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 UBC tandem Language Learning ProgramHandbookUpdated by Marie Shuman & Franny Varty630936180975-2857491619250-28574916192505991225400050-285749180975University of British ColumbiaSimon K.Y. Lee Global Lounge & Resource Center2205 Lower MallVancouver, BC, Canadatandem.ubc.ca? UBC tandem Language Learning Program 2017First published 2014Updated edition published 2017Handbook authors:Sandra ZappaMonique Bournot-TritesRachel Tianxuan WangRobin RyanHandbook contributors:Mary LeightonElisabeth WilliamsOlivia Sanchez BadiniBaillie FordWeiyi Vicky LiuYaron CohenUpdated August 2017:Marie ShumanFranny VartyTandem logo:Olivia Sanchez BadiniBenjamin Alvarez Vicu?aPhoto credit:Trevor J. SimmonsMarie ShumanFranny VartyWing WuTanya SharmaThe original UBC tandem Language Learning Handbook (2014) was the outcome of a project titled, “A Global Campus: Tandem Language Learning at UBC,” which was supported by a grant from the UBC Teaching Language and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) 2012/13.This edition was updated in August 2017 by Marie Shuman, Program Coordinator 2016-17 (previously Assistant Coordinator, 2015-16; Volunteer Facilitator 2014) and Franny Varty, Assistant Coordinator, 2016-17.Table of contents TOC \h \u \z \n Table of contentsIntroductionChapter 1: The concept of tandem language learningDefinition of “tandem”Rationale for tandem in a post-secondary contextLogistical challengesChapter 2: Tandem language learning at UBCOrigins of the UBC tandem Language Learning ProgramWhy the t in “tandem” isn’t capitalizedPrinciples of the tandem programGoals of the tandem programTimeline of accomplishments and significant changesPeopleChapter 3: Program administration and implementationAdvice for the Program CoordinatorsStage 1: Program advertisement and launch (1st week)Stage 1: Program advertisement and launch (2nd week)Stage 1: Program advertisement and launch (3rd week)Stage 1: Program advertisement and launch (Week 1)Stage 2: Program continuation (Week 2)Stage 2: Program continuation (Week 4)Stage 2: Program continuation (Week 5)Stage 3: Chill zone (Week 7)Stage 4: Wrap up (Week 10)Preparation Stage (May-August)Chapter 4: Program delivery and curriculumIntroductionDescription and characteristics of tandem deliveryHow to communicate better with your partnerWeekly conversation topicsDeliverySEAGULLChapter 5: Tandem in other post-secondary contextsSupported modelsPairing servicesOnline ServicesOther modelsReferencesAppendicesAppendix I: A summary of timelines (tl;dr)Appendix II: Targeting marketing emailsAppendix III: UBC tandem agreement for Volunteer FacilitatorsAppendix IV: Expectations sheet for Volunteer FacilitatorsAppendix V: Snack sheetAppendix VI: How to communicate better with your partnerAppendix VII: Training plan for Volunteer FacilitatorsAppendix VIII: Weekly Conversation Guide templateAppendix IX: Midterm self-evaluation formAppendix X: End of semester feedbackAppendix XI: Job descriptionsAppendix XII: Funding sources at UBCIntroductionThis handbook is meant for anyone interested in setting up a student-led “tandem” language exchange program. We imagine that the primary readers include students, faculty and/or administrators in higher education contexts with a highly diverse population in terms of their linguistic/cultural backgrounds. While this diversity presents its own challenges, it is also an asset that higher education institutions need to capitalize on. One way of maximizing the potential contributions of multilingual/multicultural individuals on campus is by means of connecting them via a program such as tandem learning. At UBC, tandem brings together individuals (students, faculty, staff) who are highly motivated to participate in a reciprocal exchange of language/culture knowledge. Some of the benefits of such exchange include:An enhancement in the participants’ intercultural awareness and open-mindedness;An opportunity to establish new friendships/connections across campus;Target language development, particularly in relation to speaking ability;Encouragement of self-regulated learning;Enhanced motivation for life-long learning.All of this in a low-stakes, non-threatening environment. The program we describe is free to all participants and therefore accessible to anybody in the academic community.!When the program was launched in 2011, the Program Founder, Mary Leighton, wrote a procedural manual that became a helpful document for the Coordinators, primarily. Subsequently, several materials were developed by other individuals involved with UBC tandem. Furthermore, a group from the Centre for Intercultural Language Studies (CILS) at UBC applied for a Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) in order to produce this research-based handbook. The purpose of the research was to revise the tandem procedural manual so it would provide a guiding document for the continued development and practical application of the tandem program, as well as a reference for other institutions.The method followed to conduct a research-informed revision of the manual involved obtaining approval from the Behavioral Research Ethics Board to collect data from a number of stakeholders in the program (the Coordinator, the Facilitators, and the participants). We collected pre- and post- questionnaire responses from 129 participants for the pre-questionnaire and 114 participants for the post-questionnaire. We also conducted 5 focal group interviews with program participants as well as with Facilitators and one interview with the Coordinator. All these data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed by the team. We also collected additional supporting documents prepared by the Coordinators such as sample lesson plans, a checklist of activities, and evaluation sheets. Based on this research, the first edition of this handbook was produced in 2014.This updated document includes five chapters and a series of appendices. Chapter 1 begins by explaining the concept of tandem language learning and describes the rationale for offering this type of program in a post-secondary context. Chapter 2 provides a detailed description of how tandem works at UBC, as well as the principles of goals of tandem. Chapter 3 covers aspects related to the administration and implementation of tandem, such as selecting Coordinators and Facilitators, advertising the program, matching applicants and collecting feedback. This information is also sequentially organized into five stages (Stage 1: Program advertisement and launch, Stage 2: Program continuation, Stage 3: Chill zone, Stage 4: Wrap up, Stage 5: Preparation). Chapter 4 deals with program delivery and curriculum. Finally, Chapter 5 includes information about at tandem in other post-secondary contexts.We hope that this handbook will be useful to anybody who would like to start a similar language program based on this model. We see this as a living document and thus welcome feedback and foresee updates to this document as the program continues to evolve. Therefore, readers are encouraged to check the UBC tandem website periodically for any changes, additions, and further suggestions as they become available!Chapter 1: The concept of tandem language learningDefinition of “tandem”Tandem is a form of second language learning that brings together speakers with different linguistic competencies and backgrounds to share their knowledge and learn from each other, guided by the principles of learner autonomy and reciprocity (Vassallo & Telles, 2008). In this exchange of languages, each participant takes turns playing the role of teacher and of learner. For example, a Japanese exchange student who wants to improve their English may be paired with a domestic student who wants to improve their Japanese. The Japanese student would offer Japanese in exchange for the opportunity to practice English; the domestic student would be practicing Japanese and sharing English. Based on feedback from past tandem participants, a certain proficiency in the target language is needed for an effective tandem experience. This is why we do not allow applications from those who are learning a new language completely from scratch.The variations on this scenario are extensive, as learners may be able to offer multiple languages, or may be interested in learning multiple languages. However, the fundamental peer-to-peer dynamic remains: both partners serve as expert in one language and as learner in the other. They learn autonomously by choosing to follow assigned discussion topics or a topic of their own interest, and they control their learning environment by choosing where and when to meet, though many prefer to meet in group sessions at a predetermined time.The format of these exchanges varies and depends greatly on the local context and demographics. In some, such