Many people in any given country want to learn a foreign language, and many foreigners come to that country and want to learn (or have to learn) its language. Tandem helps them put this interest to use according to the principle: "You help me learn, I help you learn, and we learn to understand each other better."

In this way, language lessons given by teachers are supplemented or replaced by contact with local people who are interested in foreign languages and cultures. Each partner helps the other learn his/her native language. Through shared activities with his/her partner, the foreign student gains a kind of access to the local culture which no traditional language school can offer. That is why Tandem is the bicycle of language learning - inexpensive, individual, and in harmony with the environment. There are three possible approaches:

Anyone able to build simple sentences in the present and the past, with direct and indirect objects, receives a partner with similar language levels and interests. This method is particularly recommended for advanced learners.

Here the learner can simultaneously register for a 'traditional' language course and practice and apply the material with his/her Tandem partner.

Here local learners of foreign languages are brought together with foreigners learning the local language for joint discussions and exercices, whereby the participants also become teachers of their own language. (Also possible for areas where various languages already coexist.)

This form of learning is clearly of relevance for anyone who is interested in intercultural experiencies and direct contact between peoples. The language schools, cooperatives and cultural centers which make up the world-wide TANDEM® network are dedicated to promoting language learning in the form of exchanges and partnerships. They apply three basic approaches in their work:

This means learning in an institutionalized class situation, in communicative language courses taught by native speakers (especially appropriate for beginners).

This means extracurricular learning 'in tandem'. Two forms of this are possible:- so-called 'free conversation', which tends to promote non-directed language acquisition

An important step is being taken here, in that the foreign languages involved are used for genuine personal communication in the interaction between native and non-native speakers.

This means directed (mononational) learning, autonomous and binational (bicultural) learning.

The intercultural sessions are made up of participants with two different native languages, working either in binational pairs or as a group. They have a bilingual teaching team at their disposal, whose task it is to provide the framework, in terms of topics and activities, for the intercultural exchange. The lessons are divided into equal units in which the two languages are alternately used. These meetings are often preceeded by a 'mononational phase' (see A above), in which the grammar and subject matter for the binational sessions are introduced. Binational language courses can be arranged either through selective international exchange programs or by utilizing available multicultural settings.

This classification has a purely theoretical character, since these three forms do not in fact exist separately. They can be combined, however, to suit the individual student and learning environment. There are at least seven possible variations of the combination of course, binational Tandem sessions and individual Tandem. They each represent a different approach to the Tandem concept.

The idea of learning through exchanges and the emphasis on active, intercultural communications are well-suited to the needs of our increasingly mobile societies, where people spend more and more time in foreign countries, either professionally, as students, on holidays, or just for the sake of living abroad.

Within the context of growing worldwide integration and the general importance of multilingualism and intercultural understanding, TANDEM is dedicated to promoting the creation of a pluralistic , multicultural society.

The advantages of Tandem are obvious. But where did the idea come from ?

Anyone looking for the source of the Tandem idea will repeatedly find new forerunners who had developed the concept independently of the other practitioners. This is of course not surprising, since a method based on such a simple idea is bound to be applied spontaneously in various places by students of many different languages. Eight stages can be identified at present:

Early 1800's Various English sources, especially the 'mutual system' developed by Joseph Lancaster and Daniel Bell for schoolchildren in Manchester.

1968 The application of the method and development of material for French-German youth exchanges. Of special importance for this period are the names Bazin, Göbel, Robert Jean, Leupold, Gaston Schott, Raasch, Scherfer, Wambach, Wessling, Zindler, Zamzow and the organizations Deutsch-Französisches Jugendwerk, Arbeitsgruppe für Angewandte Linguistik (Französisch), Bureau International de Liaison et Documentation, Sprachinstitut Tübingen.

