Tandem learning
LEAP - Tandem learning (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish/Portuguese)
Learn a Language in Tandem
Please note Tandem is only open to current students of the University of Manchester
Tandem in a nutshell
- Native English speakers are paired with a French/German/Italian/Spanish/Portuguese student. Note the level of language required in the pre-requisites below.
- Native speakers of French/German/Italian/Spanish/Portuguese are paired with native English speaker.
- No other type of pairing is allowed - e.g., a native Italian speaker cannot be paired with a native Spanish one.
- You meet with him/her for 2 hours per week to complete a number of specially designed learning tasks.
- You may meet where and when you like.
- Some tasks may be negotiated with your partner/course tutors; some are compulsory.
- There are two/three tutor-led sessions over each semester.
- You participate in a virtual seminar on language and culture.
IMPORTANT - SEMESTER ONE 2013/14
Places on the Tandem course are subject to availability, and are allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis. This means that when you register for the Tandem Learning course, your enrolment is placed in a queue. It is in your best interest, therefore, to make sure you complete the enrolment procedure as follows:
- You must complete an enrolment form to register for the course (see How to Apply).
- Attendance at the preliminary meeting for Tandem Learning (Tandem induction, see below) is compulsory. The meeting will be held on Friday 27 September 2013 (click here for Tandem sessions), in Samuel Alexander room SG1 (south entrance) building no. 67 on Campus Map. You will be required to attend twice: first for the plenary and secondly with your language group, as follows:
- 14:00-15:30 Tandem Italian/English/French/Spanish/German/Portuguese ALL STUDENTS TO ATTEND
- 15:30 Plenary meeting (1 hour approx.) ALL STUDENTS TO ATTEND
For other Tandem sessions click here
If you are late for the specified language sessions or fail to attend the Tandem induction session, you risk losing your place in the queue, and may risk not being allocated a partner.
IMPORTANT UK students in French/German/Spanish can only do Tandem for one semester only. Year 2 students can apply for either semester; year 4 students are strongly advised to apply for semester 1 only.
Tandem Learning: attendance and participacion
In registering for this course, you have agreed to work responsibly and constructively with your Tandem partner so that you are both able to complete the course and meet your course requirements.
NB Please do not register for this course unless you are prepared to fully participate and work in the Tandem partnership, as failure to do so is likely to jeopardise the success of the course for either or both partners.
If you feel that you are not ready for this level of commitment, but would still like to find a native speaker partner for conversation exchange, you should enquire about the Face to Face scheme by contacting the Language Centre reception staff.
For a detailed course description, please see below.
ULTL20011 Tandem - semester one
- Credits: 10
- Course code: ULTL20011
- Taught during: Semester 1
- Pre-requisites: to apply for Tandem you need to have the language proficiency level equivalent to IELTS 7/CEF C1 (Erasmus students) / A level standard (UK students) in your target language.
- Timetable: 2 hours per week, minimum, at a mutually convenient time
- Description: This is a reciprocal language learning course in which students are paired with a native speaker of the target language to work on a series of independent language learning tasks. For many students, this course is an opportunity to become more familiar with the target language and culture prior to a semester or academic year abroad; for others, it is an opportunity to maintain a good level of spoken and written proficiency in the target language following a period spent abroad. For visiting students, it is not only an excellent way of improving English language skills, but it also assists them to better integrate into the Manchester student community.
- Learning outcomes: At the end of the course students will have:
- developed their oral skills (accuracy and fluency) in their target language
- improved their written skills (accuracy and sophistication) in their target language
- expanded their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary/phraseology of their target language
- broadened their cultural knowledge and awareness
- Transferable skills: At the end of the course students will have had:
- an opportunity to manage and to direct their own language learning programme
- the chance to gain experience as a learner mentor through teaching and correcting their partner
- the experience of working closely on tasks with a non-native speaker from a different cultural background
- Teaching and Learning Methods: Students spend at least 2 hours per week with their partner working on the learning tasks in a face to face mode. Additional time needs to be set aside for liaising with their partner, preparing for the tasks and for follow up work, which will include writing up the work covered in the meetings, rewriting work which has been corrected, correcting their partner's written work and completing task reflection sheets.
