Speaking in “real life”
- A simple thing you can do for free anytime: talk to yourself in German– out loud, or in your head. Tell yourself in German what you’re doing, what you’re seeing, what you’re thinking. It’s fun, makes you more mindful, and will help you learn to talk about the things that are most relevant for you!
- Don’t be shy about talking to real people: German tourists and exchange students, friends and family members who speak German, etc.!
- Check out this list of conversation opportunities in and around Ann Arbor.
Online speaking resources
HelloTalk
Free app (Android and iOS) for finding conversation partners around the world and at home. Enter the language(s) you speak and want to learn, then find partners by language, location etc. Make free calls with trusted partners, send audio or text messages, and use the app’s speech-to-text function to have it transcribe what your partner(s) said. It can also translate messages for you, basically using Google Translate. The app is free, or you can upgrade (cheaply) to the Premium version for unlimited translation, transcription (and transliteration, if you’re learning a language with a non-Roman script), and some other options. Check out this excellent review for much more info! This is a GREAT and flexible way to connect with other motivated learners and native speakers, and to bring your language learning to life!
Italki (“I talk-y”)
Find conversation partners: “exchange time teaching your native language for time practicing a foreign language.” Lots of German speakers want to improve their English, so it should be easy to find a partner. You could also look for another German learner to practice with. You can search by location, to meet people nearby. You can also use the site to hire a tutor by the hour. To get started, make a profile saying what language(s) you speak and what language(s) you are trying to learn. Scroll down on the home page to the “Language Exchange” section to find a conversation partner.