Parejas para Conversar
Conversation partners

Finding Conversation Buddies​

Besides praying, the most important homework assignment you have is to talk in live conversations with a native Spanish speaker. ​The best conversation partners are ones you can meet with weekly and face-to-face. I suggest you ask for only 10 minutes of their time, so as not to be an imposition to them. Most Hispanics will happily give 10 minutes a week to someone learning Spanish. As you get to know each other, you might find yourselves talking for 30 minutes or more each week. 

​Sometimes your conversation partner might only be able to speak with you by phone, Skype or online chat. This works as well, but the best is face-to-face communication, because you pick up lots of contextual clues and learn cultural mannerisms this way. ​ Here are some places to find face-to-face conversation partners:
  • ​​​Relatives or friends of friends
  • Hispanic churches
  • Local ministries to the Hispanic community, such as Pregnancy Resource Centers​
  • Soccer teams
  • Public libraries, which often have bilingual conversation groups, or even ask for the librarian who speaks Spanish
  • Local Hispanic stores and restaurants​
Online Conversation Partners
You can also find conversation partners online in other countries using websites dedicated to language learning. THESE SITES ARE TO BE ACCESSED ONLY WITH PARENTAL APPROVAL. PLEASE REMEMBER TO NEVER SHARE PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH PEOPLE YOU MEET ONLINE. We have had lots of success using "wespeke.com", and recommend it, but you are welcome also to try some of the other sites listed below to see which works best for you.

Online Conversation Pairing Services
  • italki.com/  ​Italki is free under: "Community/Language Partners" 
Auto-Bot Conversation Partners
While a real human being is by far the best speaking partner you can have, if you cannot find one, here are some automated alternatives: