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Just Tandem for the joy of language exchange

All you need to do:
  1. Sign up with Tandem
  1. Find a good partner
 
  1. Start your language exchange journey

Have fun!

*Screenshot images by tandem.net

OR

Double the fun and earn one credit

All you need to do:

  1. Sign up with Tandem
  2. Check out HKU’s Credit Award Scheme for Out-of-Classroom Learning Experiences
  3. Find a university student to be your partner
  4. Brief your partner on the HKU scheme:
    • at least 25 hours of online language exchange (12.5 hours on each language)
    • a logbook and a six-minute video describing the exchange
  5. Start your language exchange (first explore whether the partnership is going to work, then after three hours confirm your commitment)
  6. Meet regularly for at least 25 hours within one academic year
  7. Submit a logbook and a six-minute video
Logbook template
Logbook and video submission form

It’s that simple!

Practical tips for earning one credit

  • Select a partner who must be a University student and a native/highly proficient speaker of your target language
  • Make good use of the initial 3 hours of exchange to ensure that the partner chosen is suitable and confirm the partnership before the 4th hour of exchange
  • Explain the expectations and requirements for the Virtual Language Exchange credit, and make sure that your partner understands and is willing to assist you to obtain the credit
  • Set up a regular schedule to meet (not too frequent or too infrequent so as not to lose momentum or motivation), and adhere to the schedule
  • Agree on the duration for each session and the time for each target language, and adhere to the schedule (Preferably, the same amount of time be given for each target language, and both languages should be practised separately)
  • Devise topic(s) before/at the start of each session, preferably also objective(s) for each session
  • Comply with the guiding principles set out by Tandem (viz, ‘We are here to learn’, ‘We celebrate our diversity’, and ‘We share generously’)
  • Establish principles to guide Virtual Language Exchange sessions, e.g. whether you want your partner to correct your errors and if so, the timing of doing this, whether the use of a second language is permitted
  • For end-of-exchange video presentation, seek consent from your partner and jointly produce a 6-minute video (3 minutes featuring you and your target language acquisition and 3 minutes featuring that of your partner)
  • Make known the level of your target language to your partner, and vice versa
  • Identify your language goals and communicate to your partner, and vice versa
  • Establish goals for each session (e.g. to learn conversation for a job interview)
  • Personal introduction
  • University studies and activities
  • Local festivals
  • Hobbies
  • Travel
  • Food
  • Get some ideas of the your partner’s country, his/her linguistic and cultural biography
  • Bear in mind the sociocultural differences between you and your partner
  • Be respectful towards your partner and his/her cultural background

You may also find useful tips at https://www.seagull-tandem.eu/ (SEAGULL – The project for language exchange).

Join Virtual Language Exchange to acquire a foreign language,
make new friends and indulge in cultural immersion!