Top 4 Platforms To Practice Language With Native Speakers
This article to practice language with native speakers may contain affiliate/compensated links. For full information, please see my disclaimer here.
Speaking is one of the most important language skills. It usually defines the level, how professional we are in the language. When you practice speaking, you can reach fluency, which shows you have mastered a good language level. It is incredibly rewarding. So, I encourage you to start practicing your speaking skills as soon as possible.
This article will introduce you to the top 4 platforms to practice language with native speakers. It’ll explain to you common features and how they work. So choose one and start practicing the language with native speakers even at the beginner stage of your language journey.
List Of The Best Platforms To Practice Language With Native Speakers
Here is the list of the top 4 platforms where you can practice language with native speakers. Scroll down to get detailed information about each:
- iTalki
- Preply
- Verbling
- AmazingTalker
When Is The Time To Practice Language With Native Speakers?
When studying vocabulary on our own, listening to audiobooks, reading, and talking to ourselves, we all get to the point when it’s just not enough. So then, it is time to choose one of these platforms and find a language partner to talk to. This way, you will eventually master your language skills, and it will soon be time to say you have reached the level you were aiming at.
Each platform connects native speakers with language enthusiasts and creates an excellent online space for language learning. Once you want to practice your language skills, you can register on that platform, find a tutor you like, and start a conversation. It will help you to make huge progress in your language learning journey. I am doing it myself, and it helps a lot.
Below, I am giving you 4 language learning platforms to practice language with native speakers and finally reach the specific goals you set up at the beginning of your language learning journey.
Common Features Of These Platforms
All these platforms offer many similar features. Each of them has thousands of tutors and many languages to choose from. Tutors have a short video introduction, so you can already get the first feeling and impression about him before contacting him. Every platform also gives you a trial lesson you can book to find out whether the tutor is suitable for you (but each platform has different prices for the trial lesson).
Similar Features Of The Platforms To Practice Language With Native Speakers
Some platforms work only with native speakers and professional teachers with certification. Some of them don’t require their teachers to be certified. But every tutor has to be fluent and has to have the highest level of that language. Some platforms offer individual lessons. With some of them, you can only buy package lessons.
To book a trial or a regular lesson, you can just access the tutor’s calendar. Then select an hour when he is available to teach (marked in green), pay for the lesson, show up the time you booked the lesson, and start learning with him. Likewise, if you purchase a package of lessons, you can just book a lesson in the calendar, and it will be automatically deducted from your package.
Many platforms use Skype or Zoom to conduct lessons, and some have their own video interface. Even though they are all similar in many ways, each of them offers special features, too.
Let me introduce you to each of them step by step. Below, I am giving you 4 language learning platforms to practice language with native speakers.
1. iTALKI
iTalki is my favorite platform to practice foreign languages. I’ve been using it for over a year now, and it’s been amazing. It helped me to improve my Spanish skills significantly.
You can use the iTalki filter search to find the perfect tutor for you. Each of them has different rates.
iTalki Tutors
iTalki has 2 types of teachers: professional and community teachers. Professional teachers are certified teachers with some years of experience. They need to provide a teaching certificate and teach various topics like business, academic writing, special classes, or prepare you for exams and tests. Community teachers can apply to be iTalki tutors without providing certification. They have excellent conversational skills, can teach you vocabulary, and have a conversation with you.
iTalki Lessons & Packages
At the beginning, you can book a trial lesson, which usually lasts 30 minutes. Trial lessons have different prices, based on what tutors charge (usually ranges between 1 and 5$ per trial lesson). During this time, you will get to know the tutor and will find out whether you like to have other lessons with him. After, you can pay as you go and book individual lessons or book a package of lessons with that tutor. If you book a package, the total price gets slightly cheaper than if you book individual lessons. You can book individual lessons with different tutors. You don’t have to stick to one.
Learning Platforms
iTalki has its own teaching platform, where you can have lessons. They also enable you to use Skype for the lessons.
Extra Features
iTalki has language tests you can take to find out the language level you have right now. However, you have to purchase these tests to conduct them.
They also have language challenges. You get rewards and prices if you reach a certain number of hours learning a language on iTalki.
What Makes iTalki Different?
iTalki generally has the cheapest rates with the highest number of languages it offers among all learning platforms. It is my favorite platform to practice speaking, and I highly recommend you to register on it and start speaking.
Since I appreciate that you are here today with me, I have a special gift for you. I invite you to start practicing your speaking on iTalki. I use this platform myself, and it has really helped me improve all my languages (Spanish, German, and recently French). Especially when I cannot travel, I can talk to somebody, for example, in Peru, and travel with them virtually. It is an amazing platform that will help you to improve your speaking.
As a special gift, if you sign up by clicking the link below, you will get 10$ credit after your first purchased lesson with iTalki. So register today and start speaking.
Practice Your Language on iTALKI
2. PREPLY
Preply is another great platform to practice your language with native speakers. Again, you can use filters to narrow your tutor search down and find the best tutor that fits your language learning needs.
