Learning a language with a native teacher can be expensive when studying Korean. However, there’s a cost-free way to learn a language—through language exchange. Instead of paying for lessons, you and a partner take turns teaching each other your native languages. I had a great experience learning Thai this way, using an app called HelloTalk. In this post, I’ll share some tips on finding a good language exchange partner based on my own experiences.
Consistent Schedule
Consistency is key when it comes to learning a language. The same goes for language exchange—it’s most effective when done regularly. That’s why it’s important to find a partner who can meet you on specific days and times consistently.
My first language exchange partner was a Thai student studying in Korea. We had set a time to meet online, but I waited, and she never showed up. I messaged her, but didn’t receive a reply for several hours. When she finally did respond, her excuse didn’t seem convincing. I was disappointed and decided not to message her again.
Language learning is a long-term process, so it’s crucial to find out early on if your partner is someone who can stick around for the long haul.
Shared Interests
After my first unsuccessful attempt, I found another partner, and this time, things turned out much better. Surprisingly, she already knew who I was! She had seen my profile on italki where I teach Korean and had even messaged me before. Although we hadn’t taken a class together at that time, we instantly clicked when we reconnected.
It turned out that she was also a university student in Korea, while I was living in Thailand at the time. We had plenty to talk about, especially regarding our experiences living in each other’s home countries. Plus, I was teaching Korean, and she was studying it, so we had even more to bond over. We eventually met up several times when she returned to Thailand during school breaks, and we even shared meals together.
Having common interests makes it easier to build a personal connection, and conversations become much more enjoyable. A partner with similar interests can lead to more engaging and meaningful exchanges.
Focus on Speaking Practice
If your language exchange partner happens to be a professional Korean teacher, you’re incredibly lucky—because you’d be getting structured lessons for free. However, most of the time, you’ll likely meet ordinary Koreans. In this case, it's best to focus on speaking practice.
Before your exchange sessions, learn new phrases or expressions on your own, and then try using them in your conversation. You can get feedback from your partner on mistakes or alternative ways to say things, and then practice again.
If you're already at an intermediate level in Korean, and your partner is a beginner in your language, that’s an ideal situation. Because you’ll have more chance to practice speaking in Korean even while teaching your partner.
In a language exchange, the main goal should be to maximize your speaking practice. Try to use the time to speak as much Korean as possible, so you can improve faster.
