Over 70% of English Learners Eager for Overseas Travel During Golden Week, Despite Anxiety About Spontaneous English Conversation! Nearly Half of Input-Focused Learners Lack Confidence to Respond Within 3 Seconds. Professor Hideo Mori Explains the 'English Freeze Phenomenon' – Why Words Get Stuck While Traveling.
AI English conversation service "Speak" conducted a survey revealing that while enthusiasm for overseas travel is high ahead of the maximum 12-day Golden Week, nearly half of English learners feel anxious about "spontaneous English conversation." Especially among input-focused learners, the 'English Freeze Phenomenon'—understanding but being unable to speak—is prominent, suggesting that speaking practice with AI is effective in resolving this issue.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 14:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 16:49 (122h 17m after Collected)
AI English conversation "Speak" (operated by Speak Japan LLC) conducted a survey titled "The 'English Freeze Phenomenon' Reality Survey – When Your Mind Goes Blank" targeting 536 English learners with overseas travel experience (136 with English output habits / 400 with English input focus). The survey was supervised by Professor Hideo Mori of Reitaku University's Faculty of Foreign Studies, ahead of the 2026 Golden Week (GW), which offers a maximum of 12 consecutive holidays.
This survey revealed that while the "English barrier" in overseas travel is lowering due to the spread of translation apps, a challenge emerged: nearly half of English learners focused on input lack confidence to respond within 3 seconds in actual travel situations. Professor Mori calls this state, where one understands the meaning but cannot instantly produce words, the "English Freeze Phenomenon." It was found that daily output habits promote a state of "automation" where English knowledge can be used without conscious thought, and the joy of speaking for oneself is 2.2 times higher than when using translation apps, leading to greater travel satisfaction.
【Survey Summary】
①【Travel Intent】Despite the headwinds of a weak yen and rising prices, 73.2% of English learners have "a desire to travel overseas this GW."
②【Confidence Gap】A 2.4-fold difference in anxiety about "not being able to speak English" when considering travel. 66.2% of the output-habit group are positive, thinking "I'm anxious, but I'll manage."
③【Freeze Phenomenon】About half of those with high school level knowledge lack confidence to respond within 3 seconds. Over 80% of English input-focused learners are trapped by the curse of perfectionism.
④【Joy of Self-Expression】The proportion of the English output-habit group who answered that the satisfaction of "being able to convey in my own words" is "overwhelmingly higher than with translation apps" was 2.2 times higher than the input-focused group.
⑤【Learning Effect】Speaking practice with AI turns English knowledge into "usable power." 92.7% of continuous Speak learners feel its effect!
【Survey Background】
This survey was conducted with the following two backgrounds:
Background ①: Overseas travel enthusiasm amidst a weak yen and unstable situation, and changes in the "English barrier" due to the spread of translation apps.
The 2026 GW offers a maximum of 12 consecutive holidays, raising expectations for overseas travel, but the weak yen and unstable international situation continue. In a situation where the "English barrier" is lowering due to the spread of translation apps, what challenges remain in actual English conversation situations? By clarifying this reality, we aim to provide English learning guidelines for more satisfying overseas travel.
Background ②: Elucidation of the 'English Freeze Phenomenon' – knowing but unable to speak – and proposing the joy of speaking for oneself.
Speak aims to solve the problem many Japanese people face: "I understand words and grammar, but I can't speak spontaneously." This press release calls the state of getting stuck for words in actual situations the "English Freeze Phenomenon" and visualizes the difference in quick response ability based on learning style. By proposing effective learning methods, we encourage the joy of speaking for oneself.
【Survey Outline】
Survey Name: The 'English Freeze Phenomenon' Reality Survey – When Your Mind Goes Blank
Target: English Output Habit Group (136 men and women in their 20s-60s nationwide who have continued English conversation learning with Speak for over 1 year)
English Input Focused Group (400 men and women in their 20s-50s nationwide, internet survey)
Survey Method: Output-habit group: Speak users; Input-focused group: Internet survey
Survey Period: March 23-27, 2026
Over 70% travel intent defying the headwinds of a weak yen and rising prices.
Over 80% feel the "English barrier" has lowered due to the spread of translation apps.
Despite anxieties such as soaring prices, a weak yen, and an unstable situation, English learners' interest in overseas travel is very high, with 73.2% responding that they "want to go (very much want to go + want to go)" overseas for this year's GW.
The proportion of people who feel that the "English barrier" in overseas travel has become lower than before due to the spread of AI and translation apps (strongly feel + feel) reached 75.8% for the English output-habit group and 82.6% for the English input-focused group, indicating that psychological hurdles are being lowered.
