A colleague at LADO International College, where I teach part-time, told me about an intercambios that takes place at a cafe in Washington, DC called Dos Gringos. People meet there to talk in different languages, giving some members a chance to practice Spanish, for example, and then others a chance to practice English, everyone receiving equal time. The languages they currently cover are Spanish, French, Chinese, and Vietnamese, though I imagine people with other skills and interests should contact them too, since Washington is so rich in languages and curiosity.

According to the cafe’s website, such exchanges are popular in Latin America. If you know anything about this phenomenon, please tell me about it in a comment here.

I once did a language exchange with a Russian teacher, when I was working for Sprachstudio Lingua Nova in Munich. We met privately. She taught me Russian and I taught her English. I forget the exact details, but I believe we decided only to do one language per meeting, so as not to get confused. I have also seen two friends meet once per week and do one hour of German followed by one hour of French. Such exchanges might be less effective than a dedicated language course, but it is a good way to share resources, especially if your budget is small. Such exchanges can also supplement a language course. The trick is to have enough discipline to meet regularly and stay in the language being practiced for the time agreed to beforehand.