as discussed in this handbook, pairs of participants gather in a central location on a regular basis for face-to-face facilitated meetings. Other pairs choose to meet independently, while other programs see tandem exchanges take place on over email, video chat, or on apps. These exchanges are known under a variety of names, such as eTandem, distance Tandem, and TeleTandem. The common factor in all of these exchanges is the bilateral exchange of language knowledge, typically between two speakers. Four distinct tandem models have been identified: supported, pairing, online, and other. Examples of these models are discussed in Chapter 5. Rationale for tandem in a post-secondary contextFor participantsIn a globalized post-secondary world, educational environments are becoming increasingly international with students from around the world making classrooms more diversified. Since 1965, the global population of international students has leaped from 250,000 to approximately 3.7 million in 2011 (de Wit, Ferencz & Rumbley, 2013). While English has become a world language, multi-competence in several languages and cultures has the power to enrich opportunities for intercultural exchange, increase access to international communities, raise awareness of other cultures, create personal connections across ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, and reduce prejudice and racism (Pettigrew, Tropp, Wagner & Christ, 2011). Tandem contributes to all these goals, in addition to creating additional opportunities for conversation practice, and teaching the skills of self-regulated learning. Enriched opportunities for intercultural exchange and connectionsBy providing tandem learners with access to a member of their target language community, we open doors to long-term, meaningful language and cultural exchanges. In tandem, proficient speakers of the target language highly familiar with the target culture are considered members of the target language community, even if they are not native speakers. Effective tandem partnerships can result not only in greater command of the target language, but in a more nuanced, holistic understanding of the target cultures in which these languages are used. Many learners comment on how their participation in tandem makes them more interested in future travelling and more motivated to continue their language learning outside of the traditional classroom.Access to the target language communityTandem also facilitates opportunities for participants to gain access to members of the target language community. Participants frequently cite this opportunity to form relationships with proficient speakers, while also developing their language skills, as one of the most appreciated outcomes of their tandem participation. This community-building aspect can contribute to a more personalized relationship between the learner and the target culture, allowing them to understand nuances of the culture that aren’t easily grasped from a textbook. Also, once a learner has gained access to their target language community through developing a relationship with their tandem partner, they are more likely to expand their investment in the community as they may increasingly identify with it. Overall, this integration of the learner with the target language culture is beneficial not only to the student, but to the greater community.Opportunities for practiceTypically, in the language classroom opportunities for regular, extensive conversations are limited. Tandem offers language learners an invaluable opportunity so commonly missing from the traditional classroom setting: the chance to practice speaking with a fluent member of their target language community in a low-stakes situation. Tandem addresses this limitation by offering learners opportunities for extensive oral interaction with fluent speakers of their target language, learning colloquial expressions and receiving immediate and personalized feedback. In tandem, learners spend almost all of their time practicing speaking and listening skills, as well as receiving supportive feedback and corrections from their partners. Research has shown that the quality of interaction in a target language directly influences learner self-confidence (Clement, 1980). The safe, supportive environment of tandem helps learners develop the confidence to use their target language outside of the classroom. For this reason, tandem is highly beneficial to learners who are also taking formal language courses, as it supplements this instruction with the opportunity for extensive practice and confidence building.Learning the skills of self-regulated learningSelf-regulated learning addresses how learners take ownership of their learning process and guide themselves to success in their learning environments. Research in self-regulated learning examines “how students metacognitively, motivationally, and behaviorally initiate and direct their learning processes” (Zimmerman, 1990, p. 185).Tandem gives participants the opportunity to develop and practice many of the skills associated with self-regulated learning, such as goal setting, planning, self monitoring, environmental structuring (how participants modify their learning context to best support their needs), seeking peer assistance, amongst others. Without explicitly addressing these learning skills, introductory topics and activities that the conversation facilitators employ can lead participants to think more about strategies of self-regulated learning they can use to become more effective language learners.One important factor contributing to participant satisfaction is the early setting of clear, achievable goals (Bournot-Trites, Zappa, Wang, Ryan, 2013). To maximize satisfaction levels, tandem learners should be encouraged to think about specific short-, medium-, and long-term goals for their learning and should be given the tools to assess their progress along the way. For facilitatorsFor facilitators, tandem also provides an opportunity for leadership development, and exposure to less traditional, non-classroom foreign language methodologies. Periodically, facilitators may also have the opportunity to participate in academic research on tandem learning that is currently taking place.Leadership developmentIn some programs, such as the tandem program offered at UBC, there are also discussion facilitators who introduce the weekly topics, offer sample questions, and coordinate the participants to ensure that learners whose partners are absent are matched up with temporary partners. These discussion facilitators serve as the leaders of the sessions, but not as teachers. The facilitator role thus offers leadership opportunities that are beneficial to participants who want to gain experience in public speaking, facilitation, and leadership.Through facilitating discussions and introducing the session, facilitators are able to introduce unique perspectives in language learning, important intercultural communication skills, and general encouragement for the learners. There are opportunities for the facilitator, in discussion with the participants, to decide how structured the tandem sessions should be and how large a role the leadership of the tandem program should play. This aspect is discussed at greater length in Chapter 4.Experience with less traditional foreign language methodologiesTraditional classroom learning is undoubtedly crucial for scaffolding language development, and numerous opportunities are available for students to become involved in the pedagogical aspects of learning as teaching assistants, etc. However, it is beneficial to have a well-rounded view of foreign language methodologies. Not everything about language and culture can be taught in a classroom. Ean Henninger, a Volunteer Facilitator (2016-17) and participant had this to say:“As both a facilitator and participant, I have seen tandem students learn from and become friends with people they might never have met otherwise. With tandem, you learn about another person by learning another language - language sharing is the method, intercultural connection and understanding is the goal.”Academic researchNumerous studies of adult foreign language learning, including tandem exchanges, have been conducted in the past two decades, examining a wide range of topics. Several studies have examined the educational potential of various online tandem formats, such as chat rooms (Chung, Graves, Wesche, & Barfuth, 2005; Freiermuth & Huang, 2012), email exchange (Appel & Mullen, 2000; Greenfield, 2003; Little & Brammerts, 1996; Priego, 2011; Torii-Williams, 2004; Ushioda, 2000; Vinagre, 2007), multi-user domain role-playing video games, or MOOs (K?tter, 2011), and video-chat (Cziko, 2004; Elia, 2006). Other studies have looked at the importance of goal setting for self-regulated learners (Zimmerman, 