What is a Language Tandem?

PIASTA's Tandem Service, which is free of charge, mediates language partnerships in which two students with different native languages work together to learn with and from each other's language. For an example, if you are Irish and your Tandem-partner of Turkish origin, you may want to improve your language skills in Turkish while he or she can communicate in English with you.

Who can apply for Tandem?
Students and staff members of all Institutions of Higher Education in Hamburg as well as participants in Continuing Studies on Hamburg campuses.

How do I sign up for it?

Our Tandem-Service is here to put willing participants in touch with each other by matching your language wishes. Our Five Steps to a successful placement:

1. You simply need to fill out a short registration form in which you indicate your language(s) and wishes.
2. After having processed your registration, we will look for possible partner matches in our database. In case we find a fitting match to your language wishes, we will contact you right away.
3. We then will send you email-adresses and/or phone numbers of your possible language partner.
4. After that, it is up to you and your language partner to get in contact with each other and find a time & location to meet for your first Tandem session. For first meetings, we recommend a neutral location such as a cosy on-Campus Café, etc.
5. Sometimes, people just don't fit together. In case you are not happy with your Tandem partner, feel free to contact us any time.

Advice: We generally encounter a very high demand of English, French or Spanish. So if you are applying for those languages, please be prepared to show some patience.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

• German
• English
• Spanish

Tandem Certificate

After having reached the goals defined by you and your Tandem partner, you have to possibility to receive a free certificate documenting your succesful completion of a Tandem partnership. In order to obtain this certificate, we need you to document the steps to you learning goals using an ePortfolio or eLearning Diary, which can be obtained from our advisor. The eLearning Diary - quite similar to an artist's portfolio - is meant to collect all steps of improvement by use of session description, texts you wrote, pictures you took, etc. Furthermore, it is the ideal instrument to help both of you to reflect upon your learning process.

What information is recorded in my Tandem Certificate? Name, adress information, target language, learning goals and how you reached them.

Information and Advice for a succesful Tandem learning experience

• Tandem Advice (PDF)
  
• Self assessment (PDF)
• My Goals (PDF)
• Correcting with Tandem (PDF)
• Learning Styles (PDF)