Learn English
- Finding The Right Language Exchange Partner
A language exchange can be a very rewarding experience with many benefits, such as improving your speaking and listening skills in a foreign language, exploring a new culture, and building a friendship. I have done three language exchanges with native...
- Skype And Live Mocha - Two Great Ways To Learn Alongside Learners
For those of you who have spent much time in the classroom (and who hasn't?), you know how boring it can sometimes be to have a teacher always telling you what to do. But the beauty of learning the English language (or any language), is that most...
- Lingo Match - A Forum For The Multi-lingual
Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook cater to a generation that takes for granted the easy access offered by the internet. In the not-too-distant past, people who wanted to contact someone in another country had to, first of all, know someone...
- How To Prepare For The Toefl
Colleges and universities around the world typically require foreign applicants to submit TOEFL test scores as part of the admissions process. Getting a good score on this test shows that you can understand and communicate in the English language. The...
- Language Social Networks - Don't Stop Learning!
Due to the globalized world we live in, many people decide to learn a foreign language for different reasons and purposes. The best opportunity to learn it is being immerse in the context the language is spoken but not everybody can afford to live in...
Learn English
Verbling - Let's practice English with native speakers in real time
The Internet has revolutionised not only the way people communicate but also the way we learn foreign languages such as English.
Gone are those days when learning how to speak this language in a non-speaking country was quite challenging. The only contact we had with English was through music, books or our teachers. There were like twenty-five, thirty students in my class so we did not have the chance to practice.
Nowadays everything is much easier and there are a lot of online alternatives to language classrooms to improve our oral skills. A long time ago Karen Schweitzer and I wrote about some online language learning communities we can join in to practice English with native speakers:
- 10 Learning Communities for ESL Students
- Language Social Networks. Don't Stop Learning!
However, this year a new site, Verbling, has been launched. Verbling is a free live video service for chatting only available in English and Spanish at the moment, since it is in its beta test phase. Nevertheless, they will expand the possibilities soon.
Two of the great features of this new online language learning site, compared to other alternatives, is that it includes video and you can instantly connect to a partner. You do not need to spend time looking for a partner to practice since once you join the site, the system match you up to a parner taking into account your skill level and interests. Then you start chatting in one language around a topic for five minutes and halfway through the session a timer tells you to switch off to the other language. In this way both people get practice. All you need is a microphone, a webcam and an email address.
What is not so good about the site is that it does not include the option to disconnect the webcam just in case you do not want other people watch you. However, on the other hand, I think the webcam is a great option because it allows us to see the other person's reaction to our words, grasp new vocabulary easily and so on. And, finally, it would be great as well to have the possibility to choose your partner's gender and age.
The site is not meant for under 13.
More information about Verbling:
- Verbling wants to be a next-generation language learning service
- Verbling helps you learn language through live video chat
Más información sobre Verbling en español:
- Trueque de lenguas
- Cómo hablar inglés con nativos gratis y de forma instantánea. ¡Verbling!
- Finding The Right Language Exchange Partner
A language exchange can be a very rewarding experience with many benefits, such as improving your speaking and listening skills in a foreign language, exploring a new culture, and building a friendship. I have done three language exchanges with native...
- Skype And Live Mocha - Two Great Ways To Learn Alongside Learners
For those of you who have spent much time in the classroom (and who hasn't?), you know how boring it can sometimes be to have a teacher always telling you what to do. But the beauty of learning the English language (or any language), is that most...
- Lingo Match - A Forum For The Multi-lingual
Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook cater to a generation that takes for granted the easy access offered by the internet. In the not-too-distant past, people who wanted to contact someone in another country had to, first of all, know someone...
- How To Prepare For The Toefl
Colleges and universities around the world typically require foreign applicants to submit TOEFL test scores as part of the admissions process. Getting a good score on this test shows that you can understand and communicate in the English language. The...
- Language Social Networks - Don't Stop Learning!
Due to the globalized world we live in, many people decide to learn a foreign language for different reasons and purposes. The best opportunity to learn it is being immerse in the context the language is spoken but not everybody can afford to live in...