Students also need to participate in discussions in the target language through online forums via Blackboard. In addition, students attend two/three tutor-led sessions each semester covering the following areas: working in Tandem, error correction, peer assessment. - Assessment:
- Portfolio/dossier of work completed (six learning task reports written in the target language (approx 2000 words, submitted in week 12) - 50%
- Recorded oral assessment task (approx. 10 minutes in length, submitted in week 12) - 20%
- Written exam (1 hour) - 20%
- Peer assessment - 10%
- Nature and timing of feedback:
- Informal: You will receive feedback on the quality of your written and spoken production in your chosen target on a regular basis during the semester.
- Formal: You will receive formal written feedback in the weeks immediately following the assessment of your coursework (dossier) and of your assessed tasks submitted in week 12/
- Convenor: Maria Kluczek
- Max. entry: 100 (50 tandem partnerships)
- Set texts: None
- Recommended texts: None
- Pathway: ULTL20022 (Tandem semester two)
ULTL20022 Tandem - semester two
- Credits: 10
- Pre-requisite: to apply for Tandem you need to have the language proficiency level equivalent to IELTS 7/CEF C1 (Erasmus students) / A level standard (UK students) in your target language.
- Taught during: Semester 2
- Timetable: 2 hours per week, minimum, at a mutually convenient time
- Description:
This is a reciprocal language learning course in which students are paired with a native speaker of the target language to work on a collaborative language research project. For many students, this course is an opportunity to become more familiar with the target language and culture prior to a semester or academic year abroad; for others, it is an opportunity to maintain a good level of spoken and written proficiency in the target language following a period spent abroad. For visiting students, it is not only an excellent way of improving English language skills, but it also assists them to better integrate into the Manchester student community. - Learning outcomes: At the end of the course students will have:
- developed their oral skills (accuracy and fluency) in their target language
- improved their written skills (accuracy and sophistication) in their target language
- expanded their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary/phraseology of their target language
- broadened their cultural knowledge and awareness
- Transferable skills: At the end of the course students will have had:
- an opportunity to manage and to direct their own language learning programme
- the chance to gain experience as a learner mentor through 'teaching' and 'correcting' their partner
- the experience of working closely on a learning project with a non-native speaker from a different cultural background
- Teaching and Learning Methods:
Students spend at least 2 hours per week with their partner working on the learning project in a face to face mode. Additional time needs to be set aside for liaising with their partner, preparing for the tasks and for follow up work, which will include writing up the work covered in the meetings, rewriting work which has been corrected and correcting their partner's written work.
Students also need to participate in discussions in the target language through online forums via Blackboard. In addition, students attend two/three tutor-led sessions each semester covering the following areas: working in Tandem, error correction, peer assessment.
- Assessment:
- Portfolio/dossier of work completed (50%):
- a collaborative research report in the target language (approx 2000 words)
- Recorded oral assessment task (approx. 10 minutes) (20%)
- Written exam (1 hour) (20%)
- Peer assessment (10%)
- Portfolio/dossier of work completed (50%):
- Nature and timing of feedback:
- Informal: You will receive feedback on the quality of your written and spoken production in your chosen target on a regular basis during the semester.
- Formal: You will receive formal written feedback in the weeks immediately following the assessment of your coursework (dossier) and of your assessed tasks submitted in week 12/
- Convenor: Maria Kluczek
- Max. Entry: 100 (50 tandem partnerships)
- Set texts: None
- Recommended Texts: None
- Pathway: There are no specific pathways for Tandem learning. Many students may wish to join one of the advanced language courses offered by LEAP, e.g. ULFR30030, ULSP30030, ULGE30030.
Contact details
Maria Kluczek, Tandem convenor, maria.kluczek@manchester.ac.uk, tel. 306 1624, room A203 Samuel Alexander building, or
Andrés Lozoya, LEAP Administrator, room LG8.2, lower ground floor Samuel Alexander Building, email Andres.Lozoya@manchester.ac.uk, tel. 0161 275 8306.