Written and asynchronous: You can take your time
reading and answering; e-mail is therefore well suited for language
learners with limited proficiency.
Electronic: You can write your e-mail messages with another
program, such as a word processor, save them onto your computer
or to a disk and reuse them as often as you would like. - Corrections
are simple since you can automatically insert your partner's letter
into your answer and make comments directly.
Any document you want can be attached to e-mails, including pictures,
graphics or audio files (e.g. oral messages).
Fast: Usually only minutes pass before the message reaches
the recipient's mailbox.
Inexpensive: You only need to be on-line for a few seconds
to receive and send messages.
Technical requirements:
A personal e-mail address is very important for eTandem.
There are many providers who offer free e-mail addresses, although
in some cases, for example with eTandem for school-age students,
teachers and parents may be concerned about not being able verify
the identity of the learner. In such cases, the teacher's e-mail
address may be used for verification.
All standard e-mail programmes (Outlook, Netscape Messenger,
Eudora, etc.) can be used.
Oral, synchronous: Allows for oral dialogues and requires
quick reactions. Telephoning is well suited as a main communication
medium for eTandem if basic knowledge of the foreign language
is present. Telephoning can also support eTandem by e-mail (for
example, for discussing corrections or for organizational matters).
If technically possible, it is a good idea to tape an oral eTandem
conversation in order to listen to it again, to make notes, etc.
Costs: Calling between most Western European and North
American countries costs approximately 3-6 € / hour. Since
eTandem partners call each other, the costs are cut in half.
Check with the telephone companies in your country to find out
how to get the cheapest rates (special rates for particular numbers,
at certain times, call-by-call numbers, etc.). In some countries,
using Internet telephone can be an inexpensive alternative.
Technical requirements:
A telephone line
Internet telephone can be done from computer to computer
(often still with low audio quality), and also from computer to
telephone.
Video conferencing
Characteristics:
Oral and written, synchronous, visual: Allows for oral
dialogue, and the eTandem partners can see each other. The main
advantage of video conferencing for eTandem is, however, that
the partners share use of computer programmes (such as Word, Excel,
etc.), following their work on the computer screen and directing
work with their keyboard (application sharing). This enables them
to work together, for example, on the same text or to jointly
look at Web pages and comment on these orally.
Costs: Though video conferencing via the Internet can
be done for the same price as normal Internet access, bandwidth
(Internet speed) is generally not high enough to provide for a
good audio and visual connection; application sharing is usually
not possible.
The alternative, video conferencing by ISDN, is expensive: costs
correspond to 2-6 parallel telephone calls.
Technical requirements:
PC with camera and microphone, and, if necessary, additional
hardware.
Also:
For video conferencing by Internet: Internet access,
free programmes such as NetMeeting.
For video conferencing by ISDN: At least 2 ISDN lines,
additional hardware.
Letters
Characteristics:
Written and asynchronous: You can take your time
reading and answering; letters are therefore well suited for language
learners with limited proficiency.
Paper: Corrections and further use of letter content
are difficult.
Slow
More expensive than e-mail (if Internet access is available).
Technical requirements: none
Fax
Characteristics:
Written and asynchronous (like letters).
Paper, only black/white, often poor quality.
Fast
More expensive than e-mail
Technical requirements: fax machine
Instant messaging
Characteristics:
Written, synchronous through the Internet: allows for
written dialogues and requires quick reactions, leaving little
time for making corrections. Instant messaging works well as a
supplement to other media, for chatting with your eTandem partner
once in a while, clarifying misunderstandings, making arrangements,
etc.
Some instant messaging programmes support oral communication,
however the quality is usually too poor for eTandem work.
Electronic: If both partners save or archive their dialogues
in a log file, they can access the material later, make corrections
after the fact, etc.
Fast
Costs: The Internet connection has to remain active during
the entire chat, which may cost roughly the same as a local call.
Technical requirements:
PC with Internet access
Instant messenger programmes, which may already be included
in computer software or can be downloaded free of charge from
the Internet, ICQ or virtual realities such as MOOs. Chat groups with numerous participants are not suitable
for eTandem: make sure that you and your eTandem partner can communicate
alone.
Tip: If you are writing at length about something, your
eTandem partner might start a new topic while waiting. This can
cause you to be discussing two different topics at once which can
be confusing. Therefore, try sending each sentence separately and
typing "…" at the end if you have not yet finished
writing. This way your partner knows to wait for you to complete
your thought processes before launching into a new discussion area.
SMS
Characteristics:
Written, asynchronous and electronic with
a mobile phone: Only for very short messages; best used supplementary
to other media, to keep in contact with your eTandem partner,
to arrange meeting times, etc.
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