How to SpeaQ With Me – Find a conversation partner

In the last blog post you learned about how the text and video chat works. In this post, we want to show you how to find a chat partner, so that you can take advantage of all the learning tools we built into the chat. If you are curious and maybe a little bit hesitant about how you can get to know other people, read on to see all the possibilities you have for meeting interesting chat partners on the platform.

The main page of the SpeaQ With Me app is designed to show you everyone who can help you learn your target language(s). Ideally this would be a native speaker, but there are also plenty of (we call them) expert speakers, who have already learned a language to a point where they are fluent and can share their knowledge with you.

When you log into the platform, your starting page is always the people page. This page gives you a quick overview over your possible chat partners. Maybe you already see somebody who seems interesting? If you speak more than one foreign language, you will see a mix of users that have at least one language in common. In this case, you might want to narrow down your choices. Of course, you could read through all the profile cards, but it might be easier for you to use the search tool to find the language and nationality you are looking for.

How to SpeaQ With Me – Video Chat

Here comes our next post explaining how to use the language learning platform.

You already know about out text chat and have maybe already chatted with someone? Then it’s time to get started speaQing in a video chat. The video chat helps you put all your foreign language skills to use in the best possible way, by having conversations with real people! 

When you first start out talking to new people via video chat, we know it can be a challenge to figure out what to say, or find interesting topics to discuss. That's why we developed some tools that should make it easier to chat with a native and to reach your language learning goals.

So, what are these tools about?

Well, even before the chat begins, we want to make sure that both you and your chat partner are set up for success. That's why we have you select the language the chat will be in and approximately how long you want to talk for. This information helps you and your partner both know what's going on when the chat begins, and it lets us provide you with learning tools in the language you selected (if available, otherwise it will be in English). 

Report from the SpeaQ With Me office

Hi I’m Dilber.

I'm studying Computational Linguistics at Saarland University and as a part of my studies I did an internship for SpeaQ With Me. I found out about the internship because one of the founders, Patrick, also studied in the same faculty, and a friend from class told me that they were looking for interns.

The idea of language exchange really interests me because I speak several foreign languages and want to improve them and learn more. I thought that the internship would be a good chance for me to see how language exchanges could work online, so I applied for the position.

Here I was with Kerstin, finding students to do the alpha test with.

During the interview, the team gave me an overview of the project and their aims and worked with me to figure out where I could contribute. When I was accepted for the position the team had prepared a list of tasks for me to get started on, so I knew from the very beginning that they were organized and wanted me to be an active member of the team.

The concept for language exchange on the SpeaQ With Me platform captivated me and I could immediately see the potential. From my own experience, I knew that practicing a language by talking to a native speaker is an effective way to learn. But getting help from the platform by matching you with the right conversation partners AND especially giving you some "extra tools" that help you have a conversation is a very good idea.

How to SpeaQ With Me – Text Chat

We are happy to present you with a few more tips on how to use SpeaQ With Me, the language learning platform.

In an earlier blog post, we talked about how the user profile works and took a glimpse at the people page where you can find native speakers to chat with. So today we are going to talk a little bit more about how text communication works with other users on the platform.

The first communication you will probably have with another user is the text chat. We wanted to make this chat as convenient as possible for you, which is why we have a handy chat interface next to the profile of every person you meet. That way when you find a person's profile interesting you can immediately start writing them. We hope this tool makes it easier to overcome hesitation and be the first to send a message. And of course once you have established contact with a few text messages, you can also switch to a video conversation by clicking the camera button in the top right corner of the interface.  

Bits & Pretzels – SpeaQ With Me at the Founders Festival in Munich

We are back in the office!

After some days spend networking, pitching our project, getting up really early, listening to inspiring personalities and drinking beer, we are sitting at our desks again, trying to process all these impressions.

But let’s start at the beginning: We started planning to go to Munich for the startup fair Bits & Pretzels at the end of July. Bought the tickets, designed and ordered Flyer and a Roll-up for our booth, applied for the pitch and planned our schedule of speeches and classes.

Last Saturday we went to Munich early in the morning so we would have some time to see Munich before we had to get up real early on Sunday morning. The doors to the ICM (International Congress Center Munich) opened at 8 a.m. for the exhibitors. Before the visitors started pouring in at 9 a.m., we had to prepare our stand which also meant setting up the computers with a local version of  the SpeaQ With Me platform.

What would a language learning platform be without user profiles?

You already read a little bit about how the SpeaQ With Me platform is developing. In this blog post we are going to show you the next part of our language learning platform.

But let’s start slowly. On www.speaqwith.me we are currently building a social network that is designed to help people practice languages. That’s why our slogan is “social language learning for everyone”. The idea is that everyone can register on the platform to find international chat partners to practice foreign languages with.

To do so, every user needs a profile first, and that’s what we are going to show you today.

Like in every social network, the registration process contains some questions about the new user. Name, nationality and a profile picture are standard. On SpeaQ With Me the user also enters which languages he/she speaks and at what level. There will also be a section where you can describe yourself and choose from a selection of interests.

Julian the Intern

Hi SpeaQ community,

I am Julian, the first intern at SpeaQ With Me. As a part of my studies I had to do an internship (I’m studying English and French and aiming to become a teacher in the future). I wanted to complete the internship in my hometown of Saarbrücken, where SpeaQ With Me is located.

Here I am with Patrick, at the BBQ of the "Starterzentrum"
Fun Fact: "Der Schwenker schwenkt den Schwenker auf dem Schwenker"
is an actual sentence in the local Saarbrücker dialect. It means the
the grill master grills a special kind of meat on this swinging grill. 

When looking for the internship, I came across a job posting website run by the local university. SpeaQ With Me’s ad on the site was the most interesting to me because I believe that you can’t learn a language without speaking it, either.

So I decided to contact the team. They presented the concept of SpeaQ With Me to me. I was very intrigued by the aims of the company. In the end I was told that I should expect a decision about two weeks later on whether or not I would get a spot as an intern. So a bit later I received a mail which said they wanted me to work with them, and I could start on September 1st.