Language exchange – too risky?

I’ve just started my next level of Korean classes and if it made me realize anything, it’s that I still have SO MUCH practice to do in order to become remotely fluent in this new language. I mean, I’m understanding more and more, but to actually carry on a conversation…let’s just say that unless the party I’m speaking with speaks slower than a snail and is willing to repeat themselves, A LOT, I’m dead. So, reading other blogs about others who’ve learned (or are in the process of learning) Hangul, I saw many mention trying a language exchange to force me to practice speaking with native speakers.

You wanna run that by me, three more times?

Now that’s all well and good, but there are a handful of sites out there as well as apps, and it’s hard to know which are good and which are, well, creepy. Interpals.net came up quite a few times as a way to meet and speak to language partners. But because the site is also set up to allow people to possibly start romantic relationships, as you can imagine, there’s tonnes of trolls who want to swap more than conversation. I find that it’s really hard to tell if people who message me are really trying to start an exchange or attempting to find a long distance relationship (or a free pass to Canada). As much as I want to trust this place, I don’t think I will ever feel comfortable keeping up conversations with people from there.

No, I said I want to exchange LANGUAGE!

 

I’ve downloaded the Hello Talk! app which has been okay so far. The app was specifically created for language exchange and in its policies states that it’s not to be used to find your next boy/girlfriend. It even restricts users from being able to download or enlarge profile pictures in an effort to keep users’ minds on language and only language. I’ve been chatting with a few people so far, and I would say that the biggest challenge may be getting your language partners to speak Hangul (or whatever language you’re learning) with you. English is still the top on the list of languages that most other citizens want to learn. So as soon as they see that you’re a native speaker, especially one from North America, they tend to want to speak English more than not.

What sites/apps have you found work for language exchange? Ones where people are legit and not looking to hookup?

Learning Korean

안녕하세요!  Ah, a new language, when I barely have a grasp on my native one. Yes, earlier this year, I decided to take on a new language, that of Korean. I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t inspired by watching many Kdramas and movies and spending a lot of time in the K-Town area of Toronto.

I’ve always been a fan of languages; I took French through middle and high school and started learning some Swedish using Rosetta Stone. But this is the first language class I’ve taken since I was in school. If there’s one thing that learning a new language highlights, it’s just how HARD it is to start over.

If I had taken these classes back in school, I’d likely be semi-fluent by now, but as an adult, my brain just doesn’t absorb the way that it used to. i feel like I get what the instructor tells me while I’m in class, but then promptly forget almost all of it the second I leave, Though, there are a few more factors now then there were when I was a teenager; for one, I’m working full time now and have adult responsibilities to focus on, which takes time away from study.

But I think the biggest hurdle is practice. When you’re not required to speak your new language more than one or two hours a week (in class), you have no reason to keep your brain in “Korean mode”, and those neuro-pathways go stale. So I’m on the hunt for the best way to practice short of being airdropped into Seoul and refused departure for several months. So, I’m open to/looking for suggestions on how I can get more practice. I’ve already checked out My Language Exchange, but can be tricky with work schedules and timezones. 

Have you learned Korean? And if so, what did you find helped you the most with retaining/learning quickly?