James speaks English and is learning Spanish.
Maria speaks Spanish and is learning English.
When they meet, they can both experience practising their language skills with a native speaker, and this is what we call a language exchange!
We organise International Language Exchanges every week across the UK for people like James and Maria to meet and exchange their languages in a fun, informal and friendly atmosphere. View all our events.
FAQ
Below is a list of questions that are frequently asked:
When and where do you meet?
We normally meet at least once a week on a weekday evening, but this can vary from city to city. To find out exact locations and times, please select your city from the Events Page and visit the Meetup group for that city.
Is there a minimum level I need before I can go?
All levels are welcome, and all languages too! You can always just listen to others speaking, or help others learn and find out about your native language
I’m under 18, can I attend?
Unfortunately our events are for adults aged 18 and over
Do I need to sign up before attending?
There’s no need to sign up, you can just arrive at any of our events and our hosts will greet you there
I’m learning X, how do I know if speakers of X will be there?
The languages spoken at each event varies from city to city and from week to week and it is difficult to know exactly who will turn up, however most popular languages will have speakers every week.
To help with this we recommend posting in our whatsapp and facebook groups to see if there are any speakers of your target language going on a particular date.
What’s the average age of attendees?
We try hard to be as inclusive as possible so all ages 18+ are very welcome at our events, and we do not have a particular age range that our events are marketed towards. At every event you should be able to find students, young professionals and retirees, and everyone in between
Who should I contact if I have a complaint or problem?
Any complaints please email info@languagexchanges.com with the subject ‘Complaint’ and we will respond within 5 working days. You can also speak to the event hosts on the day of the event
Do I have to arrive at the start time? Can I come later?
You can arrive any time during our events (which normally last 3 hours), many people do not arrive at the start time, however to make the most of the event we do recommend arriving as early as possible
I can’t come every week, is that ok?
Absolutely, just come when you can or when you feel like it
Are the events free?
We charge £1 on arrival at most of our events. This money pays for our friendly hosting team who facilitate the language exchanges, and any extra money goes into growing the community in the local area
Do you run any extra events?
We often organise weekend language exchanges and other one off events, to get involved in organising these apply here
I don’t have a language to practise but I want to socialise, is that ok?
Yes! Many people attend our events just to meet other people and socialise in their cities, and you can always help someone with your native language at the same time too
Can I go alone?
The majority of people attend our events alone at first, our hosts are there to make sure you can join in conversations and make new friends, you won’t be left out!
Can I bring friends?
Yes, please do!
How many people come to the events?
This varies from city to city, from 25-120 people, you can check the local whatsapp or Facebook groups to see what the attendance was like on previous weeks
Is there any structure to the events?
Our events are welcoming but informal as we find this is the best way for people to mix and meet different people. When you arrive you will be given a ‘language label’ by your host, on this you can write your name, the language(s) you want to practise, and the language(s) you can help with others. The host will then introduce you to people with matching interests
How can I get involved?
We are always looking for people enthusiastic about language learning to join our team, and we have a few different roles to apply for – more information