How I Practice Languages: Using Hello Talk, Tandem, etc…
I came up with some pretty good techniques to learn languages using apps like Hello Talk, Tandem, or even just talking to a friend through email/text, so I thought I’d share it with you :)
What you need:
1 / A language partner (or several)
Even if they’re not a native speaker, as long as they speak well enough to hold some kind of conversation, this should work. Of course, the better they speak, the better it will be for you.
If you need help finding a language partner, CHECK OUT THIS BLOG POST.
2 / Google Translate (As well as an online dictionary)
The idea is to use google translate to HELP YOU LEARN, not to cheat! (I’ll explain more in a bit)
What I do:
After I make a profile on Hello Talk, I search for people I can reach out to, especially if the people I find seem cool and I think we could get along.
There is also a section where people post comments and share pictures for everyone to see. I start leaving comments and sending messages to people who seem to have similar interests.
*Note - Many women have told me that they constantly get hit on by men on Hello Talk, so just be careful. You can do things like only interacting with women, use a photo that’s not of your face for your profile pic, etc…
This is going to be a lot of trial and error. You cannot be shy when learning a new language! You have to really put yourself out there and be open to meeting new people (at least online) in order to practice French (or any other language you’re trying to learn).
If want to learn what to say when meeting new people or even how to get a conversation going in French, try our FREE French e-Course! It’ll show you everything you need to get started.
Using an online dictionary / Google translate:
I love using www.wordreference.com !!
I use it to translate words and expressions from both French and English.
Check out this YouTube video where I explain how I use it in more detail.
Another great tool I use is Google translate. Again, you want to use it to understand/learn sentence structure and syntax, NOT TO CHEAT! If used properly, it can really help you a lot, especially if you’re not taking classes and you’re mostly studying on your own.
For example, let’s say a language partner sends me a sentence like
“Tu me dis ce dont tu as besoin”.
I would then look it up and see what it means:
Now I see “ce dont” which I’ve never seen before, I can ask them to explain it a bit or I can search on my own and find out how I can use it in my own conversations.
Or if I want to tell someone “You know what you’re doing”, but I have no idea how to say that, I can just look it up:
So now I know how to say that, but I’m not sure why I need to use “ce que”, so again I ask my language partner why they use that, what it means, and how else I can use it.
In the past when I saw something I was unfamiliar with, I used to be so stuck! Or I had to look up every single word (which is also a great technique), but using Google translate as a learning tool like this really changed how I learn/practice languages.
Now PRACTICE !!
When I meet people who can speak French really well, they all generally say that they spent a ton of time practicing the language. These people speak well because they put the time in!
And that’s why I love Hello Talk!
I can practice reading what someone wrote while I wait for the train,
I can text when I have some downtime at the office,
and I can find new French speaking friends way more easily than I could before.
I generally communicate with people everyday on these kinds of apps. It’s a great way to get in some daily practice. I like sending texts, but you can also send voice messages or you could even do Skype calls once you get to know the person a little better.
And I also really like texting because it takes the pressure off in a lot of ways. I don’t have to respond right away, I can look up any words I may be unfamiliar with, and I can take my time and think about how I should formulate my response.
Also, you can check out this blog I wrote about practicing with language partners and this blog about other ways you can find language partners.
Recap
Find friends
Communicate through text messages daily
Use Google translate when you’re stuck
If you want to be able to speak French well, you need to put in the time and effort, and using apps like Hello Talk along with online dictionaries and even Google translate can be a great language learning strategy.
Make sure you check out our FREE e-Course for more ideas on how to start meeting French speaking friends and what to say to them in that first conversation!
Enjoy!
Thank you so much for reading! If you found this blog helpful and would like more help learning French, try our FREE conversational French e-Course. We also have a lot more content on Instagram and Youtube.
Merci et à bientôt!
- Charlie