What Does a Mandarin Chinese Conversation Partner Do?

Textbooks and classroom studies can only teach you so much and there comes a time when you’ll need to speak with a native Chinese speaker to get the fluency level you desire.
A Mandarin Chinese conversation partner can be an excellent way to get Chinese practice for free. Essentially, a conversation partner is a native speaker of the language you are learning who can talk to you and help you practice your speaking and listening skills. In exchange, you will spend an equal amount of time speaking English (or whatever your native language is) to help your partner practice his or her English skills.
A typical conversation session lasts between 1 ½ to 2 hours, split equally between the two languages. Conversation partners can meet at one of the participants’ home or they can meet up at a local coffee shop or fast food joint. It’s a good idea to plan in advance by coming up with some good topics to cover and writing down any specific questions you want to ask your partner. Many conversation partners go on to become good friends as their fluency improves and they move into conversations about each other’s lives.
Getting a conversation partner isn’t a necessity for learning Chinese, but it can definitely help improve your skills and teach you a lot about Chinese culture.