Finding Your Spanish Pen Pal

With so much of the world fixated on communicating online, whether it’s through Facebook or sending emails, we’ve forgotten just how exciting it can be to receive something in the mail. What makes it even better to receive a piece of post for yourself is to find out it’s from a friend who lives across the other side of the world.

Pen pals are something that has been around for centuries, as long as it was possible to write to people and send letters through the mail. When you’re looking to make a new friend it’s sometimes better to look outside of your own neighborhood and even consider reaching out to someone overseas, like a Spanish pen pal.

Spanish pen pals are a great way to make new friends and an even better way to improve your Spanish language skills. If you’ve been thinking about starting correspondence with a pen pal but have no idea where to start, this simple guide can help answer some of the most common questions.

What Is A Pen Pal?

A pen pal is someone who you exchange letters with, usually sent via the post. These letters are handwritten and usually started as a hobby, with the authors eventually building a friendship with one another.

It’s common for pen pals to be from foreign countries, each offering some insight into their own cultures and perhaps giving a chance to learn something about another part of the world. Half of the fun of having a pen pal is writing the letter and taking the time to decorate it or fill it with interesting information, and the other half comes from the fun of receiving a letter for yourself.

Pen pals date back many years with no real record of the very first instance, however, there have been some notable pen pals in history. Often times, the executors of famous people’s estates find letters that have been sent through this special style of correspondence which proves just how long they have been in existence.

How To Find A Spanish Pen Pal

When you’re looking for a Spanish pen pal specifically, there are quite a few places that you can start your search. Writing a pen pal letter in Spanish usually requires some knowledge of the language, so this is a particularly useful place for students to begin if they’re trying to learn the language also. Here are some places you can look for your next writing friend:

Local clubs: Visiting a local language club or Spanish cultural club could be a great way to get in touch with people overseas who want to become pen pals.
Discussion boards: There are many discussion boards online devoted to pen pals with the chance to find one from just about anywhere in the world.
Exchange students: If you have a Spanish speaking student at your school visiting on exchange you might like to talk to them about becoming pen pals once they return home.
Student Letter Exchange: This organization has been around for years and began connecting students with each other in the mid-1900s.

The Benefits Of Having A Spanish Pen Pal

Whether you want a Spanish pen pal for students trying to learn the language or just want to make a new friend, there are so many benefits to this hobby.

Here are just a few things that you can expect from your new relationship with a Spanish pen pal letters friend:

Educational - Having a pen pal from another country or even another part of your own country means you gain invaluable knowledge about their culture that you might not otherwise learn. They can include pictures or information about their local area, families, and practices so you can get the first-hand experience.
Helps learn Spanish - For those learning Spanish, having a pen pal is a great way to improve your language skills. Not only are you able to write in Spanish but also read the letters when they arrive so you will be given extra lessons from someone who speaks it as their first language.
Improves writing skills - Practicing writing, even in another language, can improve your penmanship and also help you to bring out your creativity. You have the chance to decorate letters, draw pictures, and do anything that you like to make your letter look exciting and colorful.
Brings out your social side - If you’ve had problems in the past with socializing with others or find yourself feeling shy in social situations, getting a pen pal can be a great place to start. The correspondence helps to build social skills and grow your friend circle which makes you more confident.
Entertaining - Most people start hobbies for their entertainment values and as a fun way to pass the time, and that’s exactly what pen pals can offer you. This is a cheap but enjoyable way to spend your time and you’ll get so much joy when you receive a new letter in the mailbox.

A Friend For Life

The simple act of writing a Spanish pen pal letter can lead to so many great things in life, even if you only started them just to help you learn the language. With such a huge focus on digital communications now we seem to have forgotten just how enjoyable it can be to write and receive correspondence the old fashioned way like you would do with a Spanish pen pal.

Whether you started your pen pal letters as a way to master the language and help someone else learn English or just want to know more about a foreign country, there are so many benefits that can be found. Experiencing the thrill of receiving a letter each month or spending the time decorating and writing your own can be reward enough, and it’s a great hobby that everyone can get into.

Resources:
FluentU
MyLanguageExchange

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