THE CONNECTION PLATFORMFOR LINGUISTIC TANDEMSIN SWISS HIGHER EDUCATION
LINGUISTIC TANDEMLOG BOOK
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Place Robert-Walser 7PO Box 439 2501 Bienne
Internet www.bilinguisme.chEmail [email protected] +41 32 323 22 80
Edition 2020
Further information
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SUMMARY
1. WHO, WHEN, WHERE AND HOW ..............................................4
2. TANDEM MEETINGS .................................................................7
3. SOME EXERCISE IDEAS ............................................................8
4. BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................20
5. TANDEM MEETING SCHEDULE .............................................21
6. PERSONAL NOTES ....................................................................22
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1. WHO, WHERE, WHEN AND HOW
Two people who speak different first languages pick one another as TANDEM partners, and each teaches his or her own language to the other in an autono-mous fashion. It is up to the partners to decide what they want to learn, and how to do so. Participants are both teachers and pupils. In each meeting, the available time is divided between the two languages (e.g. 30 minutes on Ger-man and 30 minutes on French).
With the TANDEM method:• You will be able to practice your partner’s language regularly• You can enrich your vocabulary and develop a lexicon• You can overcome the difficulties you face in oral expression• You get to know another culture
Who can take part, and under what conditions?Anyone who wishes to improve his or her linguistic skills. The only criteria are:
• Fluent knowledge of the language you offer (minimum C1)• Basic skills in the language you are learning (A1 if not A2)• Reliability, motivation, intellectual curiosity and mutual respect
When, how often and for how long should we meet?You should agree upon how often you meet and the length of each TANDEM. After a period of at least a semester, you should decide together if you want to continue, suspend or end TANDEM learning. Forum du bilinguisme/Forum fur die Zweisprachigkeit advises weekly meetings of one hour or fortnightly mee-tings of 90 minutes, for at least six months.
Where should we go to meet regularly?For face to face meetings, there are many places available: in cafés, in parks, by the lake, in the canteen of your place of work or education, at a restaurant in your lunch break, while taking a walk, or at one another’s homes. Varying the meeting place can stimulate your conversation, allowing you to share your interests and hobbies with your TANDEM partner.
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With virtual meetings, there is no need to find a common location: all you need do is agree with your TANDEM partner which videoconferencing tool you want to use (Skype, Facetime, Zoom etc.).
How can we acheive our learning goals?What goals would you like to achieve, and how can you achieve them? To de-fine your goals, ask yourself the following questions:
1. In which situations or contexts do I want or need to use my partner’s lan-guage?• Everyday life: with friends, with the people around you and when dealing with daily admin• Professional life: welcoming clients, meetings, writing emails or documents and reading specific information• Study: discussions in class, presentations, technical reading and writing text
2. What do I want to improve, in linguistic terms?• Develop my vocabulary• Diversify my normal expressions• Improve my pronunciation• Communicate more fluently
3. What is the best learning method for me?• No particular framework• Using exercices, games, etc.• Using a particular text or method
It is important to talk together about your goals and those of your partner, so that you can plan your meetings as effectively as possible.
When and how should we correct one another?Decide together when and how you would like to be corrected. Always stay focused on what your partner wants to tell you, and do not just pay attention to the errors. Remember that your priority is to be understood in communicative contexts.
• Help your partner if you have not understood• Suggest a word if you think your partner is searching for it
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• Correct frequent errors• Let your partner ask for corrections him-/herself
Here are some different ways of correcting your TANDEM partner:• Ask for details in your first language when you have not understood.• Reformulate correctly what your partner has said without revealing the error explicitly.• Identify the error explicitly and explain why the formulation is wrong. In this case, the conversation is briefly interrupted.• Note down the typical errors and review them together at the end of your meeting.
Be sure to try different methods, and adapt yourself to your TANDEM partner’s needs. Always have a notebook to hand, albeit remembering that
«It is better to express yourself incorrectly than to be silent correctly!»
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2. TANDEM meetings
With your TANDEM partner, you are in control of your own learning: you define your goals, decide how to achieve them (exercises, standard conversations, ga-mes, etc.) and arrange your meetings according to Forum du bilinguisme/Forum fur die Zweisprachigkeit’s recommendations.
