In my case, only one of my exchanges was a bit a failiure because my partner didn't have enough level in Spanish to understand me, and I had to repeat every sentence in order to be understood.

I think if you are able to have a class with a teacher speaking your target language the most of the time, probably you can do it now with a partner.

Hi Kate,

You have the advantage of being a native English speaker. As you're uncertain of your Spanish level, you may benefit from connecting with language partners who are at a high level in English as well as in Spanish (native).

You should be able to find several people somehow connected to teaching or academic careers, who are preparing for their English exams and would be interested in practising their English with you. In turn they would likely put on their teacher's hat for a moment and get down to talking basic Spanish with you, guiding you along the way.