Finding Conversation Partners

• Language Resource Center Conversation Partner Database Add yourself to the database so others can find you, and/or use the database to search for a partner!

Finding Email/Chat Partners

• livemocha.com A social networking site for people trying to learn languages. Allows you to chat with people who speak the language you're trying to learn and who are trying to learn the language you speak. Also allows you to do exercises (both written and spoken), and connects you with native speakers who critique what you've done.
• WordChamp A social networking site for people trying to learn languages. Provides access to native speaker "tutors," and connects you with people who speak the language you're trying to learn and who are trying to learn the language you speak. Provides a "Web Reader" tool that will mark up a webpage of your choice whenever it encounters a word in its database. Once the page comes up, you can run your mouse over highlighted words and get translations, as well as audio and conjugation information when available. Also provides access to flashcards and exercises.
• Tandem Email Partner Info  A great free internet service that helps you find German-speaking email partners.  Sometimes you have to try it a few times before you get a partner who writes back regularly, but it always works!
• Deutsche Post's Letternet The link actually takes you to the about.com page that explains what Letternet is and how to use it; from there you can get to the actual LetterNet website. Letternet allows you to find "traditional" pen pals to whom you would actually still write letters, and it is very efficiently organized by Deutsche Post!
• Treffpunkt Deutsch Website Info on finding Email partners  [Choose any chapter from the chapter menu near the top of the page, then click on "Briefkasten" and follow one of the links] An excellent collection of resources for finding email partners for students and teachers!
• About.com E-Pal/Penpal Info
• Pen Pals in German A service provided by Mathias Adelhoefer; free for learners of German (as opposed to native speakers, who pay a fee).  Ask your instructor or stop by the German Lab if you need help filling out the form!
• Cyberfriends This electronic pen pal service invites you to fill in the on-line application to list your profile so that you can find a pen pal with similar interests for professional or personal contact.
• studivz Die deutsche Version von facebook! Eigentlich kein Emailpartnerservice, aber vielleicht können Sie hier deutsche Chat-Freunde finden... Klicken Sie auf "Immatrikulieren", um einen "Account" zu bekommen.

Chat Sites

• jetzt-Chat (mit Tutoren!) The main page includes info on when tutors (from the Universität Gießen, which hosts this site) are present in the chat room, but you can enter anytime. Follow the link to the "Weltzeituhr" to translate the German times into your local time. You can pick a username spontaneously, or you can register your username for free.
• DeepDark Klicken Sie auf "Das Forum" to see a list of chat rooms devoted to a wide range of topics, from games, to computers, to movies etc.  One chat room, "The Arena" is specifically devoted to "verbal fights"...
• ICQ German links If you're familiar with ICQ, you'll love this; if not, this may tempt you to learn!  Includes links to instructions and help in German, and links to a wide range of chat and user groups/lists.
• DINO Chat Chat site accompanying the huge German web catalog.
• AOL Instant Messenger Germany The German version of this popular and free program.  I have to admit I don't know how it works, but I think what you do is download the free AIM software, and then click on "Chat" somewhere when you open it up.  I imagine this would be a place where you are always likely to find people in the chat rooms, and wouldn't have to worry too much about meeting people you'd rather not meet.
• Microsoft Chat Doesn't work on Macs, and since I have a Mac, I haven't tried it.  If you try it, let me know if you can find a German language chatroom here.
• Yahoo German Chat You need to register to get a Yahoo ID and password (top right of the page), and then you can enter the rooms.
• Excite German Chat You can find the "German" room under "Local" (paradoxically).  In parentheses you can see the number of people currently chatting in there.  Click on it, and a window appears prompting you to enter or request your Excite ID and password, and then you can start chatting.
• chatinternational.com The name says it all, and here you can choose Austria, Germany, or Switzerland.
• Rivendel International Communications' list of international chat links Lists a number of sites not included on this list.

"Other"

• University of Michigan Language Resource Center Lots of useful info and links.
• GermanTV This awesome channel is being broadcast by the LRC on UMTV channels 12 and/or 76, which you can see in the Residence Halls and on any of the built-in TVs in the MLB, and at dedicated viewing stations in the LRC's main center. "GermanTV" broadcasts German soap operas such as "Marienhof" and "No Sex" [in a representative episode, Paul's girlfriend leaves him, his dad kicks him out of the house, and the doctor tells him he's impotent], German police dramas such as "Derrick," "Tatort" and "Der Alte," a variety of TV movies and schmaltzy mini-series such as "Die Schwarzwaldklinik" and "Das Traumschiff," movies of novels by Rosamunde Pilcher, and a regular music show, "popXport." We hope you will tune in often: for your LLJs, for listening practice, and for fun! You can also watch Deutsche Welle TV in the LRC and on UMTV.
• International Channel This is the International Channel's website.  Log on for info about their German language programming.  If they broadcast it at a time that's inconvenient for you, remember you can always tape the show and watch it later