Virtual Tandems FR-IT

1. Contact your Tandem partner

Quickly get in touch with your partner to organize your first meeting.

2. Virtual meetings

• Duration: approximately 1h
• Tools of choice: Skype, WhatsApp, Zoom, Meet…
• Frequency: once a week (5 meetings in total)
• Organization flexible among participants (date + time)

3. Session content

• Session 1: Getting to know each other
  Introduction, personal life, family, environment, current events.
   
• Session 2: University life
  Daily routine, studies, student/teacher relations, folklore and festivities.
   
• Session 3: My passions / Hobbies
  Leisure, sports, cultural interests (music, cinema, literature…).
   
• Session 4: My city
  Description, activities, places to visit, local habits.
   
• Session 5: My country’s culture
  Traditions, gastronomy, customs, celebrities, artists, writers.

4. Written production

• Write an individual report (min. 500 words)

• Expected content:

  • Name of the moderator
  • Linguistic difficulties encountered
  • Topics discussed (beyond suggested ones)
  • Potential technical problems
  • Feelings during the conversations
  • Suggestions for improvement
  • New learnings (language + culture)

Practical tips

• Preparation: list of topics + useful vocabulary
• Stable connection before each meeting
• Balanced speaking time between participants
• Accept silences (normal pauses in a conversation)
• Take notes to facilitate the written report
• Set the next meeting right after finishing
• Quick debrief after each session

Language tips

• Avoid a third language (English): prefer strategies (gestures, synonyms, paraphrases…)
• Correct kindly important mistakes
• Help avoid misunderstandings or explain recurring rules
• Ask to repeat if necessary to ensure understanding