I came across a site someone mentioned on tiktok about using Sail to do conversation practice with Japanese natives. https://sailglobal.helte.jp/ It's similar to iTalki it looks like.
But I didn't see anything on this sub about anyone using it. Has anyone had any experiences with this app and your thoughts about it?
Thanks a lot for sharing about Sail. I didn't know about it. But, I think it would have been better to offer a trial plan for one month so that people can check whether it works for them. They are just offering for 3 conversations I guess.
まだ使ったことないですけど、興味を持っています。OPさん、もしsailglobalを使って見れば教えてくださいね!
Hello. I signed up for a free 1 month trial and it is a legit website. I recommended it to my friends as well. The key is the conversation partners in Japan are mostly japanese retirees and bored house wives. I think they are on the site for free and only the learners are paying the US$15/mo. totally worth it in my opinion. These people do not speak English or they don't want to. It's a legit 25 minutes 100% Japanese experience. But, once the 25 minutes expires it boots you of the conversation abruptly, so be sure to save the last few seconds for thank yous and goodbyes. The one issue is if your in the usa the website is most active in the early morning or later on the evening. There are very few speaking partners during usa business hours as the Japanese people are sleeping. I have been meaning to pay the fee and 'play'for real in the near future.
I have some familiarity with Sail. I've never used it personally though. Sail connects Japanese learners with native speakers for lessons. There is no fixed curriculum, though there is support for getting things moving with a tutor. The tutors have a lot of Japanese seniors who are kind of volunteering their time and are happy to help people learn about Japan and the Japanese language. The people who run Sail are legit and trustworthy. It's worth checking out if you're looking for speaking opportunities.
Other options for speaking:
-Affordable and decent quality online lessons.
-Free Japanese speaking practice app.
If you'd like more of a curriculum-based approach, my partner is a native speaker and full-time Japanese tutor who customizes curriculums for learners based on their interests and needs. Let me know if you'd like me to introduce - just send me your email by DM and she can send more info. Thanks
Looks like a scam to me but I can't be sure. It is not realistic to pay 12€ for unlimited conversations in a month..
I think the goal of the app is to get you employed in Japan, so they probably make more money off of that, but it looks like you can still chat even if that’s not your goal.
Sail is a legit service. I'm not sure about that pricing you mentioned though.