5 answers
★ Best answer
Traditional language exchanges work, but I'd also suggest trying sites like Speaky or italki if you're willing to spend a bit - you pay way less than an actual course and you get serious people who know what they're doing, not just randoms who disappear after two messages. The upside is you can pick the time and length of your session without waiting for someone to remember to reply to you, which is always an issue with free apps.
What level are you at right now, more of a beginner or already pretty decent?
It depends on that, but generally the most popular platforms are Tandem and ConversationExchange, where you find native speakers looking for people to do language exchange with. You can also try Speaky or italki if you prefer actual lessons instead of casual chat. On Reddit there are subreddits like r/language_exchange where people contact each other directly - maybe it's less formal and you can find a partner more easily if you're lucky.
The trick is to put up a clear profile (specify what you want to learn, what level you're at, how much you can commit per week) and be honest if you're a beginner - there are people who are specifically looking for that and it's not a problem. Once you find someone, set fixed times even if it's just 15-20 minutes twice a week, you don't need a marathon. Use Discord or Zoom, keep the conversations simple at first, and don't be afraid to say "sorry, can you repeat?" - that's literally the whole point of the exercise.
If you don't want to wait for matches on those apps, try searching directly on Reddit on subreddits like r/languageexchange or r/conversationexchange - people respond there in decent timeframes and you might find someone who's exactly at your level and has the same schedule. Then another thing a lot of people don't think about: find yourself an online hobby community (Discord servers for video games, birdwatching forums, whatever you're into) where people speak natural English, without the formality of language exchange apps - you learn real vocabulary and get practice without the stress of feeling like it's an "exercise".
If you want to avoid apps that require subscriptions, try looking for Discord groups dedicated to language exchange - there are really active communities where people actually practice, not just exchange messages. The advantage is that you can talk in voice chat directly, not just in writing, and you'll find people from all over the world at different levels.
One thing that really works is finding someone you already have something in common with, not just the language - I met a girl who wanted to learn Italian and was crazy about cycling like me, so we started doing video calls every two weeks and the conversation flows naturally because we talk about things we actually care about, not boring grammar exercises. Try looking in Facebook groups or Discord servers related to your hobbies (sports, books, music, whatever) where there are also people trying to practice a language - the context helps a ton and you don't even feel like you're "in a lesson."
Your answer
Log into answer.