Voices en Español

This is a guest post written by Alan Malarkey

Unless you are particularly driven and or talented, progressing to the next level and sustaining  interest in learning a foreign language can be a struggle. Finding an ‘intercambio’ or a language exchange partner, is a relatively well-worn path that offers valuable practise.

The basic premise is to find a native Spanish speaker who is willing to converse with you in Spanish in exchange for helping him or her with their English (or whatever your native language is.) Once you find a willing conversation partner, you can agree to meet regularly for a set time.

It only costs the price of a cup of coffee and, depending on the compatibility of the partners, it can work very well. For some it is a route to lasting friendship and in some cases marriage, but even if you’re not in the market for a spouse, doing an intercambio can be a very worthwhile experience.

I’ve done all types of intercambios – from meeting in a café to meeting online and conversing via Skype. Whether you meet in person or online, connections can go astray and patience is often required. Frequently, a one-to-one intercambio can fizzle out because of scheduling conflicts or simply because of the lack of common interests. For that reason, I am a big believer in a group intercambio arrangement.

In Croydon, U.K., we have been running Croydon-Spanish over the last two years. English and Spanish speakers meet for two to three hours in a pub on a Monday evening and we chat informally in the the two languages. It is not very structured and members of the group are simply encouraged to be mindful of each other’s needs and interests and to be patient and positive.

Usually we have a well-balanced group in terms of age, gender and, of course, Spanish and English speakers. Our native Spanish speaking participants are roughly divided between Latin Americans and Spaniards. Often they are young people trying to improve their English as part of a university degree or they are in the U.K. to enhance their CV. Levels of language mastery vary, from the relative beginner to bilingual.

Although this form of learning and practice is probably not suitable for the complete novice and is not a replacement for formal study, the group intercambio provides speaking practice in a social setting. There is quite a high turnover of attendees and the ratio of enrolled members to those attending is quite low, but this is not a bad thing. Apart from myself and a few other loyal and regular members, the group regularly replenishes itself with new participants. Most of all it is just a fun and enjoyable evening.

Here is some advice If you would like to start a group intercambio in your area:

Advertise, advertise, advertise

The key to finding members is advertising but don’t worry, you can do it for free. In London, we use Gumtree.com but in the U.S. you have Craigslist. Don’t forget to put up fliers in local places such as the public library, bookstores and, of course, local community colleges and universities.

Obviously, one of the most effective ways to advertise is thorugh word-of-mouth. Thanks to today’s social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter, it has become easier than before to find and connect with other people who share similar interests.

One way in which I am promoting the group is through a web site [ http://croydon-spanish.ning.com/ ] where members of the group can post photos, videos and also provide links to online Spanish and English learning resources.

Reach out to native Spanish speakers

If you are enrolled in a Spanish class, ask your Spanish teacher to participate in the conversation group and to help you spread the word. If there is a sizable Spanish-speaking population in your community, find out which local publications they read, what groups they participate in and where they hang out. Post your fliers there. (For example, a community group that helps Hispanic immigrants or a church or restaurant.)

Keep it simple

Choose a specific day and time and stick to it. It will be easier to attract people on an ongoing basis if they know that the group meets on the dame day at the same time each month. You will have a harder time building a following if the day and time changes from week to week or from month to month.

Also, with regards to the actual conversations, don’t put any pressure on yourself to come up with topics unless, of course, the group wants that. With my group, discussions take us in different directions. Sometimes we engage in comparing cultural and linguistic differences or surgically dissecting grammar constructions. Other times, we simply chat about life, tell jokes, swap expressions and reveal our hopes and dreams. We rarely feel the need to construct artificial conversation.

If you’d like to get more information or advice about starting your own group intecambio, connect with me via Twitter or drop by my web site and send me a message. Sustain your interest through human contact – what could be better?

Connect with Alan Malarkey on Twitter (twitter.com/croydonspanish) or at http://croydon-spanish.ning.com/

Other articles about this topic:

How to get the most out of group intercambios

Intercambio Etiquette

5 Questions to Ask Your Intercambio

4 Ways to Correct Your Intercambio

Dealing with a conversational hijacker

Photo: “Friends in a coffee house” used under license from iStockPhoto.com