Preparing in advance lets you structure your meetings with your TANDEM partner. Ideally, you should prepare discussion subjects, questions, or an activity or a game: this will help you to avoid «dead air», and progress towards your personal goals.
For example, you might consider the following themes:• Exchanging information (about family, leisure, work, study, etc.)• Exchanging and discussing opinions and points of view (articles, news, films, reports, etc.)• Creative activities (describing photos, playing board games, etc.)• Acquiring deeper knowledge of the language (expressions, proverbs, the mea-nings of words, etc.)• Roleplaying (specific daily situations when you encounter difficulties expres-sing yourself in the partner language)
If you run into any problems during your TANDEM or you need any advice, you can contact Forum du bilinguisme/Forum fur die Zweisprachigkeit at any point by emailing [email protected] or telephoning +41 32 323 22 80.
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3. Some exercise ideas
Here are some exercises you can use in your TANDEM meetings:
Exercise 1 – Personal informationIn advance: Revise the vocabulary you need to describe people, their private lives and their professional lives.
MethodParticipant A uses the blue grid and participant B uses the red grid.
A: For example, what does Charles do for a living?B: He is a biologist.And so forth, until all the information about the people has been re-vealed.
Exercise 2 – Who does which activity, and at what time?In advance: Revise time words and actions.
MethodParticipant A takes the blue grid and participant B the red grid. The par-ticipants take turns to ask questions. What are the people doing, and at what time?
A: What time does Phillip get to work?B: He goes to work at a quarter to six.Etc.
Exercise 3 – PrepositionsIn advance: Revise prepositions and adverbs: beside, opposite, between, left, right. Recite the «businesses» vocabulary.
MethodParticipant A takes the blue sheet and participant B the red sheet. The two partners take turns to ask questions about the businesses which appear on their list, and try to fill out their sheets.
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A: Where is the butcher?B: It is between the launderette and the cinema / It is to the right of the cinema / It is opposite the department store.Etc.
Exercise 4 – Why / becauseIn advance: Revise the vocabulary
MethodParticipant A takes the blue sheet and participant B the red sheet. The two partners take turns to ask questions:
A: «Why are the children so happy?»B: «Because it is the holidays!»Etc.
Exercise 5 – What is in your fridge?In advance: Revise the vocabulary on food.
MethodDo you know everything you have in your fridge? Each partner picks 10 products which s/he has in his/her fridge without revealing them to his/her partner. Then, they take turns to ask questions, so each can work out which items the other has.
A: Are there strawberries in your fridge?B: Yes, there are.orB: No, there are no strawberries.And so on, until one partner has identified the 10 items of the other.
You can find other ideas and activities in the books mentioned in the biblio-graphy. You can use these exercises as they come, or as jumping off points to create new activities with your TANDEM partner.
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Exercise 1
An
gelin
a
Alla
n An
n Ch
arle
s
Emm
a Pa
ul
Prof
essio
n
Bi
olog
ist
Teac
her
Arch
itect
City
Ca
iro
Paris
Lo
ndon
Coun
try
Egyp
t Fr
ance
En
glan
d
Wor
kpla
ce
Labo
rato
ry
Scho
ol
Offi
ce
Civil
sta
tus
Si
ngle
W
idow
M
arrie
d
Hobb
ies
Pl
ayin
g ch
ess
Cine
ma
Trav
el
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Ange
lina
Al
lan
Ann
Char
les
Em
ma
Pa
ul
Prof
essio
n
Sale
swom
an
Jo
urna
list
Lawy
er
City
Rio
de Ja
neiro
Bo
ston
Vi
enna
Coun
try
Br
azil
USA
Aust
ria
Wor
kpla
ce
Supe
rmar
ket
Tele
visio
n O
ffice
, cou
rt
Civil
sta
tus
mar
ried,
1 c
hild
Sing
le Di
vorc
ed
Hobb
ies
Danc
e Hi
king
in th
e m
ount
ains
Pain
ting
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Exercise 2
Phillip
Erin and Mark
Martin and Isa
Benjamin
Monika
Peter
Mr and Mrs
Schwarz
Bruno
Brandon
Sid
Renée
Eduard
Fred
Leslie
Sidney
What time… ?
