Japanese Speaking Practice

[jencab1980]

I've been fervently studying for the JLPT exams for some months now and this site has helped me a lot. However, I still am poor in the speaking department as there aren't any Japanese speakers around me. Any advise on how I can improve on this. I know speaking isn't part of JLPT but if I plan to get a job as a Japanese translator/interpreter, I really need to be confident in speaking the language. If anyone wants to practice with me through skype, please add subarashijinsei. Thanks a lot.

[Javizy]

Practising with people who are making the mistakes you're trying to avoid and can't answer your questions isn't the best way to get the most out of speaking. Try finding a Japanese person studying English on the Mixxer. Pay attention to the language they use when they correct themselves, try to buy time, change the topic, etc. These sorts of things really help your fluency, and it's hard to get exposure to them anywhere else.

[jencab1980]

Thanks for the tip. I'll try it out.

[smokesalmon1039]

Excellent suggestion for the Mixxer website.
I signed up and sent a few Skype invitations out to a few Japanese people and got replies almost instantly!!
And I must say that Japanese people are very patient and always willing to help.