The Mixxer website connects language students with native speakers for language exchanges via Skype. A language exchange involves two people who are each learning the other's native language helping each other practice speaking. Users can create profiles, search for partners matching their language preferences, and practice writing with partners who can provide corrections. The site administrator explains that teachers can connect entire classes for exchanges by contacting the administrator, who can enable teacher search functions and help set up group video calls between classes at scheduled times.
Open Learning Consortium Award, Connect Language Students with Native Speakers
1. WELCOME TO THE MIXXER
Connect your language students with native
speakers for a language exchange
www.language-exchanges.org
2. WHAT’S A LANGUAGE EXCHANGE
• A language exchange is two people who are each
learning the other person’s native language helping each
other. With the Mixxer, partners find each other then
practice speaking via Skype. This is also often also
called eTandem. There is also a writing section where
users can correct each other.
5. I TEACH, WHAT CAN THE MIXXER DO?
• Students can, or course, create their own profiles and find partners. Our
students do so then send a summary of the exchange to their professor or post
to the Mixxer blog. If you would like to connect students during class hours,
contact me at bryantt@dickinson.edu, I will change the permissions on your
account to provide two additional functions.
• Teacher Search – for those looking for class-to-class exchanges. I also recommend
www.uni-collaboration.eu
• Event – If you have lab hour for your language class, you can ask individual users
who match a specific profile to contact your students at a given day and time. For
example, we may send an email to native Spanish speakers learning English asking if
they’d be interested in an exchange at 9:30 AM New York time on Tuesday April 3rd.
If interested, definitely email me first. I will help you with the first one.
