osu! Language Exchange (OLEX) is an event where you can meet people to help you practice the languages you're learning and take your language skills to the next level. The event will last from September 1 - 30, 2023 and take place in the osu! University Discord server. After filling out the sign-up form, you will be matched in groups of 2 to 4 with people who speak the language you want to learn and are currently learning a language that you speak.
Registration
When signing up, you will be asked for:
If you're ready to sign up, you can fill out the sign-up form here. Translated sign-up forms can be found through the translated forum posts at the bottom of this post.
- The languages you speak. These can either be a native language or any language that you feel near-native in.
- 1 to 2 languages you want to learn. These are referred to as target languages, and you will be matched with native speakers of those languages to practice with.
- Your current level in your target languages.
- The language skills you want to focus on most. You can choose reading, writing, speaking, listening, or all four!
- Your availability throughout the month.
- Your preferred learning style between text and voice.
If you're ready to sign up, you can fill out the sign-up form here. Translated sign-up forms can be found through the translated forum posts at the bottom of this post.
Event Information
When the event begins on September 1, 2023, you'll get to meet your new language exchange partners! Based on the languages you chose in your sign-up form, you will be added to 1 to 2 groups with 2 to 4 people in each group.
This is the part where you share stories, play games together, and help each other grow your language skills! There are some suggested activities listed below for you to do throughout the month, but it's up to you to decide how your language learning adventure will go.
This is the part where you share stories, play games together, and help each other grow your language skills! There are some suggested activities listed below for you to do throughout the month, but it's up to you to decide how your language learning adventure will go.
Achievements
Throughout the event, there will be achievements for you to complete that require you to do different activities with your language exchange partners.
Each achievement has 3 tiers. Higher tiers of an achievement can be unlocked by completing the achievement multiple times. For example, if an achievement name has (1x / 3x / 10x) next to it, it means that the first tier is unlocked by completing the achievement once, the second tier is unlocked by completing the achievement three times, and the third tier is unlocked by completing the achievement ten times.
The list of achievements, along with the specific requirements for each tier, can be found in the box below.
These achievements are simply designed to give you some activities to do, but your achievements will not be checked by the event staff and there will be no prizes for completing them. Have fun!
Each achievement has 3 tiers. Higher tiers of an achievement can be unlocked by completing the achievement multiple times. For example, if an achievement name has (1x / 3x / 10x) next to it, it means that the first tier is unlocked by completing the achievement once, the second tier is unlocked by completing the achievement three times, and the third tier is unlocked by completing the achievement ten times.
The list of achievements, along with the specific requirements for each tier, can be found in the box below.
List of achievements
- Conversationalist (1x / 3x / 10x): Have a 10-minute conversation entirely in the target language with your language partner.
- Journaling (1x / 3x / 10x): Write a short journal entry about your day in your target language.
- Translator (1x / 2x / 5x): Translate a short paragraph from your language to your target language or vice versa.
- Author (1x / 2x / 5x): Write a short story in the target language about a topic of your choice.
- Artist (1x / 2x / 5x): Create a drawing that represents a word or phrase in your target language.
- Tongue Twister (1x / 2x / 3x): Record yourself successfully pronouncing a challenging phrase in the target language.
- Cooking Stream (1x / 2x / 3x): Cook a dish by receiving instructions from your language partner in your target language.
- Lost in Translation (1x / 2x / 3x): Find a phrase or saying that doesn't have an equivalent translation in your native language and explain it to your language partner.
- Story Time (1x / 2x / 3x): Share a story or memory in your target language.
- Dream Journal (1x / 2x / 3x): Write about a recent dream or create a fictional dream journal entry in your target language.
- Creative Connection (1x / 2x / 3x): Collaborate on a short creative project (osu! map, poem, story, artwork, song) with a native speaker using your target language.
- Detective (1x / 2x / 3x): Solve a riddle or puzzle in your target language.
- Picture Perfect (1x / 2x / 3x): Describe a picture or photo using your target language.
- Meme Worthy (1x / 2x / 3x): Teach a meme from your native language to your language partner.
- I learned New English!! (1x / 2x / 3x): Use a local slang word or phrase appropriately in a conversation.
These achievements are simply designed to give you some activities to do, but your achievements will not be checked by the event staff and there will be no prizes for completing them. Have fun!
Word Games
The following is a list of suggested word games that you can play with your group.
If you know of other fun word games, feel free to send them to @honmi on Discord to have them added to this list!
List of word games
- Story Builder: Each player creates a sentence of a story, and you collectively build a story.
- 20 Questions: One player thinks of a word, and the other players take turns asking yes-or-no questions to guess the word within 20 questions.
- Pictionary: Players take turns drawing words or phrases while others try to guess the word that is being drawn.
- Word Chain: Start with a word in your target language, and each player takes turns saying a word that starts with the last letter of the previous word.
- Association: One player says a word, and the other players take turns saying related words as fast as they can. The goal is to keep the chain going without slowing down.
If you know of other fun word games, feel free to send them to @honmi on Discord to have them added to this list!
Progress Logs
On each day of the month, you will be able to submit a very simple progress log to help you keep track of your progress. The progress log will ask you what you focused on that day and how you felt about that day overall.
If you submit at least 10 progress logs, you will be given a special Linguist role in the Discord server. This is simply designed to give a small incentive and help you stay motivated in your studies! Completing progress logs is not required to participate in the event.
If you submit at least 10 progress logs, you will be given a special Linguist role in the Discord server. This is simply designed to give a small incentive and help you stay motivated in your studies! Completing progress logs is not required to participate in the event.
Interested in joining, but feel like you might not have enough time? No worries! The sign-up form will ask you for your availability so you can take the event at your own pace.
If you'd like to share this event with someone in a different language, we've translated this forum post to 日本語, Русский, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, Polski, Italiano, Svenska, Română, 한국어, 中文, Українська.
If you're ready to sign up, you can fill out the sign-up form in English here or in another language through the language-specific forum posts above.
If you'd like to share this event with someone in a different language, we've translated this forum post to 日本語, Русский, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, Polski, Italiano, Svenska, Română, 한국어, 中文, Українська.
If you're ready to sign up, you can fill out the sign-up form in English here or in another language through the language-specific forum posts above.
If you know anyone who is interested in improving their skills in a language (or learning a new one), please consider sharing this event with them! This event will work best with as many signups as possible, so we hope to see you all join us next month for the first edition of OLEX.