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Phillip
Erin and Mark
Martin and Isa
Benjamin
Monika
Peter
Mr and Mrs
Schwarz
Bruno
Brandon
Sid
Renée
Ed
Fred
Leslie
Sidney
What time… ?
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Exercise 3
Mai
n St
reet
th
e pe
t sho
p –
the
book
shop
–
the
gree
ngro
cers
–
the
butc
her's
– th
e ki
osk
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the
depa
rtmen
t sto
re –
the
laun
dere
tte –
th
e re
stau
rant
– th
e ci
nem
a –
the
post
offi
ce
M
ain
Stre
et
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Exercise 4
The
child
ren
Bec
ause
: ho
liday
s
Pet
er
Why
: at
the
book
shop
Tom
my
Bec
ause
: de
licio
us p
izza
Mar
ia
Why
: no
t buy
ing
the
t-shi
rt?
Han
na
Bec
ause
: po
orly
Fran
k W
hy:
wor
ried?
The
boys
B
ecau
se:
foot
ball
fans
Eva
& B
jörn
W
hy:
hugg
ing
WWhhyy
-- bbee
ccaauuss
ee
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The
child
ren
W
hy:
happ
y?
Pe
ter
Be
caus
e:
to li
ke to
read
To
mm
y
Why
: ea
ting
a la
rge
pizz
a?
M
aria
Beca
use:
t-s
hirt
too
expe
nsiv
e
H
anna
Why
: N
ot a
t sch
ool
Fr
ank
Be
caus
e:
Bad
grad
e in
sch
ool
Th
e bo
ys
W
hy:
Pain
ted
face
s?
Ev
a &
Björ
n
Beca
use:
Il
love
WWhhyy
-- bbee
ccaauuss
ee
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Exercise 5
Your TANDEM partner’s fridge Yes No
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Your TANDEM partner’s fridge Yes No
WWhhaatt iiss iinn yyoouurr ffrriiddggee??
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4. BibliographyYou can find other ideas for activities and roleplays in the books below. Some of these books are available to consult at the Bilingualism Forum (on appointment) and others in PDF (document sent by email on request).
Dreke/Lind
2011 Wechselspiel A1-B2 Interkative Arbeitsblätter für die Partnerarbeit
Klett
Dreke/Lind
2018 66 Wechselspiele für die interaktive Partnerarbeit
Klett
Daum/Hantschel
2012 55 kommunikative Spiele A1-C1 Klett
Dreke/Lind/Mahnert 1992 Deux à deux - Situations communicatives par la pratique de dialogues Débutants et niveau avancé
Langenscheidt
Laurens/Guimbretiere
2018 Focus : Paroles en situation multi-niveaux
Hachette
Barféty/Beaujoin
2016 2017
Collection compétences expression orale Niveau 1 (A1-A2) ou niveau 2 (B1)
Cle International
Siréjols
2018 Communication en dialogues A2/B1 Niveau intermédiaire
Cle International
Sergio J. Lievano, Nicole Egger
2008 Hoi Et après Bergli Books
Nicole Egger 2014 Hoi Bergli Books
Pinheiro-Weber
2016 Dialäkt… A la rencontre des Alémaniques Editions La Sarine
Bailini/Consonno
2017 Ricette per parlare - Attività e giochi per la produzione orale A1 – C1
Hueber
Pandolfi/Christopher/Semenzi
2014 Capito? Comprendere l italiano in Svizzera
OLSI
Watcyn-Jones
1997 Pair Work 2. Intermediate Upper Intermediate, Penguin English
Pearson
Wallwork University
1997 Discussions A-Z. Intermediate A resource book of speaking activities
Cambridge University Press
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5. TANDEM meeting scheduleYou can list your TANDEM meetings in the table below:
Date Time (from / to) Place Discussion subject Signature
1.
2.
3
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
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6. Personal notes
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