Surely every person studying English has heard this advice: The best way learning a language is communicating with its native speakers. What to do if you don't have English acquaintances and a trip to America is not included in your immediate plans? Thanks to the Internet, you can immerse yourself in an English-speaking environment without leaving your home. Language exchange sites can help you with this.
These sites for communication with native speakers are designed so that native speakers different languages could help each other in their study. As a rule, to get started, you need to register and describe yourself and your interests in your profile a little. Then you can find English-speaking users interested in learning Russian, and send them messages with an offer to meet and chat in real time.
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Community of enthusiasts: teachers, students and just English lovers
This community consists of enthusiasts: teachers, students and just lovers of English as a mother tongue or foreign language. You can chat with other users who will check the exercises you have completed and explain all the intricacies of using various constructions. You can also record an audio file so that a native English speaker can comment on your pronunciation and suggest ways to improve it. Active users of the site receive points and medals for completing tasks, which is an additional motivation for those who like to compete.
Site for personal communication between people from all over the world
This site brings together people from all over the world, providing them with the opportunity of personal communication, participation in group discussions and the use of various multimedia materials. In addition, users can upload their own materials to the site and make them available.
3. Voice chat is the main tool for developing conversational skills
As with many similar sites, here you need to register and, using the search, choose a partner for communication in Skype or Windows Messenger. But there is another not quite usual advantage. Thanks to this resource, you will get the opportunity not only to chat with other users, but also to learn about native speakers who live in your city and are ready to chat face to face. By meeting online, you can meet in public place and continue mutual learning.
Practice oral speech with native speakers will definitely benefit any English learner. If you have already reached the Pre-intermediate level, you should definitely give it a try. You will improve not only your listening and speaking skills, but also gain confidence in your abilities, and at the same time make new friends.
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Let's start with a banal and rather well-known format - conversational clubs, and then move on to more original options.
Since more and more more people understand the need for practice or just want to meet like-minded people, or with natives (native speakers), a lot of language exchange clubs, communication and practice clubs have appeared. Surely there are similar ones in your city, we will consider only a few examples of such clubs in Moscow.
pros
Cheap or even free.
You can meet native speakers, play games, have a good time.
Minuses
To feel comfortable, you need to speak the language at least at the A2 level.
If the level is lower, it is better to visit a club where a leader or teacher is present, but such meetings are usually paid.
The Hard Rock Cafe hosts a Language Exchange Meeting every weekend. Native speakers come to the meetings, or rather, different languages. You can follow the announcements of events in these groups in social networks:
https://vk.com/moscowlanguageexchange- group in VK
https://www.facebook.com/MoscowLEM/
- on Facebook
There is also a more “organized” meeting format, for example, as in this club:
https://merge.timepad.ru/events/
there are even some reference materials prepared for you so that you can learn new vocabulary in advance and communicate more effectively during the meeting. These meetings are already paid, 500 rubles. for an occupation.
Now the anti-cafe format is also gaining popularity. And they very often host language master classes, lectures and, of course, communication clubs. For example, Ziferblat regularly hosts meetings English And German conversation clubs. http://pokrovka.ziferblat.net/calendar/
Of course, there are such clubs for other languages:
http://www.espalabra.ru/- for practice Spanish
here, in addition to communication, there is also a decent cultural program. For example, joint trips on the metro, cinema club, trips and travel along the Jacob's trail in Spain, cooking club.
There are two speaking clubs (divided according to the level of language proficiency). Prices are in the range of 500-800 rubles, there is a subscription.
For the determined - Coachsurfing
pros
If you're lucky, talk enough and part friends.
Minuses
There is no guarantee that the guest will not leave for the whole day to perform a cultural program)
The most daring and resolute can host foreign guests at home, for this you need to register on the site https://www.couchsurfing.com
This method works not only for Moscow, but also for other cities (according to at least large and tourist).
Of course, there is no 100% guarantee that a sociable person will come to visit you, but often the host and guest manage to communicate enough and people part as friends - which means that it will be possible to continue chatting online).
