talking.
Your One Action After Reading This
Do not close this blog and move on. Please.
Open ChatGPT or Gemini or Claude right now — whichever one you have. Find the microphone. Tap it. And say this one sentence out loud:
“Hi, I want to practise English. I am a beginner. Can we have a simple conversation?”
That is it. That is the whole action.
The gold rush has started. The only question is — are you going to stand outside the window and watch? Or are you going to walk in?
Walk in. The door is open. And this time, it is free for everyone.
Ready to find your voice? I’m Ziaur Rehman, author of The Confluent Speaker. I teach students across India how to speak English independently. Website | YouTube | Instagram
