The advent of the Internet and email has added a new dimension to the concept of "pen pal" or "pen friend." Now there are e-pals, web pals or key pals. For language-learners this new dimension is mostly a big plus. Not only does it mean you can easily communicate with a Brieffreund or Brieffreundin in Austria, Germany, or Switzerland, but the cost is negligible and you don't have to go to the post office for international air mail stamps or aerogrammes. You can even send pictures or documents as JPEG or GIF files.
Another advantage is speed—assuming your e-pal checks his or her email regularly. An air-mail letter often takes seven to twelve days or longer to travel in just one direction. A two-way exchange may require a month or more to be completed. Email, on the other hand, is much more rapid. Exchanges can take place in a matter of minutes or hours instead of days or weeks.
As with postal mail, an email exchange can help you improve your German by corresponding with a native speaker. Some people prefer an arrangement in which each correspondent writes in his own language. That is, the English-speaker writes in English but receives mail in German, and vice versa. Others—especially those more proficient in German or the language they are learning—prefer to write and receive mail in that language.
Of course, in order for any of this to work, you must first find someone with whom you can exchange mail! That's our next topic...
NEXT > Finding E-Pals
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