3. Learning from your partner's help with phrasing
If you would like to say something (in
the foreign language) and do not know how, then you first
have to try and somehow make yourself understood (Step
1):
Say it in your native language (which your partner is learning)
Try to somehow express what you want to say in the foreign language
and don't be afraid to risk making mistakes
Use other aids such as drawings, gestures, etc.
It is important not to just be content with your
partner understanding what you mean, for then you have not learned
anything new and will be confronted with the same problem the next
time around.
Therefore (Step 2):
Ask your partner to tell you how he would have expressed himself
in your position.
And (Step 3):
Make sure that you remember the new phrasings next time (through
notes, highlighting the text, by saying them over and over again,
etc.).
Here are some concrete tips:
Written eTandem
(e-mail, letters, instant messaging, etc.)
If you do not know a certain expression, rewrite it in the foreign
language or replace it in your native language. You can ask your
partner to give you the correct way of saying it by using an agreed
upon system of marking (e.g. using brackets [...]).
If you are unsure as to whether you have expressed something
correctly or not, mark this place with your agreed upon mark (for
example, [?]).
If you want to make sure that what you have written is not only
understandable but also stylistically perfect, you can also ask
your partner to rewrite entire paragraphs as he would have expressed
them in your place.
Oral eTandem
(telephone, video conferencing, etc.)
Don't be afraid to interrupt the flow of conversation with questions
- this is the way you learn.
If you still feel quite unsure of yourself, then first try saying
the entire sentence in your native language and then ask your
partner for a translation.
If you can already say quite a bit in the foreign language,
then stop every time there is something that you cannot express.
Try to find another way of saying in the foreign language or say
it in your own language and ask your partner for help.
If you ask your partner to repeat the entire sentence, then
you can pay close attention to the right intonation and pronunciation.
In any case, you should repeat the entire sentence as often
as possible until you can say it correctly and fluently.
