Jump to content
Linguaholic

Why is so hard to find the right language exchange buddies?


Trellum

Recommended Posts

Seriously!  It seems no one is interested enough to contact me on that site I signed up to, only one person, but I think that person has really high expectation, it's like it's not very clear to this person that a language exchange buddy is just that! Not a teacher of any sorts (unless they want to take on that role), but they're not expected to... not to the point of actually creating lessons!

For me a language buddy is more someone you can practice the language with, you can both ask questions regarding to the language you both are learning, but you don't have to take on the role of a teacher!  I'm sorry, but I was a teacher before and it was a lot work... and I was getting paid for for that!  Still I had to quit after a while!

Gosh, why can't I just come across people who are already learning the language somewhere else and just want someone to ask questions to?? or practice what they already know with me?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Study With Us on Discord for FREE!

I think most of the time it is generally just difficult to find someone on the same page as you, whether that be with concern to their availability, or their dedication to the goal. For me, it was difficult to find someone because the time difference I had with the person living across the world was just too much effort and I ended up just calling it quits.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Uhm, same here, the time difference is also an issue, because my mornings are this person's evenings. So it's kinda hard for me to find time for that.  I guess I'll have to call it quits for now, after all I'm not even ready to speak dutch with anyone... I jus can't keep a conversation going, my level isn't good at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

This has been a problem for me as well. I wanted to do "language exchanges" but I presumed this would be a couple of friendly people meeting over a cup of coffee or Skype, asking a couple of questions or talking in a given language. I had no idea that people expected me to teach them the language from the scratch :) I'm not very fond of teaching actually... But finally I was very lucky to find language buddies in a place where I wasn't looking: inside my own family. It has made a world of difference to my progress and motivation. Unfortunately, not when it comes to Dutch - no one I know is studying it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Oh my good, same here, @anna3101 !!!  Well, I got contacted later on by more people on that site... a loooot, but you know what is the funny thing about it?  When I was finally contacted by someone... I sent a message to them there, some of them took ages to log back in and when they finally did they never replied :angry:  Some added me to their friend list, but never ever spoke to me, sometimes we'd hit it off and exchange a couple of message and suddenly they'd no longer log into the site.  Some Dutch people expected me to teach them Spanish!  I'd never ask anyone to teach me Dutch from scratch... not even my own fiance!  

 

A girl said she'd prepare lessons for me,  I didn't want that, plus I haven't created lessons in a long time, and I could never accept such a deal unless I was ready to do the same. I was  teacher and to be honest disliked it, not sure I'd do it even if I was paid.  I just don't like to teach...   I have no problems if they ask me to translate whole phrases, or ask me grammar questions.  I'm a very trustworthy person and it's always good to have a language exchange buddy who is like that. My fiance is not very helpful when it comes to Dutch grammar :(  Hence I needed language exchange buddies.  I guess I should just get a good dutch grammar book, lol. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Trellum Or maybe you just need to try a language exchange buddy who is not a native speaker :) That actually works quite well, especially if the person in question has a higher level than you do. Of course, there are certain things you'll have to ask in the forums - things that only natives can tell you about. But when it comes to motivation and conversation practice, I love exchanges with people who are learners, like me. They have the same passion for the language, and two heads are always better than one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@anna3101   The most weird thing happened when I was a member of that site (I no longer log in there because... bleh, lol)  is that most, if not all of the people who contacted me were natives D: I wanted so desperately to find a learner, specially a girl in a similar situation to mine, but no luck! I did find a man who was also a learner,  he wanted to practice Spanish, but spoke Dutch so well!  He has been the best so far.

 By the way, the other learners who added me didn't pass from the first message, no idea why :P  Sometimes I think I wasn't effusive enough? When that kind of things happen you can't help but to wonder.  Those sites are tricky :/  I think very few of those people are truly interested in languages :( 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...