Real people, connecting with real people. Banyan pairs you with someone who speaks what you’re learning and is learning what you speak.
Free during early access. No ads, no paywall.
Coming to iPhone and Android. One email when it’s your turn, nothing else.
Why a real person
Decades of research on how people actually acquire a language keep pointing the same way: real conversation — with a real person, about real things — does what drills and apps alone can’t. Negotiating meaning, being understood, being gently corrected, trying again. That is the practice. Banyan exists to make it easy to find.
Conversation where two people work to understand each other has a robust, measurable effect on learning — the finding of a meta-analysis of 28 studies (Mackey & Goo, 2007) building on Long’s Interaction Hypothesis.
Producing the language, not just hearing it, is what makes you notice the gaps and close them (Swain’s Output Hypothesis, 1985).
Learners who regularly speak with native or fluent partners gain fluency faster than those who only study — the consistent result of study-abroad and tandem-learning research.
How it works
Pick one or both. Banyan only shows you people who fit.
You teach yours, they teach theirs. Each of you is fluent in what the other is learning.
Learn the same language, side by side. Both learning it, at a similar level. Less pressure.
What you speak, and what you’re learning — with honest levels.
A real person who speaks what you’re learning — and wants what you speak.
Nearby over coffee, or across the world in the chat.
Tap-to-correct, voice notes, a notebook for new words, and games to break the ice.
Real people only
Every member signs in with a real mobile number. No bots, no anonymous sign-ups.
A live selfie in the app earns a verified badge, so you know the person matches their photos.
Three hellos a day and five active chats. Enough to meet people; not enough to treat them like a feed.
Easy reporting, blocking that sticks, and clear guidance if you choose to practice face to face.
Everything in Banyan is free while we grow: messaging, voice notes, corrections, games, verification. No ads, no paywall.