29/01/2026
Findings highlight how teaching model can be used to successfully deliver English-speaking practice to more than 20,000 university students
29th January 2026, Cambridge, England – A new study from Cambridge University Press & Assessment and WeTALK highlights how flipped learning - a teaching model that encourages students to carry out online guided learning at home before entering the classroom for teacher-led activities - can help solve a key challenge: providing meaningful English-speaking practice to large numbers of university students across Peru.
Almost 80% of students reported using English more actively in the flipped learning environment.
The study focuses on the WeTALK English language programme, an initiative devised in 2019 by Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) in Peru, targeting over 20,000 students across three universities: UPC, Universidad Privada del Norte and Instituto Cibertec.
Implemented to address the challenge of providing English language classes to a vast number of students, distributed across multiple faculties, campuses and geographical locations, the programme is delivered through Cambridge’s Evolve Digital course, specifically designed for flipped learning environments.
Participants use Evolve Digital to work on their reading, vocabulary and grammar before coming to class. This allows online classes to focus exclusively on speaking and listening skills. The aim of the programme is to help students reach a B2 level of English which is required for them to graduate.
Speaking on the need for the study, Sara Miller, Academic Director WeTALK, commented:
Virtual learning, flipped learning methodology, and communicative methods are relatively new in the market and within Peruvian ideas of education. In general, Peru tends to have a very traditional view of education, and that is what students are used to. So, the aim of this study was to understand what teachers and students think of this approach – do they find it effective and is there scope for deeper integration and improvement? The initial findings are incredibly encouraging and will help guide future delivery of English language programmes on this scale.
Dr Brigita Seguis, Head of Impact Evaluation at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, added: Our study found that one of the key enablers of implementing flipped learning at scale is access to a ready-made learning platform, such as Evolve Digital, that is specifically designed for flipped delivery. The findings also highlight a set of best practices to help universities get the best out of flipped learning, including adapting delivery to local contexts, providing high levels of teacher support, and carefully onboarding students as they transition from traditional classroom models.
To evaluate the impact of the programme, Cambridge and WeTALK gathered data through questionnaires and focus groups from more than 900 teachers and students enrolled in the WeTALK English Language Programme.
Key findings from the study include:
- Most teachers were positive about the flipped learning approach but warned that successful implementation depends on students’ engagement with content before class, their autonomous learning habits and time management skills, as well as teachers’ own role in encouraging students to participate in class. Notably,
- 80% of teachers reported that they would recommend the flipped learning approach for teaching English.
- Two thirds of teachers said Evolve Digital helped students to become more confident in their English and understand how to improve their skills.
- Teachers reported that giving learners the opportunity to engage with vocabulary and grammar on their own using Evolve Digital enabled them to communicate more confidently in real-time classes.
- Students were positive about the impact of the flipped learning approach and how it had helped develop their speaking skills.
- Nearly 80% of students reported that online classes provided opportunities to use English actively, and a similar number felt that the variety of activities (such as breakout rooms and group exercises) helped them stay engaged.
- 73% agreed or strongly agreed that the pre-class materials on the Evolve Digital platform helped them prepare for online sessions.
- 77% felt that the online classes were effective in supporting their understanding of the course content.
The study was conducted by Dr Brigita Seguis (Cambridge University Press & Assessment), Gali Garcia Palomino (WeTALK) and Sara Miller (WeTALK).
About the Cambridge University Press & Assessment and WeTALK Collaboration
Created in 2019, WeTALK is a higher education success story in Peru. Originally conceived by the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC), it has since expanded to provide English to the Universidad Privada del Norte (UPN), the Cibertec and more widely in the general public. The main goal of the WeTALK programme is to help students improve their speaking skills through a virtual alternative to traditional, face-to-face English classes. Cambridge’s fully online
Evolve Digital English course is embedded into the programme allowing learners to combine independent study with in-class learning.