An easier way to travel the globe

 Like many people who reach a certain age (let's not be specific!), I began to ask myself some difficult questions. Top of the list, on a good day: is there something I can still usefully do, now that I have time on my hands and can no longer sensibly claim to be too busy?

My younger relatives sometimes ask me to sponsor them to swim the Channel or to walk the South West Coast Path in under a month. I do, of course. But I would like them to sponsor me to do something special. I can't swim, so the Channel is out. By my step counter, I might make it from Minehead to Dorset in about six months, if someone would kindly flatten out the hills.

But talking about doing something extraordinary? That I can do. The talking bit, I mean. I could talk about rowing the Atlantic. I could talk about following Shackleton to the South Pole. Talking is easy. Talking is cheap. But how cheap?It turns out there are people all over the world who want to hold a conversation in English, and are delighted to find someone to hold it with. You talk. You listen. Both are equally valuable.

My own marathon

I have just completed my personal marathon: four and a half thousand hours of English conversation, more than six months of non-stop talking, with over three hundred learners from more than thirty countries.I hesitated at first. "What could I talk about?" I thought, as I reluctantly filled in the application form. 

Then came the eureka moment. Other people had interests: science, philosophy, art, DIY, psychology, an obscure horse race in an ancient Italian town square. The list grew, and I shared their interests. My little world expanded in ways I never expected.My conversation partners wanted to practise the English they had often laboriously learned at school, university or work. Some needed it for a job or a career move, some for travel, and some simply enjoyed talking with other people. I have learnt a great deal about subjects and cultures I never dreamt I would come to understand.

My new idea

Some of my former students and I have carried on talking. The recipe is simple: regular conversations in return for a small donation to a charity or project that is close to my heart or theirs. The choice is open, and the money goes directly to the cause, never to me.

It is worth saying clearly what this is not. It is not a business model. It is not a formal teaching system. It is not a replacement for professional education. It is something looser and more human: a way of turning a little time and attention into something useful for others. Nothing is enforced. Nothing is closely monitored. It relies, quite simply, on goodwill.

So here is the question. What if retired and semi-retired native English speakers offered some conversation time in support of the causes they care about?There is no shortage of people with the necessary skill. Speaking English as a mother tongue is the first and probably the greatest skill most of us ever learned, long before we can remember. At the same time, there is a worldwide community of advanced English speakers (professionals, students, enthusiasts) who are not looking for lessons so much as for conversation. They want to keep their fluency, build their confidence, and talk about ideas naturally.

Bring the two together, and something good begins to happen. You enjoy the company and the variety. They gain confidence. And a cause you care about benefits.

What's involved

• About an hour a week, or as often as suits you
• Video calls from your own home, with help getting started if you are not used to them
• No teaching qualifications and no preparation, just curiosity and a willingness to listen
• You choose your topics, and your partner brings theirs
• Either of you can stop at any time, with no explanation needed

Would you like to try it?

There is no commitment, and a first conversation will tell you both whether it suits you. If the idea appeals to you, or to a friend, relative or colleague (as a native speaker or as a learner), I would love to hear from you. I hope it can grow gradually and naturally.The starting gun is about to fire.To find out more or to book a free first conversation, visit www.communitasonline.com or write to me at ptrchilvers@gmail.com