Finding it difficult to find a native speaker to help you? Hi In my experience (and also in the experience of other British friends I know who use such websites) the main obstacles to finding suitable language exchange partners are: 1) lack of commitment/seriousness, 2) rudeness/arrogance, 3) selfishness. 1) All too many people approach language learning on such sites like a childish hobby, erroneously believing that merely chatting will suddenly and magically improve their ability in a language. 2) Rudeness – the number one killer for those who expect to treat others civilly and be treated in return with respect. Most frequently this involves: people contacting me and not showing a normal level of polite interest in me aka small talk (instead immediately trying to call me or demanding we arrange to talk), ask why I am learning a particular language or how they could help me improve. It goes without saying that I ask these questions of people I am interested in studying with. Or worse still – and this is particularly true of more advanced English speakers – people are incredibly arrogant: being overly inquisitive (prying), asking highly personal questions (this is not a dating website), and assuming a level of familiarity entirely inappropriate for a complete stranger. Arrogance often rears its ugly head with men (especially professional, educated men from Russia, the Middle East, & India) who lack even basic manners (at least online in this context) and immediately demand that others are available and fit around their schedule. With women, all too often they treat language exchange as a childish game or expect men to amuse them/flirt with them. Their lack of maturity is often revealed when I ask why they are learning English or which areas they wish to enhance and get some trite answers. Other women demonstrate the emotional maturity of a prepubescent girl throwing a tantrum when people do not immediately do as they require or are not available when they are.