How do I schedule a conversation?
There are many conversation partners to choose from. To get started, click Make a Reservation on your student homepage. You can search for partners in several ways:
- By Country
- By Date/Time they are available – Use this if you already know the date/time you want to have your conversation and only want to view partners available at that time.
- Past Partners
- View All
Selecting a Partner
Once you make your selection, you will see a list of partners. If one looks interesting, you can view their full profile by clicking on the photo or View Full Profile.
Each time you have a conversation, you can speak to the same conversation partner or select a new one.
The full profile will give you an idea of the interests, hobbies, and background of the partner. Spend time looking at the available conversation partners so you can find someone with similar interests.
Finding an Available Conversation Time
Once you have selected your conversation partner, take a look at their calendar of availability at the bottom of the page. Choose a time that works for you by clicking on the time in the calendar. All times shown will be in the timezone you have selected on your profile. You can change your timezone by clicking Manage Account on your homepage.
Please be aware that conversations need to be made at least 36 hours in advance. This gives the partner enough warning to ensure they will attend.
Once you have selected the time, you will be asked to confirm everything: the time, the assignment you are completing, the conversation partner, and optionally add your telephone number.
Your phone number is used to send reminder text messages before your call begins. It will also be used for communication by the TalkAbroad support team in the event there is a problem at the time of the call. You will not be contacted by the conversation partner at that phone number. Your phone number is suggested but not required.
Making a Reservation
To finalize the reservation, click Make Reservation. You will be sent a confirmation email with details and instructions. To confirm that your reservation was successfully created, you can also look at the calendar at the bottom on the student homepage entitled My Reservations. You should now see the reservation time listed on the appropriate day.
Canceling a Reservation and Updating an Assignment
Locate the conversation on the calendar at the bottom of the homepage. Click the time of the reservation. This will display all the information for the upcoming reservation. Click Cancel Reservation or select a different assignment. You can also update your telephone number for the text message alerts.
TalkAbroad’s Cancellation Policy states that you can cancel reservations up to 12 hours before the call is scheduled to take place. This allows enough notice so that the conversation partner can be alerted to the change. Your conversation credit will be automatically returned to your account.