Step 5: Get Down and Dirty Straight Away

You may also be looking to practise your speaking skills on a region with a particular dialect. If I really wanted to test my German skills, I could focus on a city in Switzerland or Austria and see if I could actually understand what was being said.

Step 4: Get Swiping!

Let the game begin! Start swiping. Swipe left for people you don’t like, right for people you do.Take the time to read the bios before making your decision. You can get a lot of useful information by taking a couple of minutes to do this.. I find if people do play an instrument, make films for a living, or speak multiple languages they’ll let you know up front. This will make deciding on who you end up “liking” a much easier process.

I’ve also found that people who take the time to write a bio tend to be the most fun to talk to online.They’re also the most willing to talk. These are the types of people that you’re going to want to be looking for – people who are up for anything (I don’t mean in a sexual sense!).

Once you do have a few matches, I think it’s important not to beat around the bush. People are on Tinder for all sorts of reasons – boredom, looking to make friends, quick hook ups, or with the hope of starting a relationship.

So, be upfront. Tell the person that you don’t currently live in their area – but you are looking for someone to chat with. Explain your language learning quest to them. Be prepared for rejection. Some may un-match you without another word. Don’t take it personally. There will be people out there who are up for having a chat, happy to participate in your experiment.

Consider this – you’ve got something valuable to offer, simply with your native language. You’re looking to strengthen your language skills and guaranteed there are other people on the Internet who are in the same boat as you.

My German may be sketchy, but I’m 100% fluent in English. There would be people in Germany just as interested in looking to strengthen their English writing, reading and speaking skills as I am in German. Everyone wins!

Step 6: Move From Tinder to Skype

This last step is entirely up to you. I approached it with the Kink dating apps same sort of trepidation as I would in giving a stranger my mobile number. I would only give someone my Skype handle if I’d had a few conversations with that person and felt completely comfortable with my decisionmon sense applies, as with most decisions you make in the online dating world.

You may not be interested in speaking to your new online friends, merely content with texting. It’s up to you. And if the conversation moves into territory that you don’t feel comfortable with – get out of there and be merciless with the block button.

The Benefits of Using Tinder as a Language Learning Tool

I strongly believe in the adage “practice makes perfect”, particularly with language learning. If you are truly serious about becoming fluent in a language, you should be using a whole range of methods to increase your knowledge. While adding to your vocab list or practising pronunciation, you should also be studying movies or singing your heart out in the shower.

Learning a language should never be a chore, especially when there are so many opportunities to approach it from a creative angle and make the process enjoyable.

The beauty of Tinder is that it opens up the possibility of speaking with ordinary people. It provides you with an opportunity that learning in a classroom or from textbooks alone never could. Rather than studying a language in its standardised form, Tinder will allow you to learn slang, experience different dialects and talk about cultural trends.