1990), as well as comprehension (Brunfaut & Révész, 2015; Révész & Brunfaut, 2013; Seright, 1985; Toyoda & Harrison, 2002; Zhang & Zhang, 2011) and degree of error correction (Edasawa & Kabata, 2008). L’Apprentissage des langues et cultures en tandem dans l’enseignement supérieur ou secondaire (ALCTES) [The Tandem Language and Intercultural Learning in Higher or Secondary Education Settings Conference] hosted at Sorbonne University also showcased a wide variety of international tandem research following four themes: assessment, pedagogical resources, training, and the learning environment, and will soon be publishing a conference journal.Facilitators in fields related to tandem learning, such as the Faculty of Education, the School of Library, Archiva and Information Studies, the Department of Linguistics, Computer Science, Sociology, Psychology, or any language department are encouraged to enter the academic dialogue and pursue research on any of these topics at any level of study.The importance of Volunteer FacilitatorsThe Volunteer Facilitators are an important component of the tandem program because they are the people who lead each week’s meeting for onsite meeters. They receive training and curriculum material from the Coordinator and/or Assistant Coordinator, and then are in charge of facilitating weekly sessions. In addition, they help with administrative tasks, new projects, and other program needs. Embracing the dynamic nature of tandem, it is preferable that the volunteer facilitators demonstrate enthusiasm in both language teaching and learning, as well as in communicating with students of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The volunteer facilitator is responsible for attending weekly sessions to facilitate group meetings. During each session, this person should keep attendance; present the weekly activity; encourage participants to bring snacks to share; remind the partners to switch languages halfway through; walk around to observe pairs and see if there are any difficulties; respond to questions or problems that participants report; and keep the atmosphere fun, friendly, respectful, comfortable, and enthusiastic. In the middle and end of the term, the facilitator needs to collect participant feedback and share personal experiences with other facilitators and coordinators. It is important that the facilitator maintains effective communication with participants, coordinator and assistant coordinator. Through facilitating discussion groups, facilitators gain important skills in leading group discussion, tutoring, and presenting in public. Communicating with the participants and other stakeholders can also help to enhance their interpersonal skills. Observing how others learn a language and facilitate the learning might help the facilitators to become more effective learners. Sometimes, facilitators are invited to present at symposiums and conferences to share their experience with other enthusiastic language educators and learners. Besides the knowledge aspect, the facilitators also benefit by being connected to a large group of people and organizations that have passion for language learning, intercultural communication, and alternative education models.Logistical challengesIt is important to for the Program Coordinators to keep in mind the logistical challenges involved in pairing hundreds of participants with different language combinations and schedules. There will inevitably be some languages that are in greater supply than demand, and there will people for whom no matches can be found. Extensive participant feedback has shown that matching novice learners with each other (two learners of French, for example) often leads to strong dissatisfaction with the program. For this reason, it is recommended that partnerships should always have one proficient speaker of each of the target languages.Potential participants should also be made aware of their roles and responsibilities, should they join tandem. Below are a few key details that should be covered:Tandem is not for low-level beginner learners. Tandem is built around conversation, and participants who join the program without a minimal level of proficiency might struggle and can make for a dissatisfying experience for both them and their partner.Tandem requires a significant time commitment. The partner system relies on both participants attending regularly, and giving as much advance warning as possible to their partner and facilitator if they need to miss a session. This notice will give time for the facilitator to either find a temporary partnership for the lone participant, or allow the partners to reschedule.In tandem, participants get out what they put in. The most effective, satisfying partnerships are those where participants come to their session prepared with talking points in both languages and an idea of their goal for the session. Similarly, when interacting with their partners, participants should make every effort to help their partner improve their language proficiency through attentive listening, positive corrective feedback, and help with whatever other issues arise.Tandem participants should have some clear, specific, achievable goals in mind when they begin the program. Generic goals, such as I want to speak better, are too vague and challenging to assess. Therefore, it is crucial to encourage participants to set and review their goals on a regular basis. A goal-setting Conversation Guide is included in the Facilitator Guidebook (Dickie & Shuman, 2014).Chapter 2: Tandem language learning at UBCOrigins of the UBC tandem Language Learning ProgramAt UBC, tandem was founded by a former graduate student, Mary Leighton, who started the program for fun in January 2011 as a pilot project. After an initial highly successful start, the program was further developed and refined, based on an increased demand from interested participants. The program normally runs for ten weeks and coincides with the first and second academic terms at UBC. (September-November; January-April). Due to its popularity, the program is in high demand and thus experiencing ongoing growth in the number of applicants and matched participants. To date, the program has been offered thirteen times, having matched successfully over 5,000 applicants, exchanging over 23 different languages.Figure 2.1 Tandem growth: total applicants vs. matched per Figure 2.2 Most commonly spoken languages 2016-17.semester.The sustainability of the program is largely dependent on the efforts and time of a dedicated group of volunteers who facilitate the tandem sessions, and the coordinators who are in charge of organizing the program. Also crucial to the growth and expansion of the program has been the support it has received from different units on campus:The Centre for Intercultural Language Studies has offered logistic and academic support to launch the program campus-wide since September 2012;The Office of the Provost and currently the Office of the Vice President, Student have played pivotal roles providing financial support to hire the team of students who run the program.In March 2017, these offices also came together with the Arts Undergraduate Society and the Alma Mater Society to contribute a large amount of funding so that the current Program Coordinators could present the UBC tandem Language Learning Program at a conference at Sorbonne University, Paris, entitled L’Apprentissage des langues et cultures en tandem dans l’enseignement supérieur ou secondaire (ALCTES 2017) [Tandem Learning and Intercultural Learning in Higher or Secondary Education Settings];The Ritsumeikan Program and the Global Lounge have also made generous contributions to the funding of the program.Why the t in “tandem” isn’t capitalizedOur program is known as the UBC tandem Language Learning Program (with a lowercase “t”) because tandem is a style of language learning, and not a trademarked name, so the grammatically correct spelling is with a lowercase letter. As unique as we know our tandem-style program is, we are also aware that we are not the only one in the world. Because this program is becoming more renowned, and is no longer a small student project, we need to make our mark in the world as a recognized learning program in the community. The decision to use a lowercase “t” in the name is one method that helps the program to stand out. We also use a lowercase letter to avoid any potential legal conflict. Several iterations of the name “Tandem” are trademarked or copyrighted outside of UBC: TANDEM is a brand owned by TANDEM International Language Schools (), the TANDEM trademark is also used by a teacher training center called Tandem Fundazioa () and an early literacy program in San Francisco called Tandem: Partners in Early Learning (). The latter also frequently uses the name "Tandem".Principles of the