One of the best ways to improve your English fluency is to practice speaking with others who have already mastered the language.
But if you live in a country where English isn’t widely spoken, it can be difficult to find a willing conversation partner.
Enter: Language exchanges. These platforms match you with English speakers who want to learn your native language, so you can help each other learn together through conversations and cultural insights.
Here, we’ll take a look at the top language exchange apps and websites for 2024, discussing features, benefits, and how to select the best fit for your language journey.
The benefits of using a language exchange to learn English
If you’re old enough to have ever had a pen pal in another country, you’ll remember the excitement of sending letters to them, telling them about your news, and waiting to hear about theirs.
Language exchanges are like modern-day pen pals, but way more efficient. Rather than waiting weeks for a letter in the mail, you can chat, share photos, and even video call in real time.
The concept of language exchange is rooted in mutual benefit. You help someone learn your native language, and in exchange, they help you learn theirs.
Another appealing aspect of language exchanges is their affordability. There are many free language exchanges out there, and even the ones with a pricing model are typically affordable compared to a full English course.
Additionally, learners find a safe haven in language exchanges. Everyone is in the same boat; learning and growing together, open to corrections, and eager to improve.
The best language exchange apps for learning English
Numerous language exchange apps have emerged in recent years, each boasting unique features for various learning preferences. Among them, the best language exchange apps are:
- Tandem: Best global community
- Busuu: Best for learning alongside a community
- HelloTalk: Best for a social feel
- HiNative: For getting quick answers to questions
- Bilingua: Best for personalized matching
- The Mixxer: Straightforward connections for speaking practice
These international language exchange apps connect language learners worldwide, making it easier than ever to practice English with native speakers at any time and from any location.
Let’s take a look at each of these apps (and a few others) in more detail.
Tandem language exchange: A global community
The Tandem language exchange app has one of the biggest communities of this type, which is great if you are hoping to connect with someone you can meet in person.
The app interface is easy to navigate, and there are tons of features that help you find a partner, chat or make video calls, and offer corrections.
Tandem also has safety measures in place to verify users and let members report any breaches of their community guidelines, as well as a review system that lets other users know about your experience with each person you chat to.
The free version of Tandem has all the features you need to find a language partner and keep in touch with them. The main restriction is that translations are limited to five a day – but this pushes you to rely on your understanding rather than on a translation tool.
With Tandem Pro, you get bonus features such as searching by city, map view, visitor insights, and a verification badge.
All in all, it’s a good platform if you’re trying to learn English for free.
Pricing
Free plan, with optional Pro access for:
- 1 month: $13.99
- 3 months: $31.99 ($10.66/month)
- 12 months: $79.99 ($6.67/month)
Pros
- Built-in tools for correction and translation
- One-on-one and group chats
- Community principles and a safety team to keep members safe
- Each application is individually reviewed and verified
- Millions of users around the word
- 300+ languages available
- Option to write reviews of other students
Cons
- Can feel like a dating app (especially with in-person meetups) and some members use it in this way
- Too many messages when you first join
- User verification could be stronger
- May take several days to be approved
Busuu: Learn alongside a community
Busuu is an app for learning English with a strong community aspect. This means it has the benefits of an online language exchange along with a more structured curriculum for learning.
As you work through lessons that are structured to suit your learning goals, you also get to connect with other learners and receive feedback on your spoken or written English.
You can access basic features for free, but the Premium option adds a lot more value, including personalized grammar practice, specialized course materials, and priority feedback from community members.
Pricing
Free plan, with optional Premium access for:
- 1 month: $13.90
- 6 months: $50.70 ($8.45/month)
- 12 months: $83.40 ($6.95/month)
14-day money-back guarantee with all Premium plans
Pros
- Receive feedback on writing and speaking from native speakers in the community
- Follow a CEFR-based language course up to level C1 in English
- 120 million users around the world
- Speech recognition tool to help improve speaking skills
- Teaches slang and cultural tips
Cons
- Only 14 languages available
- Free version is quite limited compared to other apps
- Lacks features of some dedicated language exchanges
HelloTalk: Social communication around the world
The HelloTalk app is all about interactive communication with its community of over 50 million members.
