How to find a tandem partner (useful) tips for the conversation!

With a tandem partner in language tandem, you can quickly speak a foreign language fluently

With a tandem partner in language tandem, you can quickly learn to speak fluently.

The most effective way to learn a new language is to speak it. Preferably with a tandem partner who is a native speaker.

No grammar learning and no vocabulary will ever replace speaking.

The question is, where do you find tandem partners with the appropriate native language??

Or what is a language tandem anyway?

A language tandem is an association of 2 people who each want to learn the other’s mother tongue.

In a tandem with a Finn, I would like to learn Finnish and he German. When we meet to speak half the time in Finnish and the other half in German, that’s a language tandem.

Here you can watch the video as a video, spoken by our likeable voice actress Miriam:

Such tandems are extremely effective for learning languages. Both have the opportunity to practice speaking with a native speaker and both benefit equally.

Such a tandem partnership has many advantages:

  • You can at any time talk to your native speaking tandem partner and make you independent of a language course or a language teacher.
  • A language tandem is completely free.
  • If you find the right tandem partner, you have a lot fun.
  • Through a language tandem you get to know new people and make friends.

Therefore, you should find a tandem partner as early as possible, with whom you can have conversations in the foreign language.

In hundreds of Tandem discussions, I have many experiences. From this I made the guideline in the video seminarLearn every foreign language in 6 months“. An excerpt with helpful tips can be found in this post.

In this post, you’ll learn how to find a tandem partner today and how to conduct optimal tandem discussions so you can master your foreign language in no time.

Table of Contents:

  • Find a tandem partner as early as possible.
  • Where do you find a tandem partner and how do you get in touch??
  • What characterizes your ideal tandem partner?
  • How do you lead an optimal Tandem Talk??
  • Problems with Tandem Talks: You dare not speak
  • Conclusion: With a tandem partner you learn to speak fluently fast

Find a tandem partner as early as possible

It is never too early to start speaking.

If you are still at the beginning, first talks will be more difficult. That’s why you need in the beginning a patient partner.

The first talks will tick something and can sometimes be nerve-wracking for both. But just these first talks bring you a huge piece on.

After a short while, your brain smokes. But after just a few conversations, you start talking faster and get in faster. That’s why I recommend To start as soon as possible with Sprachandems and also to lead especially many Tandemgespräche.

If you are a little further and can lead small talk, conversations become more interesting and less exhausting. Nevertheless, they continue to be just as useful.

With your tandem partner, you should like to entertain and share interests. If not, it often stays with a single meeting (I have had some such tandem attempts already). The motivation to learn the language is often not enough to meet someone you are reluctant to talk to.

But have you found a tandem partner with whom you can have great conversations, snothing hinders a long and successful partnership.

Where do you find a tandem partner and how do you get in touch??

Learn a foreign language quickly with a tandem partner

With the Internet, finding a tandem partner is easier than ever. There are countless possibilities.

I would first like to introduce you to the 2 most effective and fastest ways:

Conversationexchange.com is a site designed to bring together language learners for language tandems.

I found most of my interlocutors there.

It is especially useful if you are looking for tandem partners for conversations via Skype (or chat). However, if you live in a larger city, you will also find local partners.

In order to find a partner for a tandem, you sign up, complete your profile and write down potential partners.

Pay attention to the date of the last activity. If the person was online the last time a year ago, she probably will not search anymore.

So z. B. Your text looks like:

Hello Alejandro, my name is Gabriel and I’m from Germany. I am learning Spanish and would like to have a tandem talk with you. Are you interested in talking to me about Skype? Best regards, Gabriel.

Write at least 5 people. Many will probably not answer. This is completely normal. Priorities have changed or people already have enough tandem partners.

If you got the first answers, Are you trying to make an appointment for Skype as fast as possible?. Or just a personal appointment if you want to meet.

This is important because otherwise often no meeting comes about. You’re chatting a bit and then you’re missing out on the actual conversation. That has happened to me often enough.

1. Find a tandem partner on Facebook

Facebook is also an excellent way to find native speakers for a language exchange.

On Facebook there are countless groups with many members for networking between tandem partners.

You first have to find a suitable group for your tandem combination.

