The TandemPlus program organizes opportunities for language students to practice and improve their abilities in the foreign language they are studying. To meet the needs of as many students as possible, we make these practice opportunities available in a variety of formats.
FACE-T0-FACE EXCHANGES
The TandemPlus program matches native speakers of two different languages, students of each other's language who learn from each other and help one another to learn. Typically, the partners meet in person-to-person exchanges for about two hours every week. Priority is given to language students currently enrolled in a class at the University of Minnesota, but registration is open to all.
Click here to go to Face-to-Face Exchange
GUIDED CONVERSATION GROUPS
These groups consist of two to four members led by a group leader in directed conversation. The leader is not necessarily a native speaker, but is very fluent in the target language. The groups meet once a week for 50 minutes, usually on campus. However, thanks to CLA funding they are sometimes able to practice the target language in a different atmosphere. For instance, they may go to see international movies, have lunch at a restaurant where they can order in their target language, or simply carry on the conversation over a cup of coffee at a café. These groups are open only to students who are currently registered for a language class at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and are able to make a semester-long commitment to attend the conversation group every week.
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CLASS-TO-CLASS EXCHANGES
Some instructors may decide to involve their entire class in an electronic class-to-class language exchange. In these exchanges students at the University of MN are paired with one or two students in an overseas class, and exchange messages throughout the course of an entire semester. Most of these exchanges depend on Wimba technology, which allows students to leave each other voice messages on a private voice board, though some instructors elect to have their classes participate in e-mail exchanges. TandemPlus is available to help the instructors in a variety of ways, from finding a counterpart class to suggesting how the exchange might be incorporated into a language curriculum.
Click here to go to Class-to-Class Exchanges
You can also contact Hiroe Akimoto, TandemPlus Coordinator by email at tandem@umn.edu or by phone at 612-626-6050