Lockdown Language Exchange

Lockdown Language Exchange

Book native speakers to practice a language during lockdown

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Book sessions to practice speaking a language live via video 1:1 with a native speaker who is out of work due to COVID-19. Use time stuck at home to improve your language skills, make a human connection & put money directly in the pocket of one who needs it
Lockdown Language Exchange gallery image
Lockdown Language Exchange gallery image
Lockdown Language Exchange gallery image
Lockdown Language Exchange gallery image
Launch tags:Charity & Giving•Education•Languages
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Threedium
Threedium
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What do you think? …

Tessa Davis
This would be an excellent opportunity for me to help Russians with english since I have experinece speaking Russian also, after living there a year and exchanging Russian and English for 5 years through couchsurfing group and my language exchange . I am also studying international certificate in English teaching course .
Manuela Venezia Odell
@tessa_davis Please consider signing up!
Tessa Davis
@manuela_venezia_odell thanks I did and wonder how to be verified
Avi Millman
Lockdown Language Exchange
Maker
As restrictions to COVID-19 were being put in place and businesses were closing a couple weeks ago, I was thinking about ways to help those who would be out of work and affected financially (now upwards of 1 billion globally people according to the BBC). I created the Lockdown Language Exchange to solve two problems: 1) people need a way to earn some income NOW. Helping someone practice a language is something they can do immediately, from home, without any learning or prep 2) those who are still working are stuck at home doing the same activities. Practicing a language via conversation is a way to improve rapidly, it's fun, it combats isolating effects of being at home, and it helps someone financially who needs it Our company is a nonprofit, we take NO fees, so everything except PayPal fees goes to those who need it. In an effort to help as urgently as possible we went from idea to a live product as quickly as possible, so we know this is a work in process and aspects of the UX can be improved. You can read more about that journey in two Medium posts: https://medium.com/@avimillman/c... After just a few days, we offer 16 languages (and growing) are already having trouble keeping up with the supply as more people sign up who are out of work all across the world and across just about every industry. We would love any feedback, help spreading the love to those who want to learn (those who want to earn are finding us already by word of mouth), or joining our team of volunteers.
Scott Hanford
Zoom
I've been learning (trying to learn) Cantonese – this will VERY much come in handy, and great timing! Love the idea. Great work @avimillman
Avi Millman
Lockdown Language Exchange
Maker
@scott_hanford thanks so much for the kind words and support! Just got our second person listing Cantonese the yesterday :)
Stefanie
I think this is a great idea for our current circumstances - It really touches on a few problems we are facing around what to do while at home/learning new things/creating new habits, needing social connection during isolation, and also enabling people to earn some income if they cannot go to work, or need the extra money. I wonder though...why do so many of the products, that are being thought up during this time, have covid-specific/related names? I think this idea is scalable and useful beyond this quarantine and 'lockdown' - Just a thought!
Avi Millman
Lockdown Language Exchange
Maker
@stefanie_mclaren thank you so much for your positive feedback. I couldn't agree more. To answer for our own situation and context, we formed the company from a standpoint of wanting to help people affected by the crisis, not from a standpoint of trying to build the most scalabale profitable business or even from saying we are the most effective solution for language learning. We are a vehicle for solving a problem of people out of work indefinitely and people at home who can't do the things they want and want to improve themselves and fellow humans. Our name and our formation as a nonprofit reflect both of those things. There may be a larger untapped opportunity here, but that's not really what we are focused on solving. And names can be changed. At the same time, we wouldn't claim to be inventors of language exchanges. There are a number of free and paid exchanges. But this crisis has created problems on both sides of the equation that make a paid language exchange a far more relevant solution to a much larger population than ever existed. It's an opportunity for millions more people to be introduced to a concept in a way they might never have considered before. We're seeing similar developments in working from home, video conferencing, ordering groceries online, and likely many other behaviors (dating maybe?). All to say, we totally agree, but we're here to help folks through the crisis and then figure out where we go from there. If others want to capture the commercial market thereafter or scale the idea beyond, we think they should. Right now, if people will find language learners to book the people who had the courage to list on our site, that would make us happy. Thank you so much for starting this amazing discussion and for your engagement on this subject.
Stefanie
@avimillman Of course, totally makes sense - Thanks :) Nice work!
Manuela Venezia Odell
I'll donate a Lockdown Language session to the first three people who email me at manuela@lockdownlanguage.org :) It goes to a good cause and we'd love to get some feedback from you!
Brayan Rey
Excelent