Set rules with the right partner
Consistency and rules matter more than language level. Agree on just two things up front: split the time exactly in half, and meet at a fixed time once a week. Clear rules dissolve most of the drift toward whichever language is easier.
Prepare topics in advance
Repeated rounds of "so… what should we talk about?" kill an exchange fast. Three expressions you learned this week, two questions you want to ask, one story to tell — that much prep makes thirty minutes feel short. Actually using prepared expressions is the core value of the exchange.
Ask for corrections specifically
Say "correct me if I'm wrong" and, out of politeness, your partner almost never will. Ask concretely instead: "Does this sentence sound natural?", "Can I use this word here?", "How would a native speaker say what I just said?" Sentence-level questions draw out precise corrections.
The ten minutes after the session build the skill
Note new expressions the moment they come up, and spend ten minutes organizing right after the session. Save what you heard, practice it aloud before the next meeting, and it is ready to use in the next conversation. Once that loop spins, the exchange becomes free tutoring.
COMMON MISTAKES
Common language-exchange mistakes
Spending the whole session in the comfortable language — set a timer and switch. The awkwardness is the training. Sticking to safe sentences out of embarrassment — corrected sentences are the ones you remember longest. Being satisfied with just meeting — without notes and review, ten sessions leave you where you started.
Open it in juin.com
Before your next session, record your prepared sentences in Speaking. Sentences you have already put in your mouth reliably come out in real conversation.