European Tandem Projects

LINGUA Project 1994-1996 International E-Mail Tandem Network
ODL Project 1996-1998 Telematics for Autonomous and Intercultural Tandem Learning
SOKRATES Project 1996- Language Learning Partnerships for Engineers

ODL Project

Telematics for Autonomous and Intercultural Tandem Learning

Length: 1.9.1996 - 31.8.1998
Programme SOKRATES of the European Union - ODL (Open and Distance Learning)
Project Nr. 25192 / CP / 1 / 96 / 1 / DE / ODL, 25192 / CP / 2 / 97 / 1 / DE / ODL

Co-ordinating institution: Ruhr-Universität Bochum (DE)
Co-ordinator: Helmut Brammerts, Sprachlehrforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum - E-Mail: Helmut.Brammerts@ruhr-uni-bochum.de - Tel.: +49 - 234 - 700 5748 - Fax: +49 - 234 - 7094 578

Project partners:

1. Aarhus Universitet (DK) - Harald Pors, Institut for germansk filologi, Aarhus Universitet, Bygning 326, Ndr. Ringgade, DK-8000 Århus, Denmark - Tel. +45 89 42 21 06, Fax +45 86 19 16 99
   Colleagues involved: Anette Christensen, Harald  Pors and others.
2. Ruhr-Universität Bochum (DE) - Helmut Brammerts, Seminar für Sprachlehrforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum, Germany - Tel. +49 234 700 3815, Fax +49 234 7094 138
   Colleagues involved: Heike Berner, Helmut Brammerts, Dawn D'Atri, Beate Helbig, Kristine Kapogiannatos, Karin Kleppin, Waldemar Martyniuk, Jackie McPartland, Christian Röhl, Lidia Santiso Saco, Guido Schoppe, Sandra Szymanski, Ursula Vences and others.
3. Universidade de Coimbra (PT) - Karl Heinz Delille, Grupo de Estudos Germanisticos, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Coimbra, P-3049 Coimbra, Portugal - Tel. +351 39 25552/1, Fax +351-39-36733
   Colleagues involved: Antoinet Brink, Karl Heinz Delille, Adelaide Chichorro Ferreira, Leonardo Opitz
4. Trinity College, University of Dublin (IE) - David G. Little, Center for Language and Communication Studies (CLCS), Trinity College, University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland - Tel. +353 1 608 1505, Fax +353 1 677 2694
   Colleagues involved: David Little, Klaus Schwienhorst and others.
5. Mitthögskolan Sundsvall/Härnösand (SE) - Bengt Jonsson, Institutionen för kultur och humaniora, Tyska, S-871 88 Härnösand, Sweden - Tel. +46 611 86178, Fax +46-611 86170
   Colleagues involved: Bengt Jonsson and others.
6. Universidad de Oviedo (ES) - Margarita Blanco Hölscher & Juan Antonio Alvarez González, Dpto. de Filología Anglogermánica y Francesa, Campus de Humanidades del Milán, Universidad de Oviedo, E-33011 Oviedo, Spain - Tel. +34 8 510 3289, Fax +34 8 510 3291 - Ana Ojanguren Sánchez, Dpto. de Filología Anglogermánica y Francesa, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales e Ingenieros Informáticos, Universidad de Oviedo, E-33204 Gijón (Asturias), Spain - Tel. +34 8 518 2137, Fax +34 8 518 2150
   Colleagues involved: Juan Antonio Alvarez González, Margarita Blanco Hölscher, Ana González Pozueta, Christina Jurcic, Antonio Niembro Prieto, Ana Ojanguren Sánchez, Rüdiger Punzet and others.
7. Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications – ENST Paris (FR) - Veronika Bayer, Département des Langues Vivantes, Télecom Paris, 46 rue Barrault, F-75634 Paris Cédex 13, France - Tel. +33 1 45 81 77 11, Fax +33 1 45 81 73 88
   Colleagues involved: Veronika Bayer, James Benenson, Norman Gritz, Miguel Jiménez and others.
8. University of Sheffield (GB) - Tim Lewis, Modern Languages Teaching Centre, Floor 2, Arts Tower, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, England - Tel. +44 114 282 4703, Fax +44 114 275 4674
   Colleagues involved: Mike Calvert, Tim Lewis, Henriette Louwerse, Richard Speight, Elke St.John, Lesley Walker, Liz White, Jane Woodin and others.
9. Fontys Hogeschool Sittard (NL) - Annette Gaßdorf, Fontys Hoogeschool Sittard,  Oude Markt 5-7, NL-6131 EN Sittard - Tel. +31 46 599 540, Fax +31 46 519 691
   Colleagues involved: Annette Gaßdorf, Maaike van Ras,  Heidi van den Tillaar and others.
10. Università degli Studi di Torino (IT) - Donatella Ponti Dompé & Georg Hehmann, Dipartimento di Scienze del Linguaggio e Letterature moderne e comparate, Università degli studi di Torino, Via San Ottavio, 20, I - 10124 Torino, Italy - Fax: +39-11-8122329
    Colleagues involved: Georg Hehmann, Donatella Ponti Dompé and others.
11. Universität Trier (DE) - Reinhard Köhler, Fachbereich II, Fach Linguistische Datenverarbeitung, Universität Trier, Universitätsring 15, D-54286 Trier, Germany - Tel. +49 651 201 2270, Fax +49 651 201 3946
    Colleagues involved:  Oksana Alekseious, Ansgar Eilebrecht, Johannes Kiehl, Reinhard Köhler, Jan Wender and others.  

Language learning in tandem can be defined as a form of open learning whereby two persons with different native languages work together in order to accomplish the following:

• To learn the other person's native language.
• To learn more about the partner's person and culture.
• To exchange additional knowledge and experience – for example, about the partners' work environments, studies or about hobbies.

The project involves every sort of language learning in tandem: between learners in the same place, in intensive tandem courses, and using modern communications media.

The project partners work, through the International Tandem Network, on the following:

• The expansion of an open-access database in the Internet (the Tandem Server), in which they offer work materials (aids, activity suggestions and experience reports) on tandem learning for learners, teachers and organisers of tandem learning. The tandem server now has mirrors in Bochum (DE), Dublin (IE), Oviedo (ES), Paris (FR), Rostov-on-Don (RU), Torino (IT) and Trier (DE).
• The expansion of the International E-Mail Tandem Network, established in 1994 by the project partners, through new language pairs and work materials, and opening the network to learners at other institutions. In particular, the areas of adult education and more recently schools have been actively pursued.
• Testing and publication of new possibilities for the integration of language learning in tandem in local curricula (learning goals being speaking, writing, translating, intercultural learning, etc.).
• Examination, through pilot projects, of the application of newer technical possibilities in the Internet (virtual realities, Internet phone, videoconferencing, etc.) to tandem learning.