tandem programAs mentioned in Chapter 1, tandem learning is based on four fundamental principles: Autonomy;Reciprocity;Every language is valuable;Fun!Originally noted by Vassallo and Telles (2006), these principles are what make up the majority of tandem programs and will be discussed in detail here.To begin with, participants should be made aware of how autonomy and reciprocity in tandem work differently from their traditional language classroom (Leighton, 2011). Participants who have only experienced traditional, teacher-centred learning environments may have preconceptions about how language learning works (the teacher teaches and I learn). Also, when participants accept autonomy by recognizing their responsibility for learning and reciprocity in the fact that they have valuable knowledge to offer their partner, they will be more likely to broaden their understanding of what language learning can entail (Bournot-Trites, et al., 2013; Leighton, 2011).AutonomyAt UBC, tandem is a free program composed of volunteer staff and participants. There is no academic credit given for participation, no external assessment of participant progress, and no rules about topics to be covered. This is all to foster a strong sense of participant autonomy, which is considered as one of the major players in self-regulated learning (Zimmerman, 1990).Autonomy is the freedom to learn what one wants, however one wants it. Participants have the freedom to attend on-site meetings or to meet independently. They can follow the weekly topics offered by the facilitators, or they can choose their own topics. They can work casually over a range of topics, or they can focus on a particular learning goal. They can decide how they want to provide feedback to each other, and they can choose whether to code-switch (switch between languages to facilitate explanations) or to speak in the target language exclusively.Supporting participant autonomy has been shown to be productive for learner motivation (Rigby, Deci, Patrick, & Ryan, 1992; Zuckerman, Porac, Lathin, Smith, & Deci, 1978) and is considered intrinsically motivating (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Research has shown that autonomous learning environments are supportive of “more self-determined forms of motivation” and are “predictive of lower feelings of anxiety” (Noels, Clement, and Pelletier, 2001, p. 426). The tandem environment provides strong motivation for students to continue their language learning, and its cooperative, low-stakes nature helps participants relax and feel less language use anxiety than they may experience in the traditional language classroom. There are, of course, some limitations placed on autonomy for the on-site meetings: participants are expected to make sustained efforts to work in the target language (even if this involves lapsing into English or another language to help explain the target language); partners should switch languages at the half-way mark; and regular attendance is expected.ReciprocityTandem learning involves a high level of reciprocity, as participants are both sources and recipients of knowledge. This can require some adjustment for participants unaccustomed to the role of input provider. In order for tandem to succeed, it is important that facilitators help participants become accustomed to their new teaching roles by explicitly addressing this topic. This can be accomplished through discussions on what participants value in their teachers, and how they can imitate these qualities in their tandem partnerships.The quality of reciprocity introduces a sort of “golden rule” to the tandem exchange: participants share with their partners in the same way that they would like to learn from their partners. For instance, if Nori expects Steve to give her detailed feedback, regular encouragement, and well-prepared conversation notes, then she will do the same for him if that is what he wants. Similarly, she will try to speak slowly and clearly, be friendly, arrive on time, and inform Steve of extra opportunities to learn Japanese outside of tandem. Steve, appreciating the high-quality of his partnership with Nori, will try to offer the same in return.It is important that the principle of reciprocity be made clear at the first tandem session, as it may not seem obvious to all new participants. Some may come with a sole focus on improving their target language and may not have put much thought into how they are going to be effective, engaging partners. Early discussions on how to be a good partner will help all participants.Everyone’s Language is ValuableThis new principle of tandem is added by the coordinator and assistant coordinator in fall 2013, aiming to stress that everybody’s language variety has equal value. Therefore, no matter how one looks like, what one’s accent is, where one is from, and whether one’s vocabulary differs slightly from other’s, that person’s language is still valuable, and s/he can still be a great teacher and enrich other’s language learning experience.FunA fourth principle noted by Leighton (2011) about tandem should not be understated: fun. From its inception, the UBC tandem program has been student-led and primarily volunteer-driven. Facilitators volunteer because they enjoy working with the participants, and participants keep coming back because they enjoy themselves and learn in the process.As mentioned previously, tandem is not like a traditional language learning classroom. At UBC, participants do not receive grades, or credits, for attending. Tandem has been very successful because it is a strong marriage of effective learning and a low-anxiety, enjoyable atmosphere.This atmosphere has been fostered by a lot of small things: smiles and welcomes from the facilitators, friendly emails from the coordinators, developing friendships among participants, social events for the entire community, and coffee and treats for all. As Tremblay & Gardner (1995) noted, high levels of anxiety in oral communication can be debilitating for L2 learners. Part of this anxiety may come from being accustomed to a traditional, competitive learning environment where each student strives to be the best in the class. Educational theory argues that “a cooperative learning environment offers the greatest potential for success, since learners typically feel less anxious and feel more positive in this kind of setting” (Schira Hagerman, 2002). This is why every effort is made to minimize anxiety in tandem: sessions are held outside of classrooms in comfortable environments; participants are never called-upon to answer questions in their target language; public presentations do not happen; and partners are reminded to be as encouraging and non-judgemental as possible.All of these efforts work together to create a learning environment that feels safe, non-judgemental, and supportive. This is an ideal environment for language learning to occur.Goals of the tandem programIn general, tandem program aims to promote language learning; increase access for participants to their target language community; promote self-directed learning; and establish a community of language learners. Details of the goals are discussed in the following space. Figure 2.3 indicates how tandem language exchange is conceptualized and how the four principles of tandem are manifested in the delivery process.Figure 2.3 Concept Map of tandem (developed by Yaron Cohen)First, to promote language learning. Motivations for participating in tandem may be as diverse as the participants themselves (Ryan, 2014), but the common goal is the acquisition and/or improvement of a target language. This is why participants join.Second, to increase access for participants to their target language community. Despite being in a multicultural city such as Vancouver, participants often are challenged to find and develop relationships with members of their target language community. Whether it is the international student who has yet to make a Canadian friend, or the Vancouverite who does not have any Turkish-speakers in her friendship circles, tandem works to build those bridges. When surveying participants, one of the top reasons people join tandem is because they want to make friends in their target language. Community access is a vital aspect of language learning, and tandem is able to bring together diverse groups to help with this.Third, to promote self-directed learning. ?Self-regulated learning addresses how students take ownership of their learning process and guide themselves to succeed in their learning environments. As argued elsewhere, the value of self-directed learners is “their awareness of how specific strategies can influence learning outcomes and … their willingness to employ these strategies to achieve their academic goals” (Zimmerman, 1990, p. 180). Strategies such as