I’m no stranger to entering chat rooms to practice the languages I’m learning, but are they worth it? Can you really learn in a chat room? What are the benefits? I will talk about all of these things below.Â
**(When I say chat room, I am referring to AUDIO chat rooms on language learning apps. I use both Hellotalk & Tandem).**
As a BEGINNER
Personally I think that for a BEGINNER language learner, chat rooms aren’t worth it. Why? Because you can easily feel overwhelmed and lost by the conversation.
You most likely won’t understand anything that is going on, and it could even discourage you in the language learning process. The one benefit to enter a chatroom as a beginner is you may potentially meet someone that you can practice one-on-one with.
As a INTERMEDIATE to ADVANCED LEARNER
For an intermediate to advanced learner, there are more benefits. Most likely, you will be able to understand the conversation, meet new people, and practice your speaking.
The amount of people in a chatroom matters
However, if there are 50 people in the room, your opportunity to actually speak will be slim. I think you can learn a language more effectively in a small group chat room (less than 6 people) or in an individual one on one chat.
Decide for yourself
I think it can also come down to personal preference. If you absolutely love chat rooms and find yourself benefiting from them, then by all means, keep going. Part of the language learning journey is learning through things that are fun for you.
My Recommendation
If you are a beginner, I would recommend staying away from them, UNLESS they are targeting beginner learners and the group is small, but even then, I think you are much more likely to benefit from one-on-one practice, or even studying by yourself.