Anxiety about "not being able to speak English" hindering consideration of overseas travel. A 2.4-fold difference in anxiety factors by learning style.
The proportion of people who feel "not being able to speak English" is an anxiety factor (biggest anxiety factor + considerable anxiety factor) when considering overseas travel reached 59.9% for the English input-focused group (n=197 *1).
On the other hand, the proportion feeling similar anxiety in the English output-habit group (n=77 *2) remained at 24.7%, showing a serious 2.4-fold difference in confidence between the two groups.
This survey revealed that while the "English barrier" in overseas travel is lowering due to the spread of translation apps, a challenge emerged: nearly half of English learners focused on input lack confidence to respond within 3 seconds in actual travel situations. Professor Mori calls this state, where one understands the meaning but cannot instantly produce words, the "English Freeze Phenomenon." It was found that daily output habits promote a state of "automation" where English knowledge can be used without conscious thought, and the joy of speaking for oneself is 2.2 times higher than when using translation apps, leading to greater travel satisfaction.
【Survey Summary】
①【Travel Intent】Despite the headwinds of a weak yen and rising prices, 73.2% of English learners have "a desire to travel overseas this GW."
②【Confidence Gap】A 2.4-fold difference in anxiety about "not being able to speak English" when considering travel. 66.2% of the output-habit group are positive, thinking "I'm anxious, but I'll manage."
③【Freeze Phenomenon】About half of those with high school level knowledge lack confidence to respond within 3 seconds. Over 80% of English input-focused learners are trapped by the curse of perfectionism.
④【Joy of Self-Expression】The proportion of the English output-habit group who answered that the satisfaction of "being able to convey in my own words" is "overwhelmingly higher than with translation apps" was 2.2 times higher than the input-focused group.
⑤【Learning Effect】Speaking practice with AI turns English knowledge into "usable power." 92.7% of continuous Speak learners feel its effect!
【Survey Background】
This survey was conducted with the following two backgrounds:
Background ①: Overseas travel enthusiasm amidst a weak yen and unstable situation, and changes in the "English barrier" due to the spread of translation apps.
The 2026 GW offers a maximum of 12 consecutive holidays, raising expectations for overseas travel, but the weak yen and unstable international situation continue. In a situation where the "English barrier" is lowering due to the spread of translation apps, what challenges remain in actual English conversation situations? By clarifying this reality, we aim to provide English learning guidelines for more satisfying overseas travel.
Background ②: Elucidation of the 'English Freeze Phenomenon' – knowing but unable to speak – and proposing the joy of speaking for oneself.
Speak aims to solve the problem many Japanese people face: "I understand words and grammar, but I can't speak spontaneously." This press release calls the state of getting stuck for words in actual situations the "English Freeze Phenomenon" and visualizes the difference in quick response ability based on learning style. By proposing effective learning methods, we encourage the joy of speaking for oneself.
【Survey Outline】
Survey Name: The 'English Freeze Phenomenon' Reality Survey – When Your Mind Goes Blank
Target: English Output Habit Group (136 men and women in their 20s-60s nationwide who have continued English conversation learning with Speak for over 1 year)
English Input Focused Group (400 men and women in their 20s-50s nationwide, internet survey)
Survey Method: Output-habit group: Speak users; Input-focused group: Internet survey
Survey Period: March 23-27, 2026
Over 70% travel intent defying the headwinds of a weak yen and rising prices.
Over 80% feel the "English barrier" has lowered due to the spread of translation apps.
Despite anxieties such as soaring prices, a weak yen, and an unstable situation, English learners' interest in overseas travel is very high, with 73.2% responding that they "want to go (very much want to go + want to go)" overseas for this year's GW.
The proportion of people who feel that the "English barrier" in overseas travel has become lower than before due to the spread of AI and translation apps (strongly feel + feel) reached 75.8% for the English output-habit group and 82.6% for the English input-focused group, indicating that psychological hurdles are being lowered.
Anxiety about "not being able to speak English" hindering consideration of overseas travel. A 2.4-fold difference in anxiety factors by learning style.
The proportion of people who feel "not being able to speak English" is an anxiety factor (biggest anxiety factor + considerable anxiety factor) when considering overseas travel reached 59.9% for the English input-focused group (n=197 *1).
On the other hand, the proportion feeling similar anxiety in the English output-habit group (n=77 *2) remained at 24.7%, showing a serious 2.4-fold difference in confidence between the two groups.