goal-setting, planning, organizing, studying, and self-assessment can be discussed and encouraged through tandem. By learning these skills, participants become more motivated, self-directed learners who will find greater success in language learning and other academic areas.Fourth, to develop a community of language learners that incorporates everybody, be it professors, students or staff; immigrants, exchange students, or domestic students; young or mature. In tandem, it does not matter what the participants’ role in the greater community is because there is no hierarchy and no division between participants. Once in tandem, all participants, facilitators, and coordinators work together to promote a fun as well as engaging, and safe learning environment for all.Timeline of accomplishments and significant changesTime-frameCoordinator/AssistantSignificant accomplishmentsApplicantsMatchesJan – Apr 2011Mary Leighton, Foundermary.f.leighton@Valentina Ricca,Committee MemberAnita ShenCommittee MemberJanuary 2011 – Recipient of $35 grant from the Global Fund, which was used to purchase Autonomous Language Learning in Tandem, by Tim Lewis & Lesley WalkerJanuary 2011 – Mary partnered with Valentina and Anita from the International Students Association, who were interested in tandem as a service for international students.14 January 2011 – Information and Registration Day. Mary waits in the Global Lounge with 40 registration sheets, hoping that at least a dozen people will show up. Over 100 attend.January 2011 – One session per week is offered (Friday afternoons from 1:00-2:30)February 2011 – Feedback is collected from partners - they want to meet people within the session, as well as their partner! A language clusters event is created.April 2011 – Video feedback on the tandem program is gathered ()13 May 2011 – Presentation at the CILS 7th Annual Research Symposium: The tandem project: Language learning with a partner115 60(52%)Time-frameCoordinator/AssistantSignificant accomplishmentsApplicantsMatchesSept – Dec 2011Mary Leighton,Training and Handbook DevelopmentConnie Lam,Student Coordinatorwk.connielam@September 2011 – Recipient of $10,245 in funding from the Prevost, administered through Centre for Intercultural Language Studies, which was used to create two paid positions: one for Training and Handbook Development (20 hours/wk), another for Student Coordinator (10 hours/wk).September 2011 – Website created by Connie Lam (tandemubc.ca).September 2011 – Two sessions per week are offered (Tuesdays and Fridays); Independent Meeters are supported by email with weekly activities (last term, they were matched, and then wished good luck!)September 2011 - Weekly topic sheets are provided to participants.December 2011 - Tandem Language Learning at UBC: A Handbook for Coordinators, Facilitators, and Tandem Enthusiasts is complete.20 December 2011 – Tandem’s first promo video is created (). 410 230(56%)Jan – Apr 2012Connie Lam,Program CoordinatorJanuary 2012 - Registration is done in person at the Global Lounge.January 2012 - One session is offered every day of the week, each led by a Volunteer Facilitator (the Friday session had 2 Facilitators).February 2012 - Unmatched Spanish learners are invited to attend la Mesa Redonda, a weekly Spanish roundtable hosted by Professor Samuel Navarro. March 2012 - International Night is hosted in collaboration with the UBC English Language Institute. Tickets are $5.Throughout the semester - Ongoing evaluation of how to keep the program running, in terms of scale and longevity.~311~188(60%)Time-frameCoordinator/AssistantSignificant accomplishmentsApplicantsMatchesSept – Dec 2012Olivia Sanchez Badini, Program Coordinatorolivia1290@Elisabeth Williams, Program Assistantelisabethannwilliams@10 October 2012 – Logo created (Olivia Sanchez Badini & Benjamin Alvarez Vicu?a).1 November 2012 – Ubyssey article: Tandem Language Program lets students be teachers HYPERLINK "; .November 2012: CILS public talk: Exploring in-tandem learning: An opportunity to enrich traditional language learning.18 April 2013 – Tandem accepts the Helen Macrae Award from Student Development for Outstanding Student Program.May 2013 – Two sessions presented at the CILS 9th Annual Research Symposium: Tandem UBC Approached Holistically and Tandem UBC: Experiential Learning through Community Building.648 435(67%)Jan – Apr 2013Elisabeth Williams, Program CoordinatorBaillie Ford, Program Assistantbaillieford@January 2013 - Tandem’s first online matching system is launched. Developed by Eric Moller, who received a $200 honorarium. April 2013 - UBC tandem partners with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) to offer Teletandem. From April 10-May 31, participants meet three times a week online via Google Hangout.467280(60%)Sept – Dec 2013Bailie Ford, Program CoordinatorWeiyi Vicky Liu,Assistant Coordinatorvickyw.wei@September 2013 – tandem moves under VP Students and joins Global Lounge programming.September 2013 - Tandem receives the Student Leadership Conference Showcase Award.September 2013 - Language Proficiency Index created.September 2013 - A third principle is added: Everyone’s Language is Valuable.September 2013 - Mandarin Student Leader Pilot Program is launched (discontinued in term 2 due to imbalance of Mandarin speakers and learners).September 2013 - Collaboration with STEPS Forward, allowing 2 students with disabilities to participate and achieve a sense of community at UBC.19 October 2013 - Midterm Mixer at the Eatery. 40 people attend.October 2013 - Collaboration with the International Student Association on their Countries in Focus series. Two Indonesian speakers from the tandem program are asked to present on their language.7 November 2013 - Spanish Night held in collaboration with the UBC Club de Espanol. January 2014 - In-person applications no longer accepted. All registration done online.4 March 2014 – UBC article: UBC tandem lets students learn a new language without leaving campus.March 2014 – 1st Edition of the UBC tandem Language Learning Handbook is published, supported by a grant from the UBC Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (TLEF) 2012/13.9 May 2014 – Presentation at the CILS 10th Annual Research Symposium: Uniting language and culture: Revising the UBC tandem Program.606354 (59%)Jan – Apr 2014Yaron Cohen, Program Coordinatoryaroncnk@Kevin Dickie, Assistant Coordinatorkinxin.kd@January 2014 - Better integration between international and local students (including UBC English Language Institute).26 August 2014 – Robin Ryan completes a Masters thesis: Motivation in tandem language learning.850598(70%)Sept 2014 – Apr 2015Leyla Salmi, Program Coordinatorleyla_salmi@Kevin Dickie, Assistant CoordinatorThroughout the year - Heavy focus on branding tandem, and having it known to other student groups on campus.September 2014 – Conversation Guidebook I complete (Kevin Dickie & Marie Shuman).September 2014 - The role of the Facilitator grows from simple announcer and “time-keeper” to language-learning support system team. Two Facilitators are hired for each session to allow for increased interaction with the participants, with Facilitators providing advice and standing in for language partners when needed.January 2015 – Conversation Guidebook II complete (Kevin Dickie).January 2015 - Teletandem partnership with UNAM put on hiatus due to lack of volunteers available to facilitate and troubleshoot online meetings.T1: 852T2: 700T1: 462(54%)T2: 450 (64%)Time-frameCoordinator/AssistantSignificant accomplishmentsApplicantsMatchesSept 2015 – Apr 2016Leyla Salmi, Program CoordinatorMarie Shuman, Assistant Coordinatormarieshuman@September 2015 – New online registration system launched, created by UBC Arts ISIT. This replaces the previous Python-based matching system developed by Eric Moller.January 2016 – tandemubc@ is phased out and replaced with tandem.program@ubc.caJanuary 2016 – Pilot partnership with Mandarin Chat Lounge (cancelled after one semester due to negative feedback).April 2016 – Partnership with Language Partners BC established.T1: 838T2: 888T1: 468(56%)T2: 580(65%)Sept 2016 – Apr 2017Marie Shuman, Program CoordinatorFranny Varty,Assistant Coordinatorfrannyvarty@ewb.caAugust 2016 – UBC Okanagan creates the Tandem Language Exchange Program.September 2016 – Outreach to the First Nations and Endangered Languages Program. A message is added to the registration form, directing all student interested in First Nations languages to the FNEL website.November 2016 – Online registration system is taken over by UBC IT and merged with the website.January 2017 – New website is launched (tandem.ubc.ca).February 2017 - Language Speed Dating event for unmatched applicants allows for 25 additional people to be matched with a partner.February 2017 - Launch of monthly movie nights, hosted in collaboration with many other student groups on