Pros
Find Native Speakers Easily
Finding them is as easy as 1,2,3. If your target language is Spanish and you want to learn the Mexican type of Spanish you can do so by using the search filter. Most free and paid courses out there don’t offer this option. They usually have Latin American Spanish which is still good, but some people want to learn a specific type of language they are learning.
The best thing about this method as the name implies is, you can also get a language exchange partner. Let’s say you find someone who wants to learn the language you’re speaking and is the native speaker of the language you are learning then you can do a language exchange with each other.
Custom-tailored Vs Generic
I can talk with my partner about whatever topic I want to talk about and not be limited to what has been laid out for me like most generic courses out there.
Say I want to talk about a hobby, sport, or fashion I can ask them to teach me the most commonly used words, phrases, and/or idioms even in this area rather than learning a bunch of words that I probably will never use in my daily lives. It’s time-saving, don’t you think?
This is the free way of getting a custom-tailored lesson for you. If you prefer to use a paid one you can use Preply, not only it’s affordable it is also effective as you’ll get a tutor who has experience in the teaching field, so you’re in good hands.
Build A Good Friendship
Cons
It’s difficult to find one that wants to teach seriously. Most of them are interested in chatting only, so it’s a trial and error process. Even if you find one that is interested, they (not all) are not good at teaching.
Read The Profile
Over the years, I realized that most users don’t read the profile of the person they send a chat request to. What’s the point of having it then? Please read it and stop asking the questions that have clearly been stated in the profile. Time is gold people.
Gender Biased
I’m not picky when it comes to language exchange partners. I accept both genders. Unfortunately, they are a few female users who are interested in having exchanges with men ONLY, which is quite disappointing. I mean, why?
This happens to a friend of mine as well, who is a guy. He sent out requests to males too, but…well, you know what happens.
The other day in a Facebook group, a woman requested to have a language practice only with women because she is afraid of harassment from men. Guest what happens next. Some of the members started to react negatively to her such as “Are women better at conversation than men?”, “Maybe she’s a lesbian”, etc.
Seriously, that makes me shake my head. Thank goodness there are a few good ones in there defending her, so kudos to them.
You're At The Wrong Place Dude
A few of them (men) use the websites as a dating platform. They have zero interest in learning languages whatsoever. This is the type of person I hate the most. It happened to me quite a few times and I taught them a good lesson.
I’ve been using language exchange websites for years and I pick up a few patterns. If they ask you these questions below, ignore them.
- Are you single/ married? Do you have a boyfriend?
- Can I see your picture?
- Do you have Skype, WeChat, etc? Let’s use those because this platform isn’t good.
Corrected But Don't Apply
Sometimes, I feel disappointed because as soon as I corrected them they make the same mistake over and over again as if my correction is invisible.
Built-In Software
A few of these websites don’t have their own built-in software like Skype. Those who have only have the chat feature and not the call and/or video feature. Some do have a call feature but it doesn’t work properly, either it’s on my end or the others. At the end of the day, we have to continue outside using Skype which is the popular option.
The thing about the call feature is some people just don’t know how to use it. If you want to talk with a certain user you should ask for permission first and not just call them out of nowhere. What if they are having a chat/ learning session with someone else and with you calling without telling them you’re disturbing them, literally.
That’s pretty much all. I’m sure there is more as time goes by. I mean the internet is always evolving and so does human. Maybe I’ll create a part two or something like that. Have you experienced something similar? Share with us whatever experience you have so we know how to handle such situations.
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I recommend https://www.penpaland.com its a language exchange-based social network website.
It looks like a good website. Though there are quite a few ads on the homepage. I’m really not a fan of those but I understand their purpose. I may give it a try. Thanks for the recommendation.