iTalki Impressions

iTalki presents an interesting hybrid of online teaching and language-learning-centered social networking.  In order to access the online teaching, an iTalki user must seek out a professional teacher, negotiate a time for the lesson, and pay for the lesson, of course.  In addition to the professional lessons, users can find fellow users interested in language exchanges.  Both the professional lessons and the language exchanges do not happen directly through the site; instead iTalki recommends Skype or similar services to facilitate the conversations.  The site also supports discussion threads and micro-blogging, similar to a Twitter or Facebook feed.  Where iTalki distinguishes itself from sites like Facebook is its Notebook feature.  In the notebook, users can diary their learning experiences or write about other topics and native speakers of the language can offer corrections.

Overall, iTalki's focus on interaction is promising for driven language learners.  There is little in the way of formal curriculum, as any structure depends entirely on each professional teacher.  For those not taking lessons from professional teachers, a lot of motivation and self-discipline would likely be required to make significant advances in language proficiency through the purely social, mutual language exchange experiences that the site facilitates.