campus.March 2017 - Presentation at the ALCTES Conference at Sorbonne University, Paris. April 2017 - Intercultural and Interlingual Learning Workshop held at the Global Lounge to share knowledge gained at ALCTES.April 2017 - Marie Shuman completes an Honour’s thesis: Does tandem language learning work? An evaluation of French and Japanese language production.August 2017 - Updated 2nd edition of the UBC tandem Language Learning Program Handbook completed. T1: 957T2: 869 T1: 587(61%)T2: 576PeopleThe UBC tandem Language Learning Program is officially housed under Global Campus Initiatives, a division of International Student Development, which is housed under VP Students, but it operates as a part of the Global Lounge. It is neither a Global Lounge Network Member, nor an AMS Club.Louise Cowin, Vice President, VP Studentslouise.cowin@ubc.ca|Janet Teasdale, Managing Director, Student Development Servicesjanet.teasdale@ubc.ca|Michelle Suderman, Director, International Student Developmentmichelle.suderman@ubc.ca|Jola Lekich, Program Director, Global Campus Initiativesjlekich@mail.ubc.ca|Eve Court, Program Advisor, Global Campus Initiativeseve.court@ubc.ca/ \Program Coordinators UBC tandem Language Learning Program tandem.program@ubc.ca Global Lounge Community Animators(Programming, Professional Development, Marketing, Global Fund)global.lounge@ubc.camarketing.globallounge@global.fund@ubc.caTandem also has a relationship with the following individuals:Brianne Orr Alvarez, Academic Advisor French, Hispanic, and ItalianStudies Departmentbrianne.orr@ubc.caAlden Habacon, DirectorIntercultural Understanding Strategy Developmentahabacon@mail.ubc.caVicky Tran, Content & Engagement StrategistStudent Communications Servicesvicky.tran@ubc.caBri facilitates the Train-the-Trainer session for volunteer facilitators at the beginning of Term 1, is our point of contact for any academic questions we may have, and connects us to the FHIS Department.Alden has been an integral part of tandem’s growth since the program began. He was instrumental in finding funding for the tandem Program in 2011-12, and has also helped extend our marketing plan to reach out to more Mandarin and Cantonese speakers.Vicky is our marketing connection. She advertises tandem in the UBC fyi newsletter, helped us design and conceptualize our new website, and designs our marketing plan each semester.Chapter 3: Program administration and implementationThis chapter discusses the administrative aspect of the tandem program, covering how to run the program from beginning to end in each academic semester. The suggestions and ideas presented here are heavily drawn from the original produced manual (Leighton, 2011), the first volume of the Handbook (Zappa, Bournot-Trites, Wang, & Ryan, 2014), and the feedback from previous Coordinators, Facilitators, and enthusiastic participants. However, tandem is constantly growing and changing, and these sections may be adapted by future Coordinators as needed. Presently, each semester is divided into five stages: Stage 1 (September & January): Program advertisement and launchStage 2 (October & February): Program continuationStage 3 (November & March): Chill zoneStage 4 (December & April): Wrap upStage 5 (May-August): Preparation As you grow more comfortable in your role as Program Coordinator, you will rely on this Handbook less. Instructions outlined in the following chapter are explicit and detailed throughout Stage 1, but become more fluid and sparse in Stages 2-4. Appendix I contains a checklist of all tandem activities through each semester.Advice for the Program CoordinatorsRunning a program like tandem is not an easy task. There can be hundreds of potential applicants desiring to join, each with specific learning and social needs to satisfy. Thus, it is important for the Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator to understand the scope of tandem and effectively communicate the aims of tandem to participants through information sessions and social media such as the program website, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.Below is a list of some useful tips for the Program Coordinators. Some of the points might also apply to the Volunteer Facilitators. ● Decide on the goals and make them clear. The Program Coordinators need to think what they want to achieve in one term. For doing so, they may ask themselves the following questions: How can you facilitate language learning through the weekly sessions? How would you like to communicate with the participants? How can you pass on your enthusiasm and knowledge of language learning to participants, Facilitators and observers? What is your vision for tandem in the future? If you want to try something new, how would you carry it out? How many social activities do you plan to organize during the term, and what are they? How many volunteers you want to recruit and how are you going to train them? How are you going to assess the effectiveness of the program? ● Think about the possible challenges and solutions. The Program Coordinators can ask themselves these questions: If somebody drops out of the program in the middle, what do you do? How are you going to resolve conflicts among the participants or Facilitators? What are you going to do if some activities do not run as well as you expect? ● Always prepare ahead of time, especially in terms of booking spaces, preparing the activities for each session, planning social events, and notifying Facilitators and participants of any upcoming events. ● Keep good communication with all stakeholders. The Program Coordinators should make sure that the tandem website is up to date. If they use any social media, constant update is also necessary to keep the subscribers interested. Being in good relationship with the administrative staff at the venue where the weekly sessions are held might also bring them unexpected convenience. Communicating with the language departments might help them to attract learners of the languages where there is more offer than demand. Moreover, they will get great ideas and valuable feedback by talking to the Facilitators, participants and other stakeholders. ● Be reflective. The Program Coordinators should think about what is effective and what is not. They should ask themselves if any improvements could be made. If they are going to run the program again, what would they keep and what would they remove? They can then discuss these ideas with other stakeholders and write them down in the handbook.Stage 1: Program advertisement and launch (1st week)Decide registration datesOn the second day of GLCA training, the tandem Coordinators will need to decide on registration dates, and choose when the program begins and ends. An easy way to do this is to look at the university’s Academic Calendar, and determine when the last day of classes will be. That will be Week 10 of the program (sometimes the semester runs a little long, so the previous week can be Week 10). Then, count back to Week 1. Registration should open on or before the first day of classes, and close the Wednesday before Week 1. The registration period is generally 10-14 days long. Over time, we learned that a longer registration period does not result in more applications, just more procrastination.Schedule tandem sessionsWe started out with one session per week, then two, and now there are six, on-campus, facilitated sessions per week, which all take place at the Simon K.Y. Lee Global Lounge & Resource Centre. Every year, we adjust the session times slightly according to attendance levels and availability of the tandem team (Facilitators and Coordinators). Over time, we have found that sessions before noon have very low attendance. In 2016-17, our session times in term 2 were as follows:Mondays: 5:30-7:00Tuesdays: 3:30-5:00Wednesdays: 3:30-5:00Thursdays: 12:30-2:00Fridays: 1:00-2:30 and 3:00-4:30Book spaces for sessionsA nice and cozy space can help students to relax and enjoy their language exchange experience better. For a large campus, the Coordinators should also consider the accessibility of the venue for most participants. At UBC, tandem sessions take place in the Global Lounge, a pace for internationally-focused student groups and activities. The venue also has a small kitchens, with free tea and coffee, so the participants can use that area to prepare snacks for the sessions.It is also preferable if the location allows the tandem team to use their office supplies, such as printer, Xerox machine, white board, etc. Popular spaces should be booked as early as possible. For example, if it is for the fall semester that starts in September, booking the space before August or even earlier might be a good idea. The person who is booking the space needs to make sure that the sessions they look for (e.g. Friday 12:00-1:30pm) is free for all the weeks.In the email to