Where To Find A Skype Speaking Partner For IELTS Candidates

This is the third article in a three part series of how to find Skype speaking partners and have effective Skype lessons. In this article I will give you some advice on WHERE to find a Skype speaking partner that can be beneficial for both of you.

Where To Easily Find A Skype Speaking Partner

I think the best place to find a good speaking partner is also the easiest place to find them: in your network of friends, family, colleagues and classmates.

I have actually sat down with a group of six students who were all asking me about finding Skype partners. They were answering each others questions and giving each other advice. I wasn’t saying much.

After about 30 minutes I told them that they should chat with each other in English for 30 minutes everyday. They looked disappointed. They were expecting me to offer daily speaking practice, face to face or using Skype.

You don’t need to practice with a native English speaker all of the time. Find a language learner with a similar ability to you and work with them. Help each other. Track each others progress. Motivate each other.

Practice With People You Already Know

Think about all of the people you know who are studying English or who speak English quite well. Can they help you improve? Can you discuss different topics with them in English?

• Classmates in an English class you have studied in in the past.
• Family members who are good at English.
• Neighbours who you get on well with.
• Facebook friends who post a lot in English.

Don’t only look for native English speakers. All you need is someone who speaks English better than you. If you can find 5 people to speak with for 30 minutes each every week you will see some improvement.

Talk about the topics you normally talk about in your native language, but use English. If they are also preparing for IELTS you could also do some IELTS tasks together.

Practice With A NEW Skype Speaking Partner

The internet is full of places to find a Skype speaking partner. Below I have listed a few websites and Facebook pages which seem to be active with current students looking for Skype speaking partners.

Don’t limit yourself to this list. Which websites or forums do you use? Are there other active students on those sites? Reach out to other active English learners and ask to chat on Skype.

It is important not to just ask anyone, ask people who are similar to you, people you can help and benefit from.

TheIELTSCoach Skype Forum: The forum on this website is a good place for you to leave your details and look for a Skype speaking partner.

IELTS Speaking On Skype: A Facebook page only for IELTS candidates looking for speaking partners.

IELTSBuddy.com: This page has over 250 comments from students who are looking for speaking partners.

EnglishClub.com: You need to be a member of this site but there are over 500 member profiles.

IELTSSpeaking Facebook Page: An active Facebook page with more than 9,000 fans looking for Skype speaking partners.

Good luck in your quest to find Skype speaking partners that can help you prepare for the IELTS exam. Please leave a comment below to add a useful website or to give feedback about this article.