SHU provides a co-curricular program for one-on-one verbal foreign language exchange between two students, as a mechanism for building speaking skills. When you participate in the program, you will be partnered with a student who is a native speaker of the language you are learning. With your partner, you will engage in conversation in that language. Conversely, your partner is learning your language, and you will in turn provide conversation practice for your partner in your language.

One on one conversation with a native speaker helps you by:

• Providing you with an opportunity for real and extended foreign language practice.
• Allowing you to set the pace for your own progress.
• Providing you with feedback that addresses your individual needs.
• Giving you access to cultural insights first-hand.
• Allowing you to discuss topics of actual interest to you.
  
  

Prerequisites:

The LRC assigns a conversation partner to you based on the information and preferences you provide when you sign up. You make a commitment to meet regularly for the duration of the semester. You spend the first half of each meeting speaking in one of the languages; during the second half of your meeting, you converse in the other language.
 
Please read our flyer for a complete description of the program.

Process:

It’s easy to sign up for the Conversation Partners Program!
You can sign up:

• In person at the Language Resource Center (Fahy Hall Room 202)
• Online
  

After you sign up, the LRC will contact you to get you started.

More Information
The Conversations Partner program is based on the Tandem/eTandem Europa model of language exchange, a project funded by the European Commission as part of the European Year of Languages 2001. The current partners in this implementation of the eTandem projects at SHU are: the ESL department in the College of Education and Human Services, the Department of Modern Languages and the Department of Asian Studies. Dr. Jorge López-Cortina (jorge.lopez-cortina@shu.edu) serves as a faculty consultant to the project.