Learn languages for free !!!

What is a language exchange?
A language exchange is two or more people who speak different
languages practicing each other's language. For example, an
English speaker who is learning French will do a language
exchange with a French speaker who is learning English. There
are many ways to practice in a language exchange.

Why do a language exchange?
You need the right kind of practice - and lots of it. In
these respects, a language exchange is more effective than
the other popular ways to practice: the language class and
complete cultural immersion.
In a class, there is very little time to practice speaking,
because a lot of time is spent on instruction and the class
may have too many students to give everyone enough meaningful
practice. Also, there is no native speaker except the teacher
(if you're lucky). That means you are not used to listening
to native speakers and may not be able to understand them.
You're probably not learning the informal expressions and
slang that native speakers use all the time. You don't learn
anything about how the people "are" in that culture, how they
interact, their sense of humor, their values, etc.
On the other hand, a complete immersion can be ineffective
because people don't know how to help you learn - they may
speak too fast or use slang you don't understand. Also they
may not be patient and just switch to your native language if
they speak it, not giving you a chance to practice. Immersion
can also be scary. The people in the place of your immersion
may speak with a very different accent than the one you
learned from your teacher. Also, if people don't speak your
language, you can get stuck and not be able to communicate at
all!

In a language exchange, however, you practice more than you
would in a class, talking with native speakers of the
language you're learning, in a relaxed and supportive
environment where there is patience and time to understand. A
language exchange is also a wonderful way to learn the real
spoken language of the culture, with all its "incorrect"
grammar, informal expressions and slang. Therefore, a
language exchange is the best training to bridge the gap
between classroom learning and communicating in the real
world!

How to do a language exchange?
During your practice, you should use the lesson plans in the
Chat Companion. This will provide the structure and
activities needed in your language exchange. It is the next
best thing to having an actual qualified teacher facilitate
your practice session. But unlike in the typical teacher-led
conversation class, you will totally forget the idea of
grammar and instead practice using what you know - what
you've studied before. The activities you will do and the way
you will do them will help your listening comprehension,
pronunciation and vocabulary. Your grammar will improve on
its own with practice. In addition, depending on the lesson
plan you use, you will work on other communication and
conversation skills.

This is the best practice that's ever been designed for
people who have an intermediate level in their second
language!

How to earn money via language exchange?
Some of the websites (listed below) allow you teach for money
(credits). The idea is that people will pay for teaching over
Internet. Its a new feature and still under development. You
will see some beta versions there, so be careful.
I will be talking about monetizing your language skills in my
next article.


Skype
(just like qq, msn)
is software that allows users to make telephone calls over
the Internet. Calls to other users of the service and to
free-of-charge numbers are free, while calls to other
landlines and mobile phones can be made for a fee. Additional
features include instant messaging, file transfer and video
conferencing.

Language Exchange via Skype
It is a great, dead simple method you can use to have fun
learning a language while you meet new people and earn some
money.
Some websites that will help you enhance the power of skype
and allows you to search for your language partners.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank for help in
writing this article.

http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/

http://www.italki.com

http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?

id=2516930352&ref=s

http://soziety.com

Some tips from my experience.
1.Take your time to find a suitable language partner- be
fair!!!

2.Don't force people to be your language partner - not
everyone on the Internet wants to learn languages.

3.Don't waste your time and theirs on stupid questions. Get
straight to the point - Lesson or ask them what they want to
talk about . Maybe about their business maybe you both can
benefit from it and you can learn something more than a
language. Another bonus.

4.Be nice and polite - first you have to give - to take more
later on - don;t be greedy.

5.Try to develop a relationship with your language partner -
don't use him because he will just go away and find someone
else if he thinks you are being an ass.

6.Explore the websites I gave you above - they have some

other features that can be pretty useful for you.
- resources
- language games
- flash cards, etc
- lessons plans
Use these resources with you language partners so you can
learn more in a more effective environment.

7.Be patient - skype may have some delays. Especially when we
talk about text messaging - If you give your language partner
a quick bell, this should help a lot.

8.Make your learning experience and have fun. Talk about some
interesting stuff. Don't waste your time on introductions.

Its a good idea to complete your skype profile.
Moreover by doing this you should get peoples trust more
easily!!!

9.Treat your language partner well. Don't use people. First
you have to give to take more later on. Keep them happy and
they will be more helpful.

10. work out a routine with your language partner - set up
times when are both surfing the net or working.
These 10 points should help you big time. If you have more
suggestions people leave comments.

Good luck

REMEMBER LEARN AND HAVE FUN