If you are still not sure which tutor to choose, you can send him a message before booking a lesson, ask questions, or tell him in advance if you can learn a particular topic with him.
Preply Tutors
Preply doesn’t require its teachers to be professional, have a lot of experience, or have certification. Tutors have to have a passion for the language and share it with their students. They have to have excellent communication skills and be able to give students personalized learning styles.
Preply Lessons & Packages
Preply offers lessons with a duration of 1 hour. First of all, you can book a trial lesson with a tutor to experience whether he fits your needs and you like his teaching style. Once you get to know that tutor, you can decide whether to continue learning the language with him. After, you have to book more lessons in a package. They offer packages of 5, 10, 15, or 20 lessons. With Preply, you cannot book lessons individually, only in bulk.
Learning Platform
Preply has its own video platform, where you will have lessons with your tutor. It’s their virtual classroom, where you have a lesson and chat box to write words down.
Extra Features
What is slightly different with Preply that other platforms don’t offer is their structured learning plan. They offer learning plans to know where exactly you are on your language learning journey and what to learn next. You will also see how long it will take you to reach a higher level of the language.
What Makes Preply Different?
You can’t book individual lessons, only lesson packages. Similar to iTalki, it has pretty cheap rates and many languages to learn, suitable for travel.
3. VERBLING
Verbling is a slightly different platform when it comes to trial lessons and tutors. You can choose a tutor using their search filters and book a trial lesson. Unlike other platforms, Verbling offers you the first trial lesson free of charge after you register. You only get 1 free trial lesson. For the other trial lessons you want to get, you have to pay a fixed rate of 6$.
Verbling Tutors
On Verbling, you will find professional teachers with certificates. Verbling doesn’t require teachers to be native speakers. However, they have to have the highest language level, C2, and excellent command of the language on a native level. Tutors also have to have relevant teaching experience.
Verbling Lessons & Packages
At Verbling, you can pay for lessons as you go or in bulk. You can usually purchase a package of 10 lessons for a reduced price.
Learning Platforms
Lessons are conducted directly through Verbling, not Skype or Zoom. Verbling uses its own video interface, and you will learn right from the site.
Extra Features
Verbling also offers you vocabulary reviews and collaborative text pads. You can also connect with other language learners to be part of a community and get some encouragement from others on your language learning journey.
What Makes Verbling Different?
What is unique about Verbling is its online learning platform, vocabulary reviews, and learning community. The first trial lesson is free, but you have to pay a fixed rate of 6$ per trial lesson.
4. AMAZING TALKER
What I love about this platform is that they help you find a tutor with their tutor machine. You can select your preferences for learning a language, and Amazing Talker will automatically find tutor matches for you. You’ll select the language you are about to learn. Also, you’ll type in your age, the course you are interested in (conversational, preparation for a text, grammar, etc.), days and time you prefer to have lessons, and your budget. In the end, you can also select the language you want to communicate in once having the lesson.
AmazingTalker Tutors
AmazingTalker might seem to be one of the most strict platforms in terms of tutor selection. This is because they interview every single tutor before hiring somebody. They also require all teachers to be certified and have years of experience in teaching a particular language.
AmazingTalker Lessons & Packages
You can either have a 25 minutes lesson or a 50 minutes lesson. As with other platforms, you can book one lesson in a calendar based on the teacher’s availability. You can take lessons as you want, or you can have more lessons with long-term goals.
Learning Platforms
AmazingTalker uses Zoom to conduct lessons.
What Makes AmazingTalker Different?
AmazingTalker has teachers who are specialized in various topics, fields. It shows you whether the teacher is great for kids, a certified psychologist, or has a degree in the business field. They are one of the most strict platforms in terms of tutor selection. They interview everyone before hiring them to teach on their platform.
Practice speaking on AMAZING TALKER
Which Language Platform Is Suitable For You?
I know it might be confusing for you to choose the correct platform. So I would like to summarize it for you. Generally speaking, it depends on the purpose for which you are learning the language. So here are some hits on which platform is the best for you:
- If you are learning a language for travel. Or you are an expat living in a foreign country and want to learn the basics to communicate in your everyday life. Choose iTalki.
- If you are learning a language for special purposes, such as studying a particular degree at a University in a different language, go for AmazingTalker.
- If you just want to chat with somebody in a foreign language, go for iTalki or Preply.
- In case you’re interested in learning grammar in-depth, choose Verbling or iTalki.
More Tips For Language Learning
I hope you will be able to choose which platform is the most suitable for you. You can now register and find a perfect tutor for you to practice speaking foreign language. Tell the tutor what exactly you want to practice. Talk to him about your process, how you started to learn vocabulary, which topic you chose, and in which situations you want to communicate once you travel. Explain your language learning process to him and ask him to practice speaking foreign language in these situations.
Don’t forget to download your language travel notebook and note the new vocabulary you learn with your tutors. Start learning a language for travel, use my method in I write about in a separate article.
Check out my article about the benefits of learning foreign language for travel. I’ll give you more inspiration and encouragement to get started.