With the option to communicate via text chat, voice message, video message, or live calls, you have plenty of options to connect in whatever way you feel comfortable.
‘Voicerooms’ provide a casual space to discuss different topics with a group of members, while ‘Moments’ are social media-like posts that let you share a story or ask a question to the whole community in your target language.
With ‘Language Exchange mode’ enabled, the app will tell you when it’s time to switch between languages, keeping the conversation balanced.
HelloTalk feels more like a social media platform than other language exchanges. Users who just want to practice small talk may find this appealing, but those who want to build deeper connections and delve into more complex topics may not find the right partners here.
Pricing
Free plan (sufficient for users learning one language), with optional Premium access for:
- 1 month: $12.99
- 12 months: $79.99 ($6.67/month)
- Lifetime: $149.99
Pros
- Over 50 million members to chat with in 150+ languages
- Communicate with native speakers in real-time with text chat, voice messages, and video calls
- Built-in tools for translation, pronunciation help, and writing correction
- Feels like a social platform
- Generous free features
Cons
- Harder to build long-term connections and have deeper conversations
- Free version only includes one target language and limited translations and chats
- Some users treat HelloTalk as a dating app
- You must download the app to be able to use the web version
HiNative: Get answers to your language questions
HiNative is a simplified version of a language exchange where you ask quick questions about words or phrases and receive answers from native speakers.
As a free language exchange app, the features are quite limited, so if you like the idea of the Q&A format, you should probably investigate a Premium subscription. It comes with a 1-week free trial.
Pricing
Free access lets you ask questions and bookmark questions and answers
Priority tickets: 5 for $15 – receive more answers, faster
Premium: From $4.96/month, including 10 priority tickets per month
Pros
- Question templates make it easy to get started as a beginner
- Browse others’ questions and answers for free
- Simple format
Cons
- No conversation element
- Free features are limited
Bilingua: Advanced matching
If you’re tired of having basic conversations with dozens of people on these apps, Bilingua may have the answer. Its advanced matching algorithm aims to find you the best language partners suited to your learning journey.
Bilingua also takes the awkwardness out of getting to know someone by suggesting topics and giving you games to play with your learning partners.
It’s smaller than some other platforms, with around 6,000 monthly users, but this makes it easier to focus on just a few important conversations.
Pricing
Free
Pros
- Personalized matching
- Good for building deeper connections
- Fun games, quizzes and rewards
- Free to use
Cons
- Smaller community
- Limited features
Speaky: Practice with text and voice messages
Speaky aims to simplify language sharing by making it easy to connect quickly.
The app only lets you share text and audio messages, so you can’t have a live conversation or video chat. However, the large community of over 5 million users means there should always be someone available to chat with you, whatever the time of day.
Pricing
Free
Pros
- Lets you connect quickly
- Focuses on live users
- Option to make your profile visible to only one gender
Cons
- Some users report bugs with the app and website
- No voice or video calls
Popular language exchange websites and forums
Moving on from apps, here are some free language exchange sites and other platforms you can use to practice languages.
The Mixxer
The Mixxer is a rudimentary but helpful language exchange online service. Its sole purpose is to match you with a speaking partner, who you can then connect with on Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom, or any other platform you choose.
This is a helpful platform in that it steers you away from shallow text chats with multiple users, and towards meaningful conversations with one language partner.
The service is completely free, but there is no screening process.
Meetup.com
Meetup.com is a vibrant community of people who want to meet others with shared interests. It’s not restricted to language learners, but it’s a great place to meet with others who want to practice their speaking skills.
You may find someone who wants to participate in a language exchange, but you’re more likely to find a local group meeting to practice speaking English together.
