I would say that a language partner should be someone who allows you to speak and helps you to improve and correct your speaking,and tries to give equal attention to your needs and his own.Some partners are too weak in my language to correct or really help me.Some want only to practise themselves and don't really want to help me.A good partnership should allow for both learners to develop their skills.IT is difficult to find,especially because being a good language teacher is a professional thing,and not everyone knows how to explain,just because they speak the language.Sometimes a learner may ask a question,and his partner does not know how to explain or answer.

hm, I guess my perfect language partner would be a person who actually wants to spend some time with me not because it is a must to learn a language but for the fun of doing it together.

In the past I have met too many people who thought of it as a burdon to meet other people and to learn a language at all.

If people could forget about that burdon for a second the conversations would be a lot more fun and there would be no tention.

Above all ( I guess), this way never ever again would I be in a situation when someone tells me "Oh, I want to study with my fellow mates for my exam in German today, we only have 20 minutes of talking today" ( and Julia: and what are we doing with you, am I not helping you out with German? o_O :D.