Do You Need Penpals/Friends to Learn a Foreign Language?

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I started voice-chatting in Italian after studying the language for only a few hours. I was very shy at the time but I did learn a lot from this first experience. I ended up finding an Italian friend that I called on a regular basis. I was still a beginner at the time.
Talking with my new friend helped me improve my Italian language skills, and it was a lot of fun too!


However, if your penpal speaks your native language very well, you might be in trouble. I picked a penpal who didn't speak a word of French or English. That's why I had such a great time talking to her.

If your friend speaks great English, they will quickly get tired of correcting your mistakes and trying to understand you. They may even switch to English.


Make sure you know some basic phrases before looking for a language-exchange partner/friend.

As long as you're polite (and apologetic if you make mistakes), you're good to go!

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Don't Put the Cart Before the Horse

It'll take you a lot of time to learn a new language. There, I said it. Following the advice on this blog can expedite the process, but you'll still need to put in the hours.

When I was still in high school, I was forced to write in Italian/ German/ etc when I took exams. Most people would say "This is good practice."

How is this good practice?

How is making a bunch of mistakes in a foreign language beneficial?



Unless you have unlimited access to native speakers who can correct you, I strongly suggest you only practice in controlled settings. Doing exercises in high-quality language learning books is a great way to improve one's grammar without "learning" more mistakes.

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Why Sticky Notes Are Useful for Learning Foreign Languages

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Sticky notes (or Post-Its) are useful for learning foreign languages because you can stick them everywhere. I suggest you cover your walls with them if you want to learn your new language fast!
Draw on them, write sentences and cool words on them, and replace them often.
If you haven't made new ones lately, move around the old sticky notes so that your eyes don't get accustomed to seeing them in the same place.
If you like lying on your bed, you could also invest in a poster for your ceiling.
Sticking notes onto your computer is also a good idea if you use the internet a lot.
Use sticky notes to review difficult words, especially the ones that you always fail to remember when you're going over your flash cards.

It's okay if you don't have Post-its: just take a piece of paper and some sticky tape. I suggest you decorate the fridge and/or the bathroom mirror to start!

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