1973 Inspired by one of the French-German projects, Liebe-Harkort and Cimilly apply the model in the German-Turkish area for work with immigrants, in cooperation with the Anatolian Solidarity Society and the Volkshochschule in München. This is followed by courses in Bremen (Liebe-Harkort, Schminck-Gustavus and others). A 1983 course in the Türkisches Volkshaus in Frankfurt (Faust, Schneider-Gürkan) and the patented language laboratory with two person cabins, the 'Alfasut' of Werner Suter, Zürich should probably also be attributed to this line of development.

1979 Influenced by an article by Liebe-Harkort and without knowledge of the French-German forerunners, Jürgen Wolff developes the procedure for organizing individual Spanish-German Tandem partnerships in Madrid. This is to become the basis for the current TANDEM® Network.

1981 In the French-German area, after a series of projects dealing with fundamental didactic and pedagogical questions, 6-8 intensive Tandem Courses take place annually. The Deutsch-Französisches Jugendwerk actively promotes the development and funding of these courses, which often have a specific reference to technical and professional language applications (Universities of Mainz and Dijon: technical language for law students; Maison de la Promotion Sociale and Sprachinstitut Tübingen: hotel management; AFRAT and SIT: agricultural specialists; Deutsch-Französische Postpartnerschaft: postal and telecommunications technicians).

1982 Building on the organization of individual partnerships, Wolff joins with Marisa Delgado, Bernhard Leute and Gracia Martín Torres to develop a program of courses in Madrid. This is the basis for the formation of the former cooperative Centro Cultural Hispano-Alemán TANDEM, now Escuela Internacional TANDEM.

Since 1983 The method receives acceptance as one of the basic elements in an alternative program of language learning. As the result of an active campaign of publication, travel and training, the material for the organization of individual partnerships is extended to almost all the major European languages. The TANDEM® network is formed with members in Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Peru, Poland and Spain and with partners in Austria, Portugal and Switzerland. (For an updated list of members see http://www.tandem-f.org). The network maintains various forms of association with various public adult education centers, universities and Goethe-Institutes (see 'Universities and Public Institutions' below, for an updated list see 'Der Wissenschaftliche Beirat') and also cooperates with the 'International E-Tandem Network', coordinated by Helmut Brammerts / Ruhr Universität Bochum, founded as RIBo 1992 / 'International E-Mail-Tandem Network' 1993.

1994 In order to improve academic cooperation and on-going teacher training, tandem users established the Foundation 'TANDEM®Fundazioa', the main office of which is located in Donostia/San Sebastián, in the Basque Country, and which began functioning on January 1. Trademark rights, first held by Michael Friedrich, the Cooperative in Madrid and Jürgen Wolff, have been thus taken over by the Foundation. For further information on Tandem and for those who want to be members, the Foundation is to be consulted. It was recognised as a Charity by order number 2698 of the Basque Ministry of Culture on July 11, 1994, as published on page 9013 of the Basque Government Bulletin, and is allowed to accept tax deducible donations.

In order to protect the jobs in the alternative or small and medium size schools using the Tandem method, and to prevent the commercial exploitation of the idea, copyright protection and a legal trademark have been applied for and obtained.

This copyright is worldwide and covers the material used for the organization and execution of Tandem language partnerships. The holder of this copyright is the autor, Jürgen Wolff. This protection also covers translations and adaptations, which can only be performed with permission.

In addition, the name 'TANDEM' and the graphic symbols are protected by trademark (®) in most countries from use in any area of services related to education and training, language instruction and travel, intercultural centers, publishing, etc. The trademark was held by Jürgen Wolff as the developer of the procedure for individual tandem partnerships; that for the graphic symbol by its creator, Michael Friedrich. It has been donated to make the Tandem® Foundation the actual trademark-holder, governed by all tandem schools. The authorization to use the trademark and the copyrighted material for organizing partnerships is obtained through admission to the Council of Tandem® Foundation.

In exchange, the authorized user agrees to pay a share of the expenses which are necessary to maintain and to protect the copyright and trademark, and to abide by the statutes.

