I notice several people have mistakenly used the term "Oral Partners" for "talking partners." Please do NOT, and I repeat, ***DO NOT***, use this term on the Web.
"Oral Partner" means someone who would want to have "oral sex" with you. Now you know why I am writing this special memo to warn you NOT to use this term.
There are plenty of ads on the Web by gays (同志) who are looking for "oral partners." The other "looking for oral partners" message are from Chinese who, unfortunately, thought that is the correct term to use.
***Please inform your friends who may not be aware of this what the mistake is.***请你把这国信息传给别人。 以免有更多的人用错这个词， 大闹笑话。The problem with Chinglish and the Web is that as soon as one guy makes the mistake (and no one is there to correct him), other people pick up the same mistake. And before you can say 1,2,3, ... a hundred other people will be making the same mistake.
Just out of curiosity, I made a search with google. Sure enough, there are quite a few "looking for oral partners" messages of Chinese origin.
So for your sake and that of others, please help to disseminate this piece of information.
This, of course, begs the question: "If not "oral partner" , then what ?" The anwer is "a TALKING PARTNER": someone whom you can talk with.
By the way, most people over here (in North America) uses the term "Spoken English" instead of "Oral English." An "oral exam" is an exam where you will be asked questions orally (instead of written). A Ph.D. oral exam, e.g., is one in which you stand in front of a panel of professors and answers their questions orally.
