The Mixxer

The Mixxer is a free site where language learners and teachers can find each other and chat via the web. I haven't signed up for the service so I can't vouch for it but those people who don't have ready access to a native speaker of Japanese this could be the solution. Once you are paired up with someone you interact via Skype or just text chat (or both!). When I looked there were 6843 learners and 183 teachers registered so competition may be fierce, but then again Skype allows conferencing...

Comments

[Joe]

I can vouch for The Mixxer. I signed up almost 2 years ago and have consistently had native Japanese conversation partners ever since, way better results than I ever had with Skype forums or Jyve.

The interface is pretty simple: you log in, indicate your native language and the language you want to practice, and the site lists matching native speakers of your target language. You get a little profile information and can contact people who might be likely candidates.

In the context of The Mixxer, "learner" is anyone who wants to practice a language; a "teacher" is specifically a classroom language teacher who represents a school class of language learners. The Mixxer lists lots and lots of Japanese who want to practice English; if you sign up, you are sure to have access to as many conversation partners as you can handle.