Learning Spanish? There is a whole world out there waiting to talk to you in exchange for your English, especially if you speak one of the varieties of British English. The set-up is easy; you need Skype and access to a list of people looking for intercambios. Two of the sites I have used are: Learn Languages and More which is on Skype’s official website and Intercambios/Meet Ups/Penpals which is on the Notes from Spain website and is a mixture of people who want to talk on Skype or meet up in person. Both have a great deal to recommend them. The Skype site is not devoted solely to the Spanish language, but yielded far more results for me, especially from Latin America. Notes from Spain yields a variety of people who are really keen and take their language learning seriously.

First things first, check that your audio quality on Skype is crystal clear. You are going to be talking to someone who doesn’t have English as a first language, and you are listening to to a native  Spanish speaker. The last thing you need is crackles, hisses, lags and echo getting in the way of a flowing conversation.It will ruin your concentration, ruin theirs and make the whole experience tiring and frustrating. Headphones & integrated microphone are much better than loudspeakers and desktop mic, unless the mic is really excellent quality.Get your equipment up to scratch (and speed) before you start.

From here on you hit your first lows. Finding a regular intercambio partner can take time. Remember, you are going to be talking to these people at least once a week and it soon becomes apparent if you have anything in common. If you are talking to your intercambio regularly, you need a variety of subjects to talk about.Finding such a partner can be a hit and miss process and may take many attempts, so don’t despair if your first efforts at contact don’t work out. Remember they are going through the same process and feeling the same sense of frustration. This is where the Notes from Spain forums really come into their own (links to Notes from Spain in the sidebar). All sorts of intercambio problems are listed in the topics from how to get started to how to politely terminate a failing exchange, and most importantly how to structure your weekly or so call. Age difference can be of real importance. It is easier to learn from someone who is nearer your age group than it is from someone much younger. I am in my sixties and have been lucky enough to hook up with people of similar age and similar interests. I do have a couple of callers who are much younger but the exchanges tend to be very different and can become,perhaps not surprisingly, a little one sided. Don’t give out your email address until you have established a good relationship and regular contact with someone. Yes, spammers lurk on the intercambio forums as well. The Skype website can be particularly vulnerable in this respect.

If you talk frequently to people in Latin America, you will soon come up against the problem of Netiquette. The Spanish are very relaxed and informal over Skype. They will suggest using the tu form very quickly or, as has happened with me many times, straight off. Latin Americans are much more reserved, and may not wish to wander too far from Ustedes, if at all. Remember that in Agrgentina  vos is still used, and the spoken Spanish is quite formal.

Then, suddenly, there are the highs! You meet someone who has something in common with you, is eager to improver their English and is patient and helpful as you improve your Spanish. After that initial,very English reaction, of stage-fright when speaking a foreign language, you will find you knew far more than you thought and start to have  real conversations. It took me a few weeks to meet someone with whom I now talk to regularly two or three times a week, and exchange written work and links to various sites on the internet. My confidence, thanks to his patience, has increased out of all proportion to my abilities, and hopefully I will be meeting him and his wife in Valencia in two weeks time for a real face to face Intercambio.

Is it worth the effort? Yes! It is a free way of keeping your conversational skills going, and irreplaceable if you are not living in a Spanish speaking country. Is it hard work? Yes, if you take it seriously and put in the same effort as your intercambio, in correcting English and pronunciation, They want to improve as well. I have never regretted starting on this particular adventure, and it has brought me into contact with some amazing and interesting people. Cons? Well if you meet your intercambio in the flesh there is always the danger of what happened to Ben Curtis and Marina Diez of Notes from Spain, they ended up married, and with a wonderful baby boy. So be warned, you might be getting more than you bargained for.