Find a native speaker to practise your second language and help them learn your own language!

Blue background with a globe in the centre. Language Exchange Meeting is written on the globe. Surrounding the globe there are several small speech bubbles saying "hello" in different languages, such as english, spanish, french, german, chinese. The logos of the language learning hub and the school of modern languages and applied linguistics are located in the bottom two corners.

Language Exchange meetings take place once every semester in Week 3.

At the meeting you can find a native speaker of your target language, exchange your contact details, and discuss how often you want to meet your language partner during the semester. We facilitate the initial meeting and exchange of details, then it is up to you to make the language exchange suit your needs and timetable!

The date, time, and location of the next Language Exchange Meeting can be found on our social media and will also be advertised on the noticeboards around campus.


 

A language exchange is two or more people who speak different languages together to practise each other’s language. For example, an English speaker who is learning French will do a language exchange with a French speaker who is learning English.

In a class, there isn’t always enough time to practice speaking because the class may have too many students. Also, there is no native speaker except maybe the teacher.

In a language exchange, however, you practice more than you would in a class. You can chat with native speakers of the language you are learning in a relaxed environment where there is patience and time to understand. Considering this, a language exchange is an excellent complement to language classes.

A language exchange is also a great way to prepare for cultural immersion and to learn the real spoken language of the culture, with all its informal expressions! Therefore, a language exchange is the best training to bridge the gap between classroom learning and communicating in the real world!

A language exchange can help you to:

  • speak in the foreign language and improve your spoken skills
  • expand your vocabulary
  • read and understand texts in the foreign language
  • discuss texts you have written and improve them with your partner
  • get to know the culture(s) of your target language

Language exchanges only work if both participants benefit from the arrangement. So, whether you decide to meet and alternate between the two languages, or devote every second meeting to each language, be careful to ensure that both of you are getting an equal chance to improve your language skills.

Keep in mind that the objective of a language exchange is to improve your language skills and increase your language ability to communicate and discover the “conversation culture” – how native speakers of the other culture interact.

Feel free to use the facilities available in the LLH for your language exchange meetings.

1. Arrange meetings

  • Contact your partner as soon as possible
  • Choose a well-known meeting place
  • Decide on the number of meetings per week and how long you will meet for (1-1.5 hours is recommended)

2. Choose a topic to discuss

For example:

  • Studies & education
  • Cultural differences & traditions
  • News  & current affairs
  • Art/Literature
  • Music
  • Movies
  • Sports

3. Use effective strategies

  • Plan your topics together
  • Bring photos, magazines, etc.
  • Take some notes
  • Decide together when and how you want to be corrected if you make an error
  • Spend equal time on each language
  • It is helpful to keep a language learner diary (see the downloadable document on the left).

4. Take on responsibilities

  • Be prepared for each session
  • Keep your appointments
  • Always be on time (be aware of cultural differences concerning punctuality!)
  • Inform your partner in good time if you cannot keep the appointment or if you are going to be late

No registration is required, simply come along to the Language Exchange Meeting in Week 3 to find a partner on the day! Details of these meetings are posted on our noticeboards and social media.

In the event that your language exchange partnership does not work out, you can speak to a member of our team at the LLH main office (LC1-008) and we will try to find another partner for you.

Alternatively, you can attend language-related events such as:

  • the LLH Discussion Sessions
  • the LLH Games Sessions
  • Meet people in the Open Learning Area (LC1008)
  • International Night in the Stables every Friday night
  • Excursions around Ireland for International students - contact UL Student Life for more details
  • Join the Cumann Gaelach