If you feel frustrated by the language barriers that separate countries, people, and societies, you can help break down the walls by participating in online language communities like Palabea. Palabea is a German site which aims to connect people from all over the world in order to learn each other’s mother tongues. To use Palabea, you’ll need to create an account and create your own space on the site (“My Palabea”). From here, you can read documents or watch instructional language videos. Since it your Palabea also serves as your profile, naturally you can upload photos and videos as well. The site’s main feature is its eClassroom, where you can interact with other Palabea users. You can make friends and chat with them via video chats or “private appointments”, so each one of you effectively participates in a language exchange, of sorts. If you’re really serious about learning a language, Palabea can also help you compare language course offerings from across the net to help you nail down the best program for you. Lastly, if you’re thinking of taking the plunge and uprooting yourself to a foreign country, you can use Palabea’s trips section to compile your own unique journey using Palabea’s tools and by chatting with other users that may be knowledgeable about your destination. Palabea is an open site and is free of charge.