For spontaneous - Spontaneous meetings in tourist places
pros
Free, spontaneously, at the same time, finally see your city =)
Minuses
There is no guarantee that the tourist you need will be in the right place at the right time.
Go to Red Square and help tourists find their way, why not? Most people now travel without a guide and will be happy to mingle with the locals and learn something about the city. In Moscow, you can safely go to Red Square. It should be borne in mind that not all tourists are equally ready to communicate. Usually the easiest way to establish contact with Latin-speaking guests - Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese.
If you doubt that you are ready to communicate or are shy - start small. Try to come to a meeting with a teacher or say at least a couple of phrases to a random tourist, just be sure to try. Take a friend with you if it is difficult to decide to go to a meeting alone.
If for some reason or a very low level of language proficiency, it is still difficult for you to go to such a meeting, try to start communicating online. We will talk about how and where to find a pen pal in the following articles.
Recently, I conducted an individual Skype consultation for one of the participants in the English Diet conversational English training. Already at the end of the conversation, Galina remarked sadly:
– Of course, I understand that the main thing in learning a language is practice, but where can I find English-speaking interlocutors if I live in a small town, away from the enterprises that expatriates work for and from places of interest to tourists? For Skype training, carriers charge from $ 20, for them this is the minimum rate, but for me - a lot of money. I really like to train with you, but I'm afraid to forget everything learned at the training.
“Galina,” I answered, “we live in the 21st century!” In the world, several billion people speak English, and now almost everyone has a phone or computer with Internet access. I'm sure you can easily find someone to talk to.
- No, I can't. Who wants to talk to me? I don't trust dating sites, but where else can you find normal people to chat with?
– Have you ever tried? I asked Galina.
“I don’t even want to waste time on this,” she said sharply.
We completed the consultation, but the sediment, as they say, remained.
And so I decided to give Galina and all my subscribers a small gift: record a lesson on how you can find an English-speaking interlocutor within an hour and talk with him on any topic that interests you and him. I launched the video recording program and registered in real time on the language exchange site https://www.conversationexchange.com/. There I found a native speaker of British English and spoke with him for about half an hour. The whole thing took me less than two hours. When I cut out pauses and technical moments, it turned out interesting video, in which:
the registration process on the language exchange site is described step by step;
a fragment of a conversation with a native speaker of British English is given;
are given practical advice organization and conduct of such conversations and their effective use to improve your English.
The list of language exchange sites that I like is below.
Perhaps, learning English has never been as simple and interesting as it is today, when you can choose the format of classes to your liking and practice when it is convenient.
If you choose 1-2 resources from this list and devote about an hour to them every day, the result will not be long in coming.
Translators and dictionaries
- Multitran is a very simple and handy dictionary where you can find the meaning of almost any word. If you come across a difficult phrase, the local community of translators will suggest its translation.
- Lingvo is a dictionary with over 10 million word usage examples. There are also site experts here who can help with the translation.
- Merriam-webster is an interactive dictionary with many useful sections such as Word of the Day, quizzes and games.
Online Learning Resources
- EnglishDom - here you can learn a language via Skype or join a conversation club and communicate with people from different countries while practicing English.
- LinguaLeo - this resource will analyze your level of preparation and create an individual study plan so that you complete it in an exciting way. game form. There is a useful extension that allows you to quickly translate English words from other sites.
- Busuu - here you can do exercises that will be tested by real native speakers. The site also provides an opportunity to obtain an official certificate.
- DuoLingo is a completely free platform that won't let you leave your class. The system assumes motivating elements such as time counters and burning lives.
Online Libraries
For those who want to appreciate English humor in the original, these sites will be a real treasure. Reading various genres online and listening to audiobooks is a great way to memorize new idioms.
Mobile applications
- EasyTen is an application with which you will receive a portion of 10 new words every day.
With the following apps, you can practice your English whenever you want, like on your way to work or before bed. BUT interesting tasks will help you remember the material without problems.
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