participants, a campus map with the location of the venue marked should be included. For the first couple of sessions, signs posted outside of the venue help participants find the space easily. A good communication with people in charge of the space about tandem’s plan for the semester is of the most importance.Make small changes to the Registration FormApplicants who want to register for the tandem program, must fill out the Registration Form on tandem.ubc.ca, which is composed of two parts.Registration Form Part 1: WordpressPart 1 of the Registration Form is required for matching participants. This is where applicants give us their name, email, availability, and their top 3 choices for language teaching and learning.Sometimes small changes need to be made, but it is not necessary to update this form every semester. For example, in 2016, we made a small change which increased the number of Mandarin learners in the program. We added the note, “If you are willing to learn Mandarin, Korean, or Japanese, please indicate that on your form! (These are the most highly requested languages.)”Registration Form Part 2: FluidSurveyPart 2 of the Registration Form is a demographic questionnaire, called the Participant Survey. The answers are not used for the matching process, and they are not linked to the applicant’s name, email address, or student number. This information is only used for our own knowledge and statistics. Sometimes you may receive a panicked email from a student that says, “Help! I received my confirmation email before I completed Part 2, I think I made a mistake!” It doesn’t affect their match at all, it just means that we can’t include their demographic information in our statistics.ELI Sociocultural Fair and registration dayUBC tandem has had a close relationship with the English Language Institute since its inception. It is an on-campus English institute for exchange students learning English. They welcome thousands of students from numerous countries each year, and these students stay in Vancouver for an average of 6 months.ELI Sociocultural FairAt the beginning of each semester, a tandem Coordinator attends the ELI Sociocultural Fair, and at the Grand Welcome, gives a brief, 10-minute maximum presentation, explaining what the tandem program is, answering any questions that students may have. We also have a booth at their fair.ELI registration dayThe day after the Sociocultural Fair, we host a Registration Session in one of the ELI Computer Labs. During this time, Cultural Assistants from the ELI and a tandem representative help applicants complete their registration form, and we ensure that there are no problems with comprehension of the Registration Form.Update matched and unmatched email templatesThese emails will be sent to all applicants after you run the matching algorithm, letting them know whether they have been matched or not. Matched applicant email template - Facilitated Session MeetersUpdate the following bolded information.Hello, Congratulations! We are happy to let you know that you have been matched with a language partner for the UBC tandem Program, and you are placed in the <<day of session>> session, from <<time of session>>. Your sessions will all take place at the Simon K.Y. Lee Global Lounge. The MANDATORY first session will take place next week, from Monday, January 16th until Friday, January 20th. For example, if you have been matched in the Monday session, you must attend the first session on Monday, January 16th. This is not a drop-in program, and you are expected to attend all 10 weekly sessions. Your partner is relying on you to come each week! The last session will be during the week of March 27th-31st. In the first session, you will meet your partner, find out what languages you are exchanging, and trade contact information for the first time. When you arrive, introduce yourself to the Session Facilitators so that they can take your attendance. Then have a seat, and wait for them to explain the program to you :) You do not need to bring anything with you, except maybe your phone and a pen to take notes (we will provide paper). We do not give out contact information or tell you which languages you are exchanging prior to the first session, so please do not email us to ask! Why? It’s harder to break up with someone in person ;) In the meantime, feel free to stay connected about our events through our Facebook page, and visit our new website. See you at the session! Best,UBC tandem teamMatched applicant email template - Independent MeetersThis template is used to email both partners in the same message, and unlike the Session Meeter template, it is personalized with information about each pair. When it is sent to partners, it must be sent with an attached PDF called Informal Meeting Spaces.Update the following bolded information.Congratulations <<Partner 1 First Name>> <<Partner 1 Last Name>> and <<Partner 2 First Name>> <<Partner 2 Last Name>>. You have been matched as UBC tandem partners! <<Partner 1 First Name>> speaks <<Partner 1 language offered>> and wants to improve <<Partner 1 language to improve>>.<<Partner 2 First Name>> speaks <<Partner 2 language offered>> and wants to improve <<Partner 2 language to improve>>. You have been matched as INDEPENDENT MEETERS, meaning that you will decide together when and where to meet. For your reference, we have attached a document outlining some informal meeting spaces on campus where you could choose to meet. We ask that you please email each other to get started. You can find each other’s email address in the recipient box of this email. If your partner doesn't respond within 7 days, please email tandem.program@ubc.ca, and we will try to contact your partner or re-match you. The tandem Program officially begins the week of January 16th to 20th. We encourage you to meet for 1.5 hours each week. You should speak for 45 minutes in one language, and then switch to the second language for the remaining 45 minutes of your session. We also have weekly Conversation Guides available for you to use on our website, in case you would like some guidance for what to discuss with your partner. These guides are meant to facilitate conversation, but you are not required to use them. If you and your partner decide that you would prefer to attend facilitated sessions together in the Simon K.Y. Lee Global Lounge, you may join one of the following session times:Mondays: 5:30-7:00pmTuesdays: 3:30-5:00pmWednesdays:3:30-5:00pmThursdays: 12:30pm-2:00pmFridays: 1:00-2:30pmFridays: 3:00-4:30pm Please check in with the Session Facilitators upon your arrival to ensure that there is space for you to join the session. Priority for the space is given to participants who have already been placed in those session times. Let us know if you have any questions. Have fun!Unmatched applicant email templateUpdate the following bolded information.Hello, Thank you for submitting your application to the UBC tandem Program. This term, we had over 900 applicants. We matched as many partners as possible, however unfortunately we were not able to find a language partner for you this time. The most likely reason for this is one of the following:There were not enough applicants who wished to learn your language. This is most often the case for i) students who offer only English as a teaching language, and wish to improve their French or Spanish, or ii) students who offer only Cantonese/Mandarin/Japanese/Korean and wish to improve their English. Unfortunately, these language pairs are in high demand, and we cannot match everyone. Or,We could not find a partner who had a similar level of fluency in your desired target language. Matches are not made on a first-come, first-served basis, our computer system creates pairs based on fluency levels in languages offered/desired and applicant availability. Gender, post-secondary level, and age are also not factored into the matching process. This information is collected only for statistical purposes. In the case that a student drops out, we may contact you again to see if you are still interested in joining this term. In addition, we have an exciting event organized for unmatched partners, the UBC tandem Unmatched Applicants Language Speed Dating! When: Thursday, January 26 from 4:00-5:15pmWhere: the Simon K. Y. Lee Global Lounge and Resource Centre What: All unmatched applicants to the UBC tandem’s Spring 2017 semester are invited to attend a Language Speed Dating event, in which you will get the opportunity to meet other UBC students, learn about their languages and cultures, and potentially find a UBC tandem language partner, or a group of people who are learning the same language as you, and want to work together. We cannot guarantee that you will find a partner based on your language preferences and availability, but it is still a great way to meet