Language(s)

German

Learner level

Intermediate - Advanced

Institution

Bolton Institute of H.E.

Name(s)

Contact details

Objectives

E-mail tandem learning project to consolidate and enhance an existing Socrates link between Bolton Institute of H.E. and the Hochschule für Technik, Wirtschaft und Kultur, Leipzig/Germany. Student outcomes: To develop communication strategies with a native speaker, to develop L2 writing skills, to 'learn' from a native speaker (vocab., structures etc), to learn how to support the partner's learning (correction, help etc.), intercultural learning, develop autonomous language learning strategies.

Implementation

Two co-ordinators set up the project, i.e. recruit students and pair them up (according to common interests, rather than subjects studied!). Close monitoring of e-mail exchanges by co-ordinators throughout the project, including introductory sessions on 'tandem learning' and how to use e-mail (Pegasus mail) and advisory function in terms of technical and pedagogical support.
Student requirements: Be available for 1 semester, write regularly, write equally in L1 and L2, support your partner's learning, take control of your tandem learning.
Students wrote approximately once a week to their partners, decided on if and how to help/correct their partner, which language to use when and what topic to write on (principles of reciprocity and learner autonomy).

Outcome

The e-mail tandem project did lead to closer co-operation between the two institutions involved. 12/18 e-mail tandems can be described as successful; the others failed out of lack of interest from one partner to sustain the partnership. The active partnerships did in the main adhere to the principles outlined above.

The participating students benefited from the project in terms of enhanced confidence in using German in class and with native speakers and in gaining added practice in writing in L2. Students especially appreciated the opportunity to learn away from the classroom and teacher. 8/10 students questioned enjoyed the project and named language learning as the most important aspect. Intercultural learning, perhaps surprisingly, was seen very much as a by-product of tandem learning. Most difficulties were perceived by the participants, after the initial technical problems, with becoming autonomous learners, in that they found it difficult to decide on how much, what and how to correct partners or even what topic to write about! The students requested more guidelines on what activities to pursue and how to correct the partner without de-motivating him/her.

Evaluation

The effort was worthwhile, although a very time consuming one for the two co-ordinators involved (development of support materials, questionnaires etc, monitoring and tutoring of e-mail partnerships). An already existing working relationship between the institutions involved in essential in making an e-mail tandem project work, as good communication between the co-ordinators can secure the success of a partnership. As students were required to send copies of all their e-mail to me, it was possible to monitor their exchanges in terms of language learning and intercultural learning. Questionnaires were employed to gage the opinions of the participants. Problems encountered were of technical nature (failure of network, loss of e-mails, de-motivation of students) as well as pedagogical nature (participants coming to terms with independent learning). However the benefits for students clearly outweigh the difficulties experienced. The second 'round' of e-mail tandems will take account of the problems highlighted during the initial project. The finding of the second project will be disseminated at Eurocall 99. For further detail on the projects please have a look at my homepage: http://www.acs.bolton.ac.uk/~ks1

Project url

http://www.acs.bolton.ac.uk/~ks1/