Does talking on skype atually help??
Hey everyone,
Im constantly looking to lern and improve my spanish, however i have learnt lots of vocab but cant put it together :/ Does speaking to other learners on skype help?? I think i would be embaressed to talk as i wouldnt know them and would make mistakes. If you have done this can you please explain your experience? and wether it helped?
Thanks 
8 Answers
I have not personally done it, but any practice speaking and listening is helpful, unless you are speaking incorrectly, and it isn't corrected, or hearing someone else speaking incorrectly and don't know the difference. I would recommend choosing a practice partner wisely. Someone who is a "capable" native Spanish speaker trying to learn proper English paired with a "capable" native English speaker trying to learn proper Spanish, I think would be ideal. I would be careful trying to learn too much from others at your own learning level, as you'd be likely to pick up on each others bad habits.
Well, I usually speak with natives on Skype and do language exchanges. I am a very nervous person, but I have been trying to suck it up and just talk. It has helped me out a lot, and I would recommend giving it a try.
Perhaps if you are shy, you could try a group chat with a native and a couple other people who are learning Spanish too. I was always more comfortable talking in groups rather than one-on-one calls.
Speaking to other people learning the language definitely helps. Don't feel afraid when using your Spanish. You need to practice a lot of listening and speaking to become better. The mistakes help improve your Spanish so when you are corrected you are less inclined to do it again. Half the time I realize the mistakes I've made myself that I don't normally notice except when I'm speaking.
Right now I have a long distance relationship with a girl in Mexico, but we always talk often and it has helped me immensely. Obviously a simple conversation exchange would be a little different, but I believe it would help anyway. Conversation is still the best way to learn.
I don't know if anyone out there has being doing what I do - but here goes. . . As far as skyping goes, I'm like Boo32 - too chicken to join the conversation for fear of saying something really stupid - grammatically incorrect, etc. I had Spanish years ago in high school, then again in college. I do speak fluent Spanish - but only after the 6th beer! I'm trying to "resurrect" what I learned and have found that I can load a favorite DVD, turn on the Spanish subtitles, and then learn, learn, learn. I also have the entire Bible read aloud in Spanish on DVD. You can read the Spanish while listening to the reader. Anyone who is familiar with the stories of the Bible can learn bigtime especially when it comes to pronunciation, etc. It's amazing what sticks in Spanish when you already know the stories in English. Also - and this is the biggest help I've found so far - check out the PBS station VMe at
http://www.vmetv.com/horarios/
What has helped me soooo much is watching children's shows (Barney - Sesame Street - Lazy Town, etc.) in Spanish on VMe. This website can show you how you can get the channel - and once again - you can turn on the subtitles and read along. I hope this helps somebody.
Yes, it really helps. If you talk with the right people, they won't care that you make mistakes, because if they're learning English also, they believe they make mistakes as well.
Skype is the way to go as far as practicing your speaking/listening skills in Spanish. It's easy and free to call any place in the world!
Look at sites that offer Intercambios or Pen Pals. Also, try the Chat Room here on SpanishDict. Maybe you'll meet someone who wants to practice one-on-one with you.
¡Buena suerte!
Wow, thanks to everyone for your responses and advice. I think i'm going to have to 'man up' and just try it!!! Also thanks for the other suggestions, i'm sure its helpful to everyone not just me
