Linglot

You may have heard of Skype, which is a computer program used for making phone calls to other Skype users over the Internet for free. I have also used their phone service in the past, and paid like $20 for a year of unlimited calling anywhere in the US. Anyways, from what I hear, the real gold in Skype is using it to learn foreign languages with people all around the world, and completely free.

Skype is free when you use it to dial up another person’s computer, no matter where in the world they are. You can hook up with someone in say, Brazil, and start chatting up and teaching eachother your native language. All you need to do it is a headset, such as the Logitech ClearChat Pro USB Headset, Skype itself, and a decent Internet connection. Anything faster than dialup would get the job done.

How to find people to exchange languages with? Well, there are forums like this one with discussions specially made for Skype language exchange. There are also cool new social networks created just for Skype language learning, such as soZiety and PrimeSkype. Just check one of those places out and meet up with someone and start chatting.

Using a voice chat system like Skype is far superior to just chatting in a chat room or via Instant Message. With voice chat, you get to work on your pronunciation more and for people who have a listening learning preference, it’s just easier and more effective to just talk and listen.

The Web sure has revolutionized the ways we learn and exchange information and learn!