I haven't had the chance to find many language partners yet. There's a few people with who I do talk back and forth whenever any of us have the chance to (due to time zone differences) and it's really nice, I always get kind of excited when I hear back from them but I'd love to find a few more people who I can talk to much more often, you know? and I feel like I haven't had much luck with that, but maybe this is completely normal and I'm just really impatient hahaha
How about you? Have you had a good experience finding Language Partners?
Have any of you even become friends with a language partner?
I think that it's great that so many of us share the desire and will to learn new languages and other people cultures, for me it's a new oportunity to make friends around the world.
Don't you think so?
I am very lucky to have five or six regular Japanese language partners - along with my weekly lesson, it means I spend an hour nearly every day speaking Japanese with a real live person - it is making a huge difference to my progress. (I should note that I am retired, so I have the time to do this - I realise that it would not be possible for a lot of people). Fortunately for me, I live in Australia, so the time difference is only 1 hour. I focussed on trying to find more mature women - like me! so we would have things in common - this has worked well,, although recently a couple of younger women have contacted me and I now talk to them too. A couple of my partners are fast becoming good friends - with one in particular we spend a lot of time laughing - which is a universal language! The newer ones I am still getting to know, but that is okay - all relationships take time to build. Finding I-talki, and using skype has completely revolutionised my language learning!
I also find it hard. I've tried a few times to make language partners, but I believe the time difference makes it difficult. I know that many Japanese people want to improve or learn English, and some really want to learn British English -- but the 8/9 hour time difference makes it really hard to talk. :(
I find it easier to exchange messages, but it's difficult to keep a dialogue going like that. I think I need to find people working the 'graveyard shift'!
I am starting to consider helping other learners instead, at least there's some practice involved. I have to say that I feel for my teachers when they offer to teach at around 4 in the morning to get European students!
