Renata Ilitsky Last updated: 6 Top Russian Language Exchange Platforms for Learning from the Natives
With Russian language exchanges, you can share your native language and get essential, authentic Russian lessons in return.
Whether you want to build your vocabulary or just take your communication skills out for a spin, language exchanges are an effective and fun option.
You can work on everything from listening and speaking to reading and writing—in this post, I’ll show you online chat and video tools as well as pen pal platforms for snail mail exchanges.
Contents
- Where to Find a Russian Language Exchange Partner
- The Benefits of a Language Exchange
- And One More Thing...
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Where to Find a Russian Language Exchange Partner
Online Russian Language Exchange Programs
Utilize the following free online Russian language exchange programs to hone your Russian skills:
Scrabbin
Scrabbin is an online community for tandem language exchanges. Their database allows users to easily search for native speakers of Russian (among many other languages), and connect with them.
You’ll be able to browse through other users’ profiles to see their name, photo, information about the languages they speak and what city they reside in. Once you find a person who speaks Russian and wants to learn English, you can send them a message to introduce yourself.
Communicating and learning is completely free on Scrabbin. The site also offers a forum where members can ask and answer one another’s questions.
LingQ
You’re probably already aware that there are many cool apps available to Russian learners. LingQ is one such app that also has the benefit of a robust learning community with language exchange opportunities.
You’ll be able to have live conversations with native speakers and participate in discussion forums. Meanwhile, you’ll be actively expanding your communication skills with LingQ’s built-in tools, like audiobooks, podcasts and thousands of hours of lessons.
LingQ tracks your progress as you study, which is great for keeping your motivation up. And if you get tripped up on a reading or just can’t understand a new word, your learning buddies are just a swipe away!
MyLanguageExchange
This site was founded by a teacher and a student of a language exchange workshop who realized language classes and immersion alone aren’t enough to truly master a language. For this reason, they created a community where language learners can connect and share their skills with one another.
There are over 140,000 Russian speakers on MyLanguageExchange who are looking to learn English. The site is very popular and has been recognized by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and PC World, among others.
Once you become a member, you can access other users’ profiles, which feature the person’s name, photo, language they speak, the city they’re from and a description about themselves and what they hope to achieve through the language exchange program.
italki
italki has expanded their database to over one million students around the world. Their goal is to replace the need to study abroad—which they believe was once the only real way to become fluent in another language—with the much more affordable and easier method of learning online.
italki has a more advanced search filter than other language exchange sites. You can specify gender, country of origin and country of residence while you browse.
Like Papora, the platform itself feels more like a social network, with “Add Friend” and messaging options.
Pen Pal Programs for Written Language Exchange
While learning Russian by chatting with real Russians is great, you may feel that reading and writing skills are left out. That’s where old-fashioned pen pal exchanges come in!
Check out the programs below to find your new Russian pen pals.
MasterRussian Pen Pal Bulletin
MasterRussian has a dedicated forum where members can post queries for pen pals. Each post details what the person is looking for and what language they’re offering in exchange. You can read through the posts, or post yourself dictating what you need from a pen pal and what you can teach them.
Just be aware that many of the language exchange requests are posted in Russian, so learners with some foundation in the language will have an easier time browsing.
InterPals
InterPals was first developed in 1998 under the name “International Penpal Page.” Like Language for Exchange, it offers options for both online chats and written pen pal exchanges.
You’ll find that this is one of the less intuitive sites to navigate, but the large user database (4,000,000 accounts across the world) means you’ve got lots of options.
The Benefits of a Language Exchange
- Learn correct pronunciations from a native speaker: By listening to a real Russian native, you can hear how authentic Russian expressions are pronounced correctly and learn Russian slang and modern expressions not found in your textbook.
- Force yourself to communicate in Russian: When taking Russian courses with an American teacher, you always have the option to say something in English if you’re having a hard time thinking of the Russian equivalent.
During a language exchange, you have to speak Russian all the time as your chat partners typically don’t know much or any English (until you teach them, that is!).
This will force you to improve your Russian skills as you’ll need to prepare in advance and utilize the dictionary and other tools to get your message across.
- Ask questions from a live person: Learning Russian from a textbook is great, but you can’t ask a textbook a question. Well, technically, you can ask a textbook a question, it just won’t answer. But a real, live person who’s teaching you Russian will!
That means you’ll get a more personalized learning experience that’s relevant to your specific needs as a Russian student.
- It’s free: Russian courses, textbooks and programs can be pricey, but most language exchange programs are free!
- Make a friend for life: We always hear that we’ll know who our true friends are when we go through tough times. Well, learning to read, write and pronounce Russian words is tough!
Once a person goes through this experience with you, you’ll probably make a friend for life and may even reserve a spot on their couch when you decide to go visit Russia and practice your Russian skills!
Remember to take notes and practice what you learn from these conversations. You can pick up a lot from real Russian that textbooks wouldn’t teach you, like slang and filler words.
There are other ways to practice what you learn, such as watching authentic Russian content. On the language-learning program FluentU, for example, you’ll find videos made by and for Russian speakers.
Did you know that in addition to learning Russian with the language exchange program, you can get another benefit?
Improving your English!
When you teach language skills to another person, their questions will encourage you to research and learn more about your own native language and its grammar rules, spelling and pronunciation.
Language exchange and pen pal programs prove to be extremely advantageous for both you and your partner!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
And One More Thing...
If you love learning Russian and want to immerse yourself with authentic materials from Russia, then I should also tell you more about FluentU.
FluentU naturally and gradually eases you into learning the Russian language and culture. You'll learn real Russian as it's spoken by real Russian people!
FluentU has a very broad range of contemporary videos. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of Russian-language content available on FluentU:
FluentU makes these native Russian videos approachable through interactive transcripts. Tap on any word to look it up instantly.
Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab. Easily review words and phrases with audio under Vocab.
All definitions have multiple examples, and they're written for Russian learners like you. Tap to add words you'd like to review to a vocab list.
And FluentU has a learn mode which turns every video into a language learning lesson. You can always swipe left or right to see more examples.
The best part? FluentU keeps track of your vocabulary, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You'll have a 100% personalized experience.
Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)
