In this article you will find my selection of the best language exchange website.

How to Find Language Partners : The Linguistic Tandem Principle

If you want to practice a language, one of the most effective and fastest ways to find conversation partners is to use the sites dedicated to language exchange using the language tandem formula.

Simply subscribe to one of these communities to get in touch with people around the world who, like you, want to learn a language. If you study English for example, you can find an English or American correspondent who wants to learn French and exchange in English (and French) with him. It is therefore to help each other by sharing your knowledge for free.

I’ve gone on these sites for a long time. I think it’s great because it allows me to practice and make friends with people from around the world. I find conversation partners very helpful both at the beginning of the learning process and later on to maintain a learned language. For example, I have a lot of Spanish correspondents to maintain my level of Spanish.

These sites work so well over the years, many similar sites have emerged, and it is often difficult to choose among them. Having tested dozens I have chosen for you the best free sites dedicated to language exchange.

Before talking with your conversation partners, make sure to download our FREE 5 free conversation guides that allow you to review the basics to speak in English, Spanish, Italian, German or Portuguese:

The best sites for linguistic exchange to find language partners

Italki

Once on the site, click on “Community” and then “Language Partners“. The menu offers the language partner , the filter subscriber list based on the language they want to learn (eg. French) , and that they speak (eg. Spanish) , as well as age and place of origin. Each user should clearly specify the level of knowledge they have on the language , allowing them to choose people who have a similar level . In my case, having an advanced level in Spanish , I have to select conversation partners who are equivalent in French to make the conversation smoother and more enjoyable.

If you do not have time to do a language tandem , you also have the option to pay for a course. There are many choices and at very affordable prices : to give you an idea, Luca sometimes completes Portuguese conversation classes for less than 10 € / hour!

The Strong Points :

• The self-assessment system is based on European Framework : A1 , A2, B1 , B2, C1 and C2
• The graphics are nice
• The convenience of the search engine to find a perfect match for conversation partners
• The site has many members and you can find native speakers easily

Weaknesses:

• To start you need to send a friend request and wait to be accepted
• There is no internal video conferencing service site and you need to use Skype

Speaky

I like Speaky because you can start using it very fast: it takes two minutes flat to register (you can use your Facebook or Google account). Additionally, the “live ” button will find conversation partners without taking too much effort. One immediately sees people online and available to chat and talk.

With the “Find Friends” menu, you have the opportunity to study someone’s profile well before making contact by seeing their spoken / studied language, nationality, sex, age, interests. Moreover, the search engine filter identifies the native language that you want to learn or see the most active members for (if you are looking for a conversation, it is unnecessary to contact a person who  hasn’t connected in over a year ) . The site is completely free and it has recently been made accessible via Android.

The Strong Points:

• The speed with which we can find language partners 
• The chat system with the ability to correct ( and be corrected ) mistakes during chat
• The calling system (no need to go through Skype) with suggestions for topics and questions, the timer and the ability to take notes
• Badges and competitions to motivate people to make the language tandem

Weaknesses:

• The live feature is very nice but it is hard to see the conversation partner’s level in our language to sort profiles
• It would be better to have more added filters and options to choose the appropriate language partners 
• Although this facilitates registration, the obligation to register via Facebook or Gmail

Conversation Exchange

From the start menu you can choose the preferred language exchange online: face to face conversation, written correspondance or voice chat . The search menu allows you to find a match / language partner to add to your network. I have not misused this site to find a English speaking partner when I wanted to get better but you will not have trouble making conversation in Spanish, Italian , German, Portuguese , Chinese, Russian , etc.

The Strong Points :

• The search for partners by exchange mode (if you want to talk , no need to find someone who just wants to exchange letters )
• Fast and convenient website

Weaknesses:

• The absence of an integrated video chat ( but you can use Skype)
• It is not clear whether a user is online or not to talk to someone, and so you first need to exchange messages

HelloTalk (iPhone and Android Application)

HelloTalk is an app that allows you to find partners to practice directly on your smartphone or tablet. It is possible to converse over text or send small audio messages ( like WhatsApp ) . You can do a language exchange and start conversing with the native speakers. If you want to talk longer and live , you can always share your Skype.

Tip: To find friends easier with whom you can practice, it is preferable to display only the people who took the time to complete their presentation file (or who are online ) because there are a lot of inactive people .

The Strong Points:

• Allows you to practice on your smartphone, which does not take much time
• The voice, translation and correction system is all very nice

Weaknesses:

• Not always easy to find online and active people (depending on the hour and learned languages)
• Not very suitable for iPad and tablets, as it takes a little time to get used to the interface and find all options.

Conclusion

For me , the best language exchange sites are iTalki and Go Speaky, while the best language tandem application is Hello Talk. However, this may depend on personal taste .

All these sites are very useful, and you will not struggle to find conversation partners with them. Many other language exchange sites offer a similar service, but I wanted to give you the list of best to save you time. For completeness , I mention those who seemed to me less attractive or functional ( Verbling which was free before , Livemocha , Busuu , 12Speak and My Language Exchange) , or those that are not yet available in French ( My Happy Planet ) and the sites which appear best suited to meet the disconnected like Polyglot club.

If you want to converse with language partners, be sure to download our FREE “5 free conversations guides” that allow you to review the useful basics to speak in English, Spanish , Italian, German or Portuguese :

The next article is devoted to practicing a foreign language by meeting people in the real world. I also suggest that you read the 7 golden rules for linguistic exchange to be even more effective.

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