Busuu, a Chegg service with over 120 million registered users, today announced the launch of a new experience that combines AI and human coaching to help professionals communicate with confidence and deliver business impact.
The launch comes as Busuu publishes a new report revealing that second-language anxiety – the stress associated with speaking a non-native language in professional settings – is preventing professionals from speaking up, pursuing opportunities and performing at their best at work.
Second-language anxiety is not a new phenomenon: decades of research have documented the emotional and psychological barriers people can experience when speaking another language. This new research suggests these challenges remain highly relevant in today’s increasingly international workplaces.
The Silent Cost of Language Anxiety at Work report, based on a survey of more than 1,000 Busuu workplace learners across 64 countries, found that nine in ten professionals (90%) prepare before high-stakes conversations, typically by writing scripts (45%), using translation apps (43%), reviewing key vocabulary (41%) or rehearsing aloud (38%). Yet only 24% use a language-learning app to do so.
The report also found that more than half of professionals (55%) simplify what they want to say when using a second language at work. One in four (25%) stay silent despite having something valuable to contribute, while another 25% allow a colleague to speak on their behalf.
- In open-ended responses, professionals described being unable to contribute fully in meetings, struggling to explain technical issues to international colleagues, and lacking confidence when speaking with customers, suppliers and senior leaders.
- Meetings were the most frequently mentioned source of second-language anxiety, particularly when learners had to speak with senior leaders, clients or international colleagues.
- Nearly half of respondents (49%) identified unexpected or unplanned conversations as what creates the most second-language anxiety during a typical working week, while regular international team calls (26%) were the most common recurring scheduled trigger.
These findings highlight a growing challenge for learning and development (L&D) leaders: while organisations continue to invest heavily in language learning, many employees still struggle to perform in high-pressure situations.
“The research confirms what we’ve been hearing from employers,” said Karine Allouche, General Manager at Busuu. “They’ve invested heavily in language learning and skills development, but what they really need is people who can perform in another language when the stakes are high.
“We believe this will become increasingly important as AI changes the workplace. When organisations can use AI to handle execution, they’ll need people who excel in the things that AI can’t do – like reading the room, negotiating a sensitive deal and building relationships with clients.”
Busuu evolves from language learning app to workplace performance platform
Busuu’s new experience has been built to bridge this gap between language learning and workplace performance.
For more than a decade, Busuu has helped millions of people learn languages. Today, it is evolving beyond this to help learners improve their performance in another language when under pressure, while also giving organisations a clearer picture of the impact of learning.
What sets the new Busuu apart is an adaptive learning path that combines personalised learning, AI coaching and human tutoring, building on programmes already trusted by Fortune 500 employers. The platform first identifies what each learner already knows and where they get stuck, then lets them rehearse real work scenarios – presentations, client meetings and negotiations – with an AI speaking partner available 24/7. From there, live tutoring and peer practice add the feedback only people can give.
The new Busuu also brings two kinds of content into a single learning path: Busuu’s language courses, and a library of workplace skills courses — presenting, negotiating, running meetings, handling difficult client conversations — taught and practised in the language the learner needs them in. Skills are no longer a separate programme bolted onto language training; they are learned in the language they will be used in.
Rather than focusing solely on course completion, proficiency levels or learning activity, Busuu’s new experience is designed to improve real-life outcomes: speaking up in meetings, leading presentations, handling client conversations and building influence across international teams. With the new Busuu, a manager doesn’t just speak more confidently in another language; they close deals in it. A project lead doesn’t just learn vocabulary for meetings; they run them.
François Debois, Global Director for Learning Excellence and Innovation at L’Oréal, said: “In a global organisation like L’Oréal, success often depends on how effectively people communicate across languages and cultures. Whether it’s an international client meeting, a virtual team discussion or a project presentation, employees need to be able to perform with confidence in real workplace moments.
“What is particularly compelling about Busuu’s approach is the focus on helping employees prepare for genuine business situations. By connecting learning directly to the conversations and challenges employees face every day, we will strengthen both engagement and business impact.”
The launch marks the next chapter in Busuu’s evolution and supports the wider mission of its parent company, Chegg, to help learners, professionals and organisations build the skills and confidence they need to succeed throughout their careers.
The new Busuu experience is currently in pilot and will be available from the end of October. Find out how to get early access and read Busuu’s latest report, The Silent Cost of Language Anxiety at Work.
Notes to editors
Methodology
The findings in Busuu’s report, The Silent Cost of Language Anxiety at Work, are based on a survey of more than 1,000 of its active workplace learners across 64 countries. The survey took place in April/May 2026, and was designed to understand the impact of language anxiety on communication, confidence and performance at work.
About Busuu
Busuu is a performance platform that helps people communicate with confidence and professional impact in another language. It combines language courses with workplace skills content — presentation, negotiation, client communication and leadership — delivered through adaptive AI, expert human coaching and real-world practice, so learners build both the language and the communication skills they need to perform in the moments that matter most.
About Chegg
Chegg is a learning and employability platform that helps students and lifelong learners build the skills, confidence, and career readiness to succeed from learning to earning, while helping businesses develop and upskill their workforce. Through AI-powered, personalized experiences, Chegg supports learners across academics, workplace readiness, professional upskilling, and language learning. By combining proprietary data, AI, and deep insight into how students learn and build their careers, Chegg remains committed to improving employability and creating better outcomes for learners and employers. Chegg is a publicly held company and trades on the NYSE under the symbol CHGG. For more information, visit www.chegg.com.
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