Language Exchange Tips for Fun and Effective Conversations

Everyone and their dog knows that language learning is easier, faster, and more fun when you have found a great language partner. It makes it so much fun when you can easily practice your vocabulary with someone you really want to speak to.

In this article, I'm going to tell you the best tips from our Fluent Show episode with Lindsay Williams and Jonathan Huggins, who runs several community challenges and groups for language learners.

Listen to the episode here:

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How to Find The Perfect Language Exchange

The most rewarding way of practicing your language is by connecting with people on a 1-to-1 basis. It takes commitment to make any language exchange successful.

Approach Exchanges With The Right Mindset

No matter who you are speaking to in your target language, remember that a little consideration can go a long way. It is easy to add an exchange partner to your checklist right next to "app" and "coursebook", but harder to remember that they're a person with a life to live too.

Start by generously giving something, and consider how you can help the other learners instead of simply seeing them as a resource. It's important to respect your partner's life so you can build up a relationship that keeps on giving.

To make sure you’re ready for the new words you’ll learn in an exchange, review these great guidelines for improving your vocab memory.

Before you start a language exchange:

It's important to feel like you're going to both give and get something out of your language exchange.

Who would be a great exchange partner for you?

Consider whether you will benefit most from finding a native speaker, a teacher, a good explainer, or simply a buddy who can help you progress.

Think also about where you’d like them to be located, because online exchanges are much easier when your timezones are convenient for each other.

Look for people who you have something in common with. Find out if you'll be on your partner's wavelength by checking out their profile, hobbies, location, and more.

Is it best to practice with my partner?

It can be amazing to learn languages with your partner, but…not always! In my own relationship of German/English speaker, we never really made it work. Read my story and get 5 Ways to Inspire Your Partner to Learn Your Language.

Where to find the best language exchange partners?

For detailed tips on finding great people locally and online, make sure you check out this blog article on the best places to find great exchange partners.

You can also look for people on these apps.

Language Exchange — Jonathan's Facebook group for anyone who wants to practice with native speakers.

Before starting a conversation or following someone, it's important to check their bios on social media. It helps gauge their interests and motivations. Sharing a brief summary of your background, interests, and goals can also increase the chances of a satisfying exchange.

Tools and technology needed for a language exchange

Most language exchanges online require fast internet, a good webcam, a microphone, and video conferencing software.

Click here to read about our recommended online teaching tools, which you can use for exchanges too!

Don’t forget, you might even find a local exchange partner to meet in a café. Then you only need a phone to send a message and organise the meeting!

Don’t just start with “hello”

Send more than just a "hello", and try asking questions and connecting based on something you saw in your potential partner's profile. For example, if they are a Frencg learner and they talk about a place they love to travel to, you can say: “Hey, I saw that you’re learning French and you’ve travelled to La Rochelle. I love it there! Have you ever eaten at Le Petit Marinier?".

Consider your expectations. Being someone's language learning partner is a commitment to be taken seriously, and it is your partner's decision whether they will be ready to join you.

Agree on how your exchange is going to work:

When will you practice which language?
Who's going to arrange the timeslots?
Will you send recordings, chat, focus on specific language points like grammar topics or vocab?
What will you talk about each week?

Finally, consider what level you are at in your target language and how this will impact the kinds of things that you can say and understand.

Once Your Language Exchange is Underway

“A language exchange is like a plant: If you don't look after it, it's going to die.”
Jonathan

Great job, you’ve started meeting your language exchange partners. Here’s how to make sure the new connection doesn’t fizzle out.

Keep the Conversations Interesting

Prepare something to talk about in each session and make sure you don't let each other down and spend the whole session asking superficial questions. For example, find a news item and explain what it means in your local context, share a recipe, or select a conversation starter question. This directory is an incredible list of topics, you’ll never run out of ideas.

Stay Kind to Yourself

No one needs to expect a miracle from a language exchange. If you are shy and you don't establish what you have in common with another person, your language exchange will be just as uncomfortable as it would be in a monolingual environment.

Before and during the exchange, it helps to have a notebook ready. You can even start a language learning journal so you have space to reflect on how it went. Here’s my online course showing you exactly how to organise this journal for success, and here are some tips about using the bullet journal technique.

We love to try these tricks for helping you with your mindset and any self-doubt that comes up while you’re speaking another language. And if you want more ideas, here’s a list of 5 creative ideas for language lessons and exchanges.

Don’t Partner-Hop Like You’re on Tinder

Language exchanges are best treated like a really great friendship. Find consistent people to talk to so you can establish common ground and start going beyond the broring, repetitive topics that happen at the start of creating a new relationship.

Try alternative ways of making your exchange work, for example recording yourself so you can send a "message in a bottle" and still stay in touch even when life gets busy.

Don’t Forget About Group Exchanges

If you haven’t found a 1:1 language exchange partner yet, you can also join a language exchange group and talk to other learners.

In my podcast episode with Brian from Online Language Exchange, we discussed the best ways to get a lot out of these groups.

Don’t worry if you are a beginner: If you find somebody who is at a more advanced stage than you are, you can give them advice and share tips and resources.

No more dull textbooks or mundane drills – you'll be part of a community of like-minded learners who are passionate about mastering new languages. See you in the newsletter!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you start an effective language exchange?

Remember, language exchanges are about building relationships. So don’t just look for “someone to talk to”, instead imagine you are getting in touch with a brand new friend. You can find exchange partners online in forums, groups, through apps like HelloTalk and the fantastic website italki. (affiliate link, we recommend italki)

What makes a good language partner?

A good exchange partner will be learning a language you know well, and fluent in a language you are learning. This way, you can share the time each of you spends practicing speaking.

It has to be someone that you enjoy talking to, and feel comfortable with. In conversations, it helps if your exchange partner is patient, interesting, and doesn’t correct too much.

What do you talk about during a language exchange?

There are no rules! You don’t have to talk about language rules at all, because exchanges are not like lessons. Find some common ground, talk about what you like, the sports and hobbies you do, favourite foods, and what bands you’ve seen live. A great language exchange is just like talking to a good friend…only in another language!

Why is a language exchange good?

Language exchanges are a powerful language learning tool! They give you

Authentic conversations to improve your listening skills, pronunciation, and fluency
Language learning on a budget. They are often free, both partners give up their time.
A great opportunity to meet new people, grow your relationships, and learn more about the culture of your target language.

Do you need to practice with native speakers?

You don’t have to find a native speaker! Often, learners who are more advanced than you are a great person to practice with. With native speakers, it can be difficult to understand regional accents and they don’t always know how to explain their language rules in detail.

To get native-level practice into your studies before you go hunting for speakers all over town, try bringing in audio resources or even TV. It's easy to watch television in other languages or use cool software like Yabla. (affiliate link)