How to learn French with a pen pal?
Unsurprisingly, the best way to learn and master a language is to practice. Speaking a language on a daily or regular basis allows you to retain it better and to be more comfortable and confident in speaking it. However, practicing French orally is not an easy task without a conversation partner.
Fortunately, there are methods to speak French in everyday life. One of them is based on the exchange with a native speaker. This is called a language tandem. This consists of a discussion between two people who master two different languages and their exchange take turns speaking that language. Luckily, there are many websites and mobile applications that can help you find a foreign pen pal. Here are some of them!
Websites to find a pen pal
Many platforms can put you in contact with native speakers.
The Swiss French School Online Community platform
When you take a course at Swiss French School, in addition to having access to many language resources to work with, you have the possibility of using an online platform to chat with other Swiss French School students around the world. You will be able to take advantage of a recognized and efficient method to learn French while meeting people in many countries.
Conversationexchange : to correspond all over the world
This is one of the most famous websites to meet a French speaking pen pal. Simple, free and known by many people, it allows you to consult many profiles of people wishing to practice French. You also have the possibility to fill in your profile and specify your interests, the language you are looking for and your level in the target language.
Tandem linguistique to find a pen pal in your city
This site works on the same principle as Conversationexchange but it allows you to find a pen pal in your city who will teach you French and whith whom you can practice and help them with a language that you master.
Mobile applications to talk to native speakers
Mobile applications work on the same principle as websites except that it is on a mobile. It is therefore also possible to chat with your French-speaking correspondent by message. There are lots of applications but here are the most famous ones:
Hellotalk
This application puts you in contact with native German speakers and offers interesting features such as the possibility to correct your partner's messages, or to make audios to explain a grammar rule, give advice, or show how to pronounce a word, for example.
Tandem
Tandem works on the same principle as HelloTalk and allows you to chat in written and spoken form as well as to correct the messages of your interlocutor. There are many ways to find a German speaker and it is a good way to practice your French. You can see together which method suits you best. You can meet regularly if possible, call each other at least once a week, try to write to each other regularly, etc. However, with the distance it is sometimes difficult to stay motivated and continue to communicate with your partner or to find the time to do so. In this case, there are other ways to learn French that are just as motivating, such as French classes or training at a center. Traveling is also a great way to improve your French and to meet pen pals with whom you can build relationships and where it will be easier to keep in touch or have conversations. Whatever your method, you should choose the one that suits you best so that you take pleasure in learning French!