You can even use this platform to find English-speaking groups meeting to discuss other interests. This is a great way to make learning English fun!
Use Facebook to search for language exchanges between your native and target languages. For example, search “English Spanish language exchange” and see what comes up.
Once you join a group, you can chat with members and receive support from people who are in exactly the same position as you.
Reddit can be a good place to find a language exchange partner if you’re willing to do some searching. There are forums for just about everything on there, so find some related to your preferred languages and then ask around to see if anyone is interested in becoming your conversation partner.
Once you have found a match, you can connect via another platform.
Although these websites all offer free language exchanges and groups, they lack the innovative tools that many apps include for free. With limited security features on these platforms, make sure you follow our safety tips below to protect yourself against potential risks.
There are many other great websites for learning English that you may want to explore.
Finding your perfect language partner
Once you have chosen the best language exchange app for your needs, you then need to identify a suitable conversation partner.
We recommend you don’t deliberate too much over how to find a language exchange partner in the beginning. Remember, if the first one doesn’t work out well, you can learn from your mistakes and be more selective next time.
Nevertheless, here are some tips for finding ideal language partners who you’ll enjoy chatting with regularly:
- Shared interests: It’s good to have a few things in common, whether a hobby, a sport you follow, a love of food, or a favorite TV show. These provide an instant connection, and a foundation from which you can explore unfamiliar subjects.
- Compatible learning goals: Have you worked out your English learning goals yet? If you want to learn business English, for example, try to pair with other people with similar goals. On the other hand, if you’re learning a language to travel, chat with others who have the same passion.
- Similar levels: This is not a deal-breaker, but finding someone who is at a similar stage of learning as you will help keep the conversation balanced between both languages. An advanced speaker in one language can quickly tire of discussing beginner-level topics in their own.
- Time zones: If you want to be able to live chat with your partner, consider how time differences will affect their availability.
- Thoughtful profiles: If you’re using an app with user profiles, look for someone who has put some thought into theirs and gives a good amount of information about their interests and goals.
- Use filters: When you first join a language exchange app, the number of people on there can feel overwhelming. Use the built-in filters to narrow down your options by region, interests, and level – and be selective about who you reach out to.
- Have a trial chat: Before you commit to anything, have an introductory chat or call to assess whether there’s a good rapport and if the exchange will be mutually beneficial. This can just be a short exchange of text and voice messages. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to politely decline a regular connection.
- Look for consistency: Consistency is key in language learning. Try to find a partner who is able to commit to regular sessions so that you can both make steady progress.
- Discuss expectations: Be open about your goals for your target language and what you expect from this exchange. Being clear up-front will help ensure you find the right match.
Keeping all these things in mind, you should be able to find a language exchange partner who can truly help you with your English skills as you help them learn a new language too.
Navigating safety and privacy in language exchanges
Despite the multitude of benefits online language exchanges provide, you should take certain precautions when chatting to strangers online.
Dedicated language exchange apps and websites tend to have good security measures built in. For example, you can connect with other users without having to share any personal contact information.
Some platforms require user verification to ensure that people are who they claim to be, and others give the option to only be contacted by users of the same sex.
To stay safe while using language exchanges, you can:
- Create a separate email account for signing up and communicating on these platforms
- Use strong, unique passwords for your accounts
- Set boundaries around sharing personal information (age, birthday, address, place of work, etc.)
- Trust your instincts to block suspicious interactions, and report them to the platform if necessary
If you decide to use a more general website or forum to connect with conversation partners, you need to be even more careful about securing your information against phishing and other online scams.
How to get the most out of apps for language exchange
While language exchange apps are potent tools, keep in mind that the other users are not expert teachers. Both you and your partner are on a language-learning journey, and there are certain things you can do to improve the experience for both parties:
- Set specific topics for sessions to focus your conversations and make them more productive.
- Early on, discuss your personal language goals and the type of corrections you would prefer, to create a comfortable learning atmosphere that caters to both partners’ preferences.
