| u thought about a swap to improve your Spanish? No I | | | | will jump at the chance to have free’ |
| am not suggesting you throw your car keys in the | | | | Spanish lessons in exchange for teaching you. |
| middle of your Spanish neighbour’s lounge and | | | | Organise a small party with other like minded British |
| exchange your Janet for a Maria. What I am | | | | who would like to exchange and invite your Spanish |
| suggesting is find some Spanish people on your | | | | neighbours. You might find people naturally pair off. |
| urbanisation and arrange a language exchange. | | | | Where can we meet? |
| Who wants to swap with me? | | | | Anywhere! In each others homes or somewhere |
| From my own experience, it seems that for every one | | | | neutral like a local bar. Have a couple of drinks and feel |
| British person who wants to learn Spanish, there are at | | | | your fluency improve! |
| least ten Spanish people who want to learn English. Of | | | | What do I do, do I need to prepare? |
| course, we have a need to learn Spanish because will | | | | You might find that your levels are different so you will |
| live in Spain and although not necessary, knowing the | | | | have to plan to suit each other accordingly. Depending |
| language does make life easier. | | | | on their level, start off with something general like a |
| On the other hand, most of the Spanish people who | | | | newspaper article to discuss and ask them to do the |
| want to learn English need it for a specific purpose. It | | | | same for you in Spanish. Check out the beeb’s |
| could be that they are students and learning English is | | | | site |
| part of their studies, they need it for work purposes or | | | | Swap Shop |
| they have children and they want to be able to help | | | | The possibilities are endless. You can swap |
| them with their English homework. As need tends to | | | | magazines, books, DVDs, music CDs. Just use your |
| motivate the learning of a language they will be mostly | | | | imagination. Surf the net for EFL resources and play |
| younger people as older age groups have less | | | | games such as scrabble and hangman. Make it fun as |
| necessity. | | | | you will be less inhibited and learn more freely. |
| How do I find someone? | | | | I can’t recommend this method of language |
| Firstly, don’t be shy and ask around. Perhaps, | | | | learning enough. It’s free and it’s a form |
| you could make a flyer and post it under the doors of | | | | of socialising with real’ Spanish people, which |
| all the Spanish people living on your urbanisation. As | | | | unfortunately most British people living on the coasts |
| language lessons and courses are expensive, people | | | | don’t get the opportunity to do. |