Military Speaking Club: What is it and why should you join?

NEW EDITION STARTS: on 29th September 2026 and lasts 3 months until 15th December 2026.

Meetings on Tuesdays at 6:30 – 8:00 PM (CET) on Zoom. (12 meetings in total)

 

You understand English. You can read it, listen to it and probably use it at work. But how often do you actually speak it?

For military personnel, keeping your English active can be surprisingly difficult. You may use English occasionally during international exercises, deployments, courses or meetings, but there is rarely a place where you can simply speak English regularly with other military professionals from around the world.

That is exactly why I created the Military Speaking Club.

It is not another English course. It is an international online community where service members can practise speaking English, discuss interesting topics, exchange ideas and build confidence — without the pressure of a traditional classroom.

What is the Military Speaking Club?

The Military Speaking Club is an online speaking community for military personnel and service members who want to practise their English regularly.

We meet online and spend 90 minutes speaking about a different topic each week.

The format is deliberately simple:

• One 90-minute session per week
• Four sessions per month
• Online via Zoom
• Small-group discussions and breakout rooms
• Participants grouped according to their English level
• A different main topic for every meeting
• An international community of military professionals

You can join from wherever you are — whether you’re at home, on base, deployed abroad or travelling.

There are no long lectures to sit through.

The point is to speak.

This isn’t a traditional English class

If the thought of another English lesson makes you think about grammar exercises, vocabulary tests and being corrected every time you make a mistake, don’t worry.

The Military Speaking Club is different.

There are:

No grammar drills.
No long lectures.
No endless worksheets.

Instead, you get opportunities to actually use English.

You might discuss whether AI will transform warfare, debate the future of NATO, talk about cybersecurity, speculate about future conflicts or discuss the impact of social media on military operations.

And sometimes we’ll talk about something completely different — because speaking English should be interesting, too.

The goal isn’t to turn every conversation into an English lesson.

The goal is to create an environment where English becomes the language you use to communicate.

Why is regular speaking practice so important?

There is a big difference between knowing English and being able to speak English confidently.

You can recognise thousands of words when you read them.

You can understand a podcast.

You can get a good score on a grammar exercise.

But when somebody suddenly asks:

“What do you think will be the biggest challenge for NATO over the next decade?”

…your brain can suddenly go completely blank.

This is extremely common.

Speaking requires you to think, organise your ideas, find the right vocabulary and construct sentences in real time.

You cannot develop that skill simply by studying more vocabulary.

You have to practise using the language.

And you have to do it regularly.

The Military Speaking Club helps you keep your English active

This is particularly important if you don’t use English every day.

• Perhaps you passed an English exam a few years ago, but you don’t have many opportunities to speak now.
• Perhaps you are preparing for an international assignment.
• Perhaps you work in a national environment but occasionally have to communicate with foreign colleagues.
• Or perhaps your English is good, but you simply don’t want to lose it. Because as we know… if you don’t use it, you lose it.

Regular speaking practice helps you keep your English active rather than passive.

Instead of recognising a word when you see it, you practise actually using it.

Instead of understanding an opinion, you practise expressing your own.

Instead of listening to someone else’s argument, you practise responding to it.

That’s where real progress happens.

Speak with people who understand your world

One of the biggest advantages of the Military Speaking Club is the community.

You aren’t joining a generic English conversation group where you have to explain what NATO is or why military personnel use certain terminology.

You’re speaking with people who understand the environment.

Our discussions can naturally move towards:

• military technology
• deployments
• cybersecurity
• defence and security
• NATO and international alliances
• geopolitics
• migration
• climate change
• space exploration
• future conflicts
• military strategy
• current affairs

And because the participants come from different countries and backgrounds, you don’t just practise English.

You exchange perspectives.

Someone from one country may see an issue completely differently from someone from another.

That is one of the most interesting parts of the club.

You don’t have to be perfect

Another important principle of the Military Speaking Club is that you don’t need perfect English to participate.

In fact, making mistakes is part of the process.

This isn’t a space where somebody interrupts you every ten seconds to correct your grammar.

The club is designed to help you build confidence and overcome speaking barriers.

You will not receive feedback on every single mistake you make.

Why?

Because sometimes the most important thing is simply to keep talking.

You need to experience what it feels like to communicate successfully even when your English isn’t perfect.

Over time, this makes speaking feel much less intimidating.

What about your English level?

You don’t need to be an advanced speaker.

The club includes participants at different levels, and breakout rooms allow you to practise with people at a similar level.

If you’re working towards STANAG 6001 Level 3, you’ll have the opportunity to challenge yourself with more complex discussions, opinions, predictions and hypothetical situations.

If you’re closer to Level 2, you can focus on becoming more fluent and comfortable expressing yourself.

The important thing is that you’re actively using English.

You will discuss more than military topics

Although the club is designed specifically for military personnel, that doesn’t mean every conversation has to be about war, weapons and geopolitics.

Sometimes we talk about serious issues.

Sometimes we debate controversial questions.

And sometimes we simply have fun.

Topics might include fitness and gym culture, travelling, technology, cultural differences or life in the military.

Why?

Because that’s what real conversations are like.

You don’t spend your entire day discussing military doctrine.

And you shouldn’t have to spend your English practice doing it either.

It’s also a way to connect internationally

There is another reason to join the club that has nothing to do with grammar or vocabulary.

People.

The Military Speaking Club brings together service members from different countries and gives them an opportunity to communicate outside their normal professional environment.

You can discover how people in other militaries work, what their experiences are like and how they see the world.

You may join because you want to improve your English.

You may stay because you’ve met interesting people.

And that’s exactly how a good community should work.

 

Who is the Military Speaking Club for?

The club is particularly suitable for you if:

• you want to improve your English speaking skills
• you understand English well but don’t speak it often
• you want to become more confident speaking English
• you’re preparing for a deployment or international assignment
• you work in a multinational military environment
• you’re preparing for STANAG 6001
• you want to keep your English active
• you want to discuss interesting topics rather than complete grammar exercises
• you want to meet military professionals from other countries
• you don’t want to practise English by talking to random strangers on language-learning apps

And you don’t have to wait until your English is “good enough.”

Speaking is how you make it better.

Military English isn’t just about passing an exam

A certificate can tell you what level of English you demonstrated on a particular day.

It doesn’t necessarily tell you how comfortable you feel when you have to speak to an international colleague.

Imagine being at a multinational exercise.

Someone asks for your opinion.

You disagree with a colleague from another country.

You have to explain a problem.

Someone asks an unexpected follow-up question.

You need to make your point clearly.

That’s when speaking confidence matters.

The Military Speaking Club is designed to give you regular opportunities to practise those skills in a relaxed environment before you need them in real life.

So, why join?

You should join if you want a place where you can:

• Speak English regularly.
• Build confidence.
• Discuss topics that actually interest you.
• Meet other military professionals.
• Keep your English active.
• Challenge yourself without worrying about making mistakes.

And perhaps most importantly:

Use English as a means of communication, rather than constantly studying it as a subject.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what language is for.

Ready to join the Military Speaking Club?

You don’t need another textbook.

You don’t need another vocabulary list.

And you definitely don’t need to wait until your English is perfect.

You just need to start speaking.

Join the Military Speaking Club and speak, connect and grow with military professionals from around the world.

Your English won’t improve by waiting for the perfect opportunity to speak.

Create the opportunity.

See you in the Club!