- Don’t rely only on language exchanges to enhance your speaking skills. There are many ways to learn to speak English better, and you should try to combine several of these in your studies.
- Select a native speaker of your target language if you want to be given plenty of corrections, especially in terms of pronunciation. Non-native speakers may be great for a casual chat and help with some aspects of the language, but native speakers have a more acutely trained ear.
By following these tips, you can make the most out of your language exchange sessions and improve your language skills effectively.
Interesting topics for language exchange discussions
Selecting conversation topics based on shared interests or favored subjects can make for an engaging and natural language practice experience.
Here are some good language exchange topics to get you started:
- Hobbies and interests
- Travel experiences and future plans
- Books, movies, or TV shows
- Current events or news
- Food and cooking
- Sports or fitness
We also have a list with over 170 great conversation starters that will give you some inspiration.
Establishing boundaries and avoiding too personal or inappropriate subjects at the outset can foster a respectful and relaxed exchange environment.
Finally, asking questions about each other’s childhood, dream jobs, and favorite times of year can give partners cultural insights and add depth to the conversation.
Connecting with language partners via voice chat or video calls
The use of video chat and voice messages in language exchange programs provides a personal and engaging learning experience.
Some benefits of using video chat include:
- Face-to-face discussion, mimicking real-world interactions
- Real-time communication
- Becoming more confident with your speaking skills
- Exposure to different accents from around the world
- Discovering the importance of intonation and tone of voice
- Honing your English listening skills
Audio messages also carry most of these benefits – and you can delete them and try again if you’re not happy with what you said the first time!
Still, chatting via text message has many benefits and is a helpful way to develop your reading skills, check your grammar, and expand your vocabulary.
Whether you use video, voice, or text chat, you’ll receive personalized feedback and build confidence for spoken exams and real-life interactions.
From language partners to lifelong friends
An appealing aspect of language exchanges, aside from improving your English, is the chance to connect with new people and forge friendships across the globe.
Through regular communication, users of language exchange apps can develop long-term connections that evolve into meaningful friendships.
You may even find yourself traveling to new countries to meet your conversation partners in person one day! So, as you connect with native speakers on language platforms, make an effort to get past the small talk and see where it leads.
Even if you don’t ever get to meet your foreign language exchange partner in person, you’ll get to learn a lot more about their culture than you would with an English teacher or tutor.
For example, perhaps they could give you a video tour of their city or send you some photos of a family party or ceremony.
There’s no doubt that language exchanges can go well beyond sending a few text and voice messages to learn a new language. With the right attitude, you’ll end up expanding your worldview and learning about different cultures.
Summary
Language exchange platforms offer a dynamic and interactive way to learn languages. They let you connect with native speakers of English or any other language, offer innovative features, and provide a platform for cultural exchange.
They are also very affordable compared to English lessons and provide an informal setting to practice languages and discuss interesting topics.
However, you should be vigilant while using these platforms and avoid sharing too much personal information. Using an app with strong security measures will help you stay safe while you communicate with others in your target language.
So, why not get started today? The people you meet online might just turn into lifelong friends who accompany you on your learning journey.
FAQs
What is a language exchange?
A language exchange involves pairing up with someone who speaks your target language fluently and who is learning your native language, and then practicing communicating by taking turns as the student and the teacher.
Which language exchange is best?
HelloTalk, Tandem, and Bilingua are all good platforms where you can connect with other language learners in a safe environment.
How do I find a language exchange near me?
If you would like to learn a language by talking to people face-to-face, you can use apps like Tandem and HelloTalk to find people in your area. Alternatively, look at Meetup.com or Facebook groups to find local groups meeting near you.
Is a language exchange like a dating app?
There are some similarities between language exchange apps and dating apps – you search for a suitable match, chat with them, and perhaps meet up one day. However, the primary goal of a language exchange partner is to learn a language, not form a romantic relationship.