If you z. For example, if you’re learning Spanish, you’ll first need to find a German-Spanish tandem group (there’s plenty of that).

So you can spare yourself the search, here are some links for groups:

Once you have joined a suitable group, you look at who is looking for everything. All requests can be found on the pin board of the group.

At the same time you can also post a request yourself. To do this you write in the group that you are looking for a tandem partner, which is your native language and your learning language and how you want to have a tandem talk (on site, Skype, Chat).

If you are looking for a tandem partner in your city, you can try it in these tandem groups. These are each for a city (for some cities, there is even a matching language combination):

There you post what language you learn and what your native language is. That way, you can find someone to meet you with.

Tip: If you have a Facebook account and an Apple device, you can also use the Tandem app “Tandem” to find people to talk to. You can have a tandem call via the app via video chat.

With these two options, you should most likely find a tandem partner. If not, here are 6 more ways:

2. Find your tandem partner on language tandem websites

In addition to Conversation Exchange, there are many other language tandem sites, such as: B. Tandem partner. On these pages you can find fast (online) tandem partners. For most cities you will also find tandem partners on site (often also in small towns).

Registration is easy and you can start looking for tandem partners right away.

3. Find your tandem partner via a language tandem app

There are also many apps (in the form of social media platforms) for language tandems. These include Tandem and Speaky – are available for both iOS and Android.

I especially recommend tandem. There, the process of finding a suitable partner is greatly simplified. It is also possible to have Tandem Talks directly from the App. In these apps you will find many potential partners for a language exchange.

4. Find your tandem partner on couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is a website for intercultural exchange. BThis community is about traveling to a foreign country and spending the night with another “couch surfer” for free. At this point I do not want to go into detail about the Couchsurfing system.

The website is full of interculturally interested people. Many of them also want to learn a foreign language.

For language tandems there are often local groups. If you can not find one in your city, you should post a request for a language tandem in your local city group. Alternatively, you are looking for members from your city, who speak your learning language and write it directly.

5. Find your tandem partner on Internations

Internations is a website for expats (expatriates). These are usually foreign professionals who are sent to a foreign branch through their company for a long time.

Most international members are intercultural interested and like to meet other expats and local residents. In every major city, there are usually regular international meetings. On this you can find excellent new tandem partners.

There is also the international internet community. There you can search specifically for people who speak the foreign language.

6. Find your tandem partner through tandem programs at universities

Many universities have tandem programs. You enter yourself with your language and get a response as soon as a native speaker is available.

Often you will even credits for your study credited. So you benefit twice from the tandem.

Some examples are the tandem program at Leibniz Universität Hannover and FU Berlin.

7. Find your tandem partner through local clubs

In cities with a larger number of people from a particular country, there are groups that meet regularly to speak in the common language.

For example, for many French cities there is a club belonging to the Association of German-French Societies. This is where French and Francophiles meet (people who are interested in France and want to speak French) to talk to each other.

On the one hand, it is possible to improve your language skills at these Stammtisch meetings. On the other hand, you will often find in the search for a tandem partner.

What characterizes your ideal tandem partner?

Not every potential tandem partner is equally well suited for you. With many people with whom I had contact, not even the first conversation came about. And with many interlocutors comes after the first conversation, no second concluded. Why is that??

Here are the 2 most common reasons why I did not manage to turn a contact into a tandem partner (by frequency):

  • Not enough devotion / motivation: This is the most common reason. Most people looking for a tandem partner are not sufficiently motivated. They post a tandem application to have it “done”. So they can calm their conscience, because they have tried. You recognize such people because they are always very passive. They do not suggest dates and usually have no time. If you notice such a behavior, you can stop directly. Very rarely will a conversation or more than one conversation come about.
  • No common interests: I already had some tandem partners, with whom I had a productive conversation, but it was not fun at all. It was totally boring and we were not at all on a wavelength. Tandem discussions should be fun. So if you realize you have no real common interests, it does not get much further talking.

So if you make sure that your partner is motivated to learn German and have common interests, the chances of a working tandem partnership are good.

Age is not important. But I had the best conversations with my peers so far. Because the interests just fit better.