These statutes and subsequent specifications have been developed at plenums and are designed to ensure the cooperation among the member schools. All questions which are not within the jurisdiction of Tandem® Foundation Council are resolved either through bilateral agreements or at plenums of the members. Thus arises a federative network based on the common rules, and Tandem® Foundation retains the right to make decisions regarding the admission of new members, according to the guidelines described below (see 'Joining the Network').

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World plenum is at the same time:

Foundation Council governs Foundation; 

carries out election of

governs Foundation between the world meetings;

approves admissions where no national plenum exists,

contracts

Foundation employees carry out the work during the year

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National plenum (twice a year) approves the admission of new members; responsible for

questions of national scope

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Since the Tandem centers were founded at different times and have experienced unequal rates of growth, there have been different levels and directions of development as well as different attitudes and approaches, and from time to time conflicts over areas of influence and competition have arisen.

To avoid further conflicts and to ensure that the growth of the individual members does not harm but rather promotes the growth of the entire network, the following rules for mutual cooperation have been drawn up in article 32 of the statutes. Even if they are often expressed in a negative form, their goal is the lowering of publicity costs through coordination and the creation of synergies:

Not every institution can be admitted to the TANDEM® Network. In order to preserve its character, statutes article 27 formulate certain specific criteria for new TANDEM® members:

1.  Pedagogical-didactic approach which rejects the traditional teacher-student relationship and is dedicated to communicative teaching, intercultural aspects of language learning and the tandem method

2.  Legal structure which is cooperative, non-profit and public-service oriented (national conditions may vary)

3.  binational or multinational composition or experience of staff, and internal stability

4.  location in an area which is not yet covered by the Network, integration into the division of areas of influence.

There are also various previous conditions for admission (article 28):

The relationship between the Tandem® Network and universities, state schools and other public and semi-public institutions (such as the Goethe-Institut) functions according to special arrangements.

While trying to protect the method from commercial exploitation, the Tandem® Network is also interested in the continued spread of its use. The above-mentioned institutions have on the one hand no commercial interests in the method, due to their inherent financial security; on the other hand, they often lack understanding of the financial situation of the autonomous Tandem® centers and therefore of the need to protect the copyright and trademark. At the same time, there is no need to include them in such duties as participation in plenums, common advertising and so on.

For this reason, asimplified procedure known as association membership or membership in the Academic Advisory Board has been established. This protects the right of institutions to use the method and materials (as well as promoting the exchange of scientific information) without burdening them with the obligations and informational responsabilities of full members. It also guarantees the stability of the Tandem®Network by protecting it from commercial competitors.

Anyway, the academic 'International Tandem Conference' which tooks place every two years offers the ideal platform for contact between schools, public institutions and the interested public.

The next steps

Jürgen Wolff, Network Department

Tandem Foundation

POB 864

E-20080 Donostia/San Sebastián, Basque Country/Spain

Tel: INT-34-943 322 062 (mo-thu 10-13 h)

Fax: INT-34-943 322 062 (permanent, automatic discriminator)

E-Mail > www.tandemcity.info

2) Send a description of 

• your pedagogical-didactic approach

• legal structure

• team composition

• internal organization of functions

• choice of location

• and your financial plan to the above adress.

3) Participate in an introductory course.

4) Appear at the next National Plenum to introduce yourself and find a 'counselor'.

5) Pay your share of the costs of maintaining the trademark.

6) Introduce yourself to the Tandem centers in other countries through a circular.

This booklet was written by Jürgen Wolff and Maurizio Rosanelli ('Why Tandem ?') in cooperation with Margitta Holler, Ana López Garcia, Petra Newiger, Bettina Offenmüller, Gudrun Rach and Petra Zimmermann, and updated 6/97, 5/2000 and 1/2001 by Jürgen Wolff. The first text was translated by John Conyers.