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Finding language resources in your own neighborhood
You may think that opportunities to practice your foreign language of choice are limited to spending hundreds of dollars, or more, on a plane ticket, or maybe renting an obscure foreign film at your local film rental place. However, depending on where you live, there could be plenty of free, or at least very inexpensive, practice opportunities in your own neighborhood. For example, there could be a cultural organization or informal social group where people meet. You might be surprised how many other people in your town also want to practice their foreign language skills, and meet regularly to do so (there could even be food involved!). And a cultural organization like Alliance Française, for instance, has chapters all over the U.S. There may also be a local college or university with a department that hosts cultural events such as film screenings or discussion groups. Live in a big city? Check to see if the country (or one of the countries that speaks the language you want) has a consulate in your city, and visit its website. The consulate might host cultural events, or provide helpful information on events and other relevant opportunities in the area. For example, the website of the Italian Consulate in New York City provides a link to an entire cultural institute dedicated to Italian culture and language in the city. Part of the Italian government, the institute hosts events, book clubs, exhibitions, movie screenings, and posts tons of links to other resources. It is also possible to find people in your community who are native speakers of the language you want to learn, who themselves want to learn the language you speak. This could provide you with a great opportunity to get foreign language practice for free, and in turn be able to teach someone else! Set up a time to meet at a coffee shop once a week, and agree that you'll both speak in your language for the first hour (or half hour), and the next hour or half hour in theirs. Doing a conversation exchange is a great way to practice your pronunciation and conversation skills with a native speaker, for just the price of coffee! Of course, you can find a lot of this information online, and there are sites that allow groups of people to get organized and meet to pursue their interests. Call, go to, or visit the website of the local consulate, cultural organization, or foreign language department and see if there are any fliers posted or other information available. Check your newspaper, and don't be shy about asking around. And most importantly, remember to have fun! Tags: conversation exchange, foreign language practice, newsletter, tips
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