Another important factor is the language level. At least one of you should be able to talk in the foreign language. If you z. If you are learning Spanish, but you are still in the beginning, your tandem partner should already speak relatively good German. Or vice versa.

That is, in at least one language, you should be able to properly entertain yourself. Otherwise, there is no right conversation in one language or the other. In order for the tandem talk to be fun, you have to get to know each other somehow and be able to entertain at least half the time properly.

How do you lead an optimal Tandem Talk??

To have an effective tandem conversation, you must follow some simple rules (make a perfect tandem conversation with these 8 steps).

These few and simple rules make the difference between absolute wasting time and learning highly effective languages.

Here are the 3 basic principles of a tandem discussion:

    1. A tandem partner is not a language teacher: It’s not mainly about teaching each other something, like a private teacher or a language course. It’s about entertaining you. The translation of vocabulary and the explanation of grammar should only make up a minimal part of the tandem talk.
    2. A tandem talk is a real conversation: The most effective tandem talk is not a tandem talk, but a conversation among friends. If you talk as normal as good old friends, then the conversation will have the biggest effect. It’s about using the language correctly. Therefore, the topics of conversation should be the same as with your friends.
    3. There is always only one language spoken: Speak your language of learning half the time and the other half German. No matter what, whether a word is missing or too exhausting. Only if you consistently speak one language at a time, you will quickly get on with your knowledge. Now and then you can ask for a vocabulary, but 99% of the conversation should take place in the respective language.

    These are the most important rules in a tandem conversation. If you follow these 3 rules, you will have really effective tandem talks. And you will quickly learn to speak fluently.

    In this video, Luca Lampariello and I summarized the 7 most important tips for an optimal tandem discussion:

    If you already speak the language fluently. This means that your language partner does not have to wait patiently until you have finished a sentence (as it often happens at the beginning), then it is even better to befriend native speakers. So you have the opportunity to do something fun and still improve your language skills. So you can find native speakers in your city.

    Problems with Tandem Talks: You dare not speak

    I hear this problem most often in language learners. You do not feel well because you do not speak so many vocabulary and speak very slowly.

    But that should not be something that keeps you from a tandem talk!

    You should have tandem talks as early as possible. But if you do not dare, there is a good way to have tandem talks anyway.

    All you have to do is step by step to work your way through. Instead of having a real conversation that lasts an hour, you take small steps on the way there.

    In the following way you proceed:

      1. First, you’re just chatting with your tandem partner. You simply send messages in the foreign language (half the time in German) back and forth.
      2. Then you exchange short voice messages. For this is z. Eg WhatsApp. You say a few words and send this message to your tandem partner. He does the same again. So you can also practice each one and send the message only when you are satisfied with it.
      3. Now you have a short conversation. But only for 1 minute. Afterwards the conversation is terminated again. So you’re not under pressure at all, because the conversation is just so brief.
      4. Now you extend each conversation by 1-5 minutes (depending on how you feel comfortable). After a few weeks, you will have the right tandem talks.

      It is important to go every step after about 1-2 weeks. Otherwise, it can quickly happen that you get stuck and can not get any further.

      Conclusion: With a tandem partner you learn to speak fluently fast

      When asked what the secret of my extensive language skills is, my answer is always the same: language tandems.

      There is no more effective and faster way to learn a foreign language than language tandems.

      It’s also fun and does not cost too much time (especially if you’re running your Tandem Talk on Skype).

      Therefore, I can only recommend you to lead even Tandemgespräche. No matter how good your language level is. With a language tandem you can always learn something. And it is always very much.

      With these options, you almost have a guarantee to find a suitable tandem partner, both online and offline.

      Where do you find your tandem partner and how do you run from language tandems? Do you have any further suggestions either to find a suitable partner for a language tandem or to have an effective tandem discussion? Leave me your experiences or suggestions and ideas in the comments.

      And – how did you like my post? Leave me a rating:

      Related Posts

      Like this post? Please share to your friends:
      Christina Cherry
      Leave a Reply

      ;-) :| :x :twisted: :smile: :shock: :sad: :roll: :razz: :oops: :o :mrgreen: :lol: :idea: :grin: :evil: :cry: :cool: :arrow: :???: :?: :!: