Hi everybody.
I am looking for some native English speakers to improve my English skills because of my preparation on the English exam. I have found out that finding native English speakers is so difficult as I have been looking for them for 1 year. Are here any native English speakers to help me, please? Thank you.
I guess I´d make sense to look for someone who´s learning your native language (Slovak?).
It´d be even better to look for someone who wants to talk to you because you have common hobbies or interests.
“I have found out that finding native English speakers is so difficult as I have been looking for them for 1 year.”
That´s probably because you want something and don´t offer anything in return. Why would a complete stranger care about your exam?
Yes, @Peterko, you have to create a win-win situation to succesfully find a language partner. So think about what you have to offer for a native speaker of English.
As an example you can have a look at my little advertisement looking for a language partner:
Good luck!
Fasulye
Peterko, have you considered perhaps having conversations with non-native speakers whose English is at a C2 level? Which Cambridge exam are you taking, by the way?
I am a native English speaker. 3 months ago, I joined Interpals, an International pen pal site, because I was seeking native Koreans. I am a complete novice at Korean, so I needed to find someone who could write me in English and indulge me while I threw a few Korean words into my English letters to them.
I thought a lot about how to make this exchange fair. What did I have to offer these kind people for their time and effort? In one case, I shared my knowledge of New England poets with a writer who shared some of his poetry. Bravely, the man is writing poetry in a second language, and I assisted in tweaking his poems a bit. In another case, I struck up a lively cultural discussion. I would share things about rural New England, he would share about rural Korea, and we found many areas for cross cultural exchange, all the while I was learning vocabulary to try to express these thoughts in letters.
In a third case, the person said they wanted language exchange, but after a week decided teaching me was too much of a bother and they just wanted me to give free English tutoring plus to type up the lessons and do writing corrections and also other research and errands. It was very unequal. I like helping people, but it turned into daily calls that took up a lot of time and requests for me to install various software and then buy faster internet and new smartphone and bluetooth headset to make it easier for me to transcribe the lessons … I got to feeling like I was some kind of fool to be giving away all this time and money on a stranger who wasn’t giving anything back.
In other cases, I would start up English tutoring with the clear understanding that I was not looking for romance, but the men would all eventually say they had fallen in love with me. It was absurd, but true. My kind-hearted and generous nature lead to some sticky situations. I still feel bad to the man twenty years younger than me who fell hopelessly in love and wanted to fly to America to see me. I feel a lot less bad about the married men who got free English lessons for a while and then suggested s*x. Or the horny 25 year old who said he wanted language exchange, and 5 minutes into our first skype call offered to show me his p.
So as a woman, I have attracted more attention than I care to deal with when I agree to give English lessons.
So I am not surprised it is difficult to find the right language exchange partner. I haven’t found one person with whom I can teach English and they can teach Korean, in an exchange we find equitable.
However, I have a handful of pen pals, people I am interested in for who they are, not for what they give me. I try to give back in small ways - postcards, small gifts, a photograph, a shared link I think they will enjoy. I try not to be too much of a burden, as it will be a long time before I am ready to converse in Korean. I willingly offer English assistance when they need it. I look at it as a long term relationship. It has been a joy to me to make new friends in Korea. I thank them profusely for their assistance. I send red carnations on Teacher’s Day.
I have heard of people who have great long term language exchange relationships. Some turn in to love. I can see that. You spend a lot of time with the person. Some even make trips to the other’s country to visit their friend/teacher. The investment of time can be as much as dating.
I have considered paying for one-on-one tutoring. The sort of assistance I need as a self-learner to have someone to speak Korean with is something worth paying for. The trouble is that can be quite costly.
I have considered giving English tutoring to earn enough to pay for the Korean tutoring I need. If I can find a way to feel safe, not subject to more inappropriate suggestions from men, then I will probably do that.
The bottom line is that a good relationship is hard to find. It takes effort on both people’s part. I hope you can find a language exchange partner. But be prepared to offer something in return, whether that is money or friendship or tutoring or some other skill you uniquely have to give.
Hi Psyche88.
Yes, of course, I can speak also with non-native speakers with a C2 level. I am taking the Cambridge exam CAE ( C1 level).
Jreidy: I can definitely see where you are coming from. It seems like quite a lot of people are looking for other things than language improval, although they claim otherwise. Or, I dont doubt they would like to improve their language skills somewhere very deep down, but they are not very serious about it and act pretty sleazy. It could definitely be something that men do not experience as often as we do. I have also had similar things happen several times. Being good-hearted does indeed lead to sticky situations, so I feel your pain. But I am glad you found some people that are worth your time and effort and I wish you the best of luck with your Korean studies!
Peterko: Well, if you would like to, we could give it a go. I am quite busy at the moment, but could try to make some space for you. When is your exam?
Hi Psyche88.
The term of the Cambridge exam is this December. So, I would like to improve my English skills by this date. Can you help me, please? Thank you very much.
We can try, sure, and see if it works out. I am not a native speaker, though, but I can easily hear mistakes, so that would perhaps help you. Just write me a private message with your Skype details 
Hi Psyche88.
My skype name is peter.stefanik80
Above