Against the backdrop of accelerating globalization and intensified cross-cultural communication, foreign language oral proficiency, a core component of linguistic communication, has gained growing prominence. Based on the CNKI database, this study adopts CiteSpace for visual analysis of Chinese literature on foreign language oral proficiency published between 2004 and 2024, aiming to explore the field’s research evolution, cutting-edge hotspots, and future prospects. The findings reveal that the number of publications has entered a normalized phase after rapid growth but remains unstable overall. While a few core authors and research teams have emerged in the academic collaboration network, large-scale, high-yield, and high-impact cooperation teams are yet to be formed. Research hotspots center on English oral proficiency and its enhancement, dimensions of oral expression, and the cultivation of expressive competence. The research trajectory has evolved through three phases: “concept definition—ability expansion—quality deepening”. In recent years, information technology and artificial intelligence have exerted a notable influence on this field. Accordingly, this study contends that future research on Chinese foreign language oral proficiency should undergo corresponding transformations.