people and learn about languages!RSVP HERE TO ATTEND: 1: Program advertisement and launch (2nd week)Advertise tandemMany universities embody a rich community of various language speakers, and how to reach them and inform them about tandem learning is key to the success of the program. Tandem usually starts from the fourth week of each term to allow enough time for advertising. It is also easier for participants to choose a meeting date and time when they have their class schedule settled. Preparation for advertising should begin before the first week of term.The two primary goals for advertising are:To increase awareness of tandem, particularly among new students, so that those who are interested will submit an application.To increase the pool of languages that can be taught and learned by participants, targeting specific niches on campus.Our target audience for advertising is:New students;Students who speak French, Spanish, and German, and want to improve their English.Students who speak English, and want to improve their Mandarin, Korean, Cantonese, or Hindi.We have numerous channels for advertising. Below is a typical communications munication tacticTeam responsibleTimeline/due dateBoothingThere are several fairs that we booth at in September and January, including:AMS Speakeasy Fair (tem 1)Imagine Day (term 1)New Grad Student Orientation Campus Resource Fair (term 1)Student Leadership Conference (SLC) Involvement Fair (term 1)ELI Sociocultural Orientation Fair (term 1 and 2)UBC tandemArrangements for boothing are generally made by permanent staff over the summer. Each fair has a different date for boothing.Student Communications twitter accountA few tweets leading up to and following the registration date on @UBCfyi twitter, inviting students to register.Student Communications (UBCfyi)A few days before registration opens, and a few days after.UBC tandem social media accountsA few posts leading up to, and throughout the registration period on UBC tandem’s three main social media channels: instagram, Facebook, and twitter.UBC tandemA few days before registration opens, and throughout the registration period.Global Lounge social media accountsA couple of posts leading up to, and throughout the registration period on Go Global’s main social media channels.Global Lounge Marketing TeamA few days before registration opens, and throughout the registration period.Incoming exchange and TEC studentsEmail a marketing blurb to incoming exchange and Mexico’s Tec de Monterrey students via email and relevant Facebook groups.UBC tandemA few days before registration opens.NewslettersUBCfyiiHouse Community UpdateGlobal Lounge NewsletterDistillation Science NewsletterUBC tandemAll newsletters have different deadlines, so it’s important to submit content as soon as possible, within a few days before registration opens.UBC tandem websiteUpdate the How can I apply? pageUBC tandemThe day that registration opens.Targeted marketing emailsRecipients are much more responsive when they receive a personalized email message. It can be a very time-consuming process to write personalized emails, so divide the work evenly, and start early!It is particularly important that the following departments receive a custom marketing email, as they comprise a large section of our target audience:Department of Asian StudiesFrench, Hispanic, and Italian Studies DepartmentSauder (esp. International Relations)Continuing Studies/Extended LearningEmail examples can be found in Appendix II.UBC tandemThe day that registration opens.Paper and electronic postersPosters should be eye-catching; therefore either using a color printer or printing on brightly coloured paper would be a good strategy. A digital version of the poster can be sent to related personnel to be displayed on LCD screens on campus.Most important location for posters: bus loops.UBC tandem (ask returning Volunteer Facilitators to help!)The day that registration opens.Go Global Facebook pageOne to two posts on the Go Global Facebook page.Example of angles we can take with this audience:Returning from an experience abroad and want to keep up your new language skills? Join UBC tandem and continue to converse in this language!Returning from an experience abroad with new language skills? Join UBC tandem and share your knowledge!Planning to study abroad and want to improve in a new language? UBC tandem can help you do that! Register now.Student CommunicationsThroughout the registration periodClassroom presentations/information sessionsBrief, 5-minute presentations in the classes that Coordinators are taking. (Especially if they are outside of the field of language learning!)UBC tandem (ask returning Volunteer Facilitators to help!)Throughout the registration period - give profs as much notice as possible, Most do not like their lectures to be interrupted.Recruit and open applications for Volunteer FacilitatorsBefore the end of each semester, Program Coordinators advertise the Volunteer Facilitator position by sending recruiting emails to the language departments and other departments related to language learning (e.g. the Department of Language and Literacy Education at UBC). The job is also be posted through CareersOnline to attract students in other disciplines. Advertising via social media such as Facebook and Twitter might bring in previous participants who are already tandem news subscribers. An example of the most recent job description can be found in Appendix XI.It is preferable to recruit Facilitators internally (e.g. previous participants). In practice, it makes the training easier if the Facilitators already understand the spirit and idea of the program. Before the training session, the Program Coordinators should brainstorm what they think the Facilitators need to know in order to do the job well. Notes from previous years can be found on the Google Drive, in the Volunteer Facilitators folder.There are three steps involved in opening applications for new Volunteer Facilitators:Creating a job posting on CareersOnline;Advertising on our website, Facebook, and Instagram; and Advertising on the Global Lounge blog.Update confirmation emailImmediately after completing Part 1 of the Registration Form, the applicant will receive a confirmation email. Each semester, a couple of dates in this email need to be updated before it can be sent out. For example,Hello,Thank you for registering for the UBC tandem Language Learning Program! We have received your application. We will email all applicants to let you know if you have been matched with a tandem partner by 11:59 pm on Saturday, January 14th.If you don't receive an email by this time, you will be able to view your matching status online here: HYPERLINK "; , here's a quick reminder of what you promised to us when filling out the application form:To meet your partner for 1.5 hours each week from January 16th to April 2nd.To contact your partner if you need to re-schedule or will be late.To take responsibility for what you learn and how you learn.To show respect for all participants, Facilitators, and program staff.To give feedback during and at the end of the program.Good luck!UBC tandem teamOpen registrationThe most exciting part of tandem! There are three steps involved in opening registration:Creating a new registration form;Updating the Gravityform ID and post expiration date; and Updating the Error 404 message that applicants will see if they visit the registration page after registration has closed.Interview for and hire Volunteer FacilitatorsTwelve Facilitators must be hired - two for each of the six sessions. Priority is given to returning Facilitators, who do not need to be formally interviewed. Normally, every candidate who applies is given an interview. However, since 2015 there has been a large increase in applications, with over 20 applications in Fall 2017. Depending on the number of applications received, you may choose to interview selectively. The interview process is comprised of three steps:Creating a Doodle Poll of interview timeslots;Inviting successful candidates to an interview;Conducting interviews;Creating a schedule of candidate availability;Sending acceptance and rejection emails.Create a Doodle Poll of interview timeslotsDepending on your schedule and the number of applicants, Coordinators may wish to interview all candidates together, or split them into two groups. You may also want to interview candidates two at a time, or in groups. Invite candidates for an interviewEach applicant was sent an interview invitation, which was similar to the following. More examples of the interview invitation email can be found in the tandem Outlook email archives. Hello [Name], Thank you for your application. We would like to invite you for an interview at the Simon K.Y. Lee Global Lounge (Building 1, 2205 Lower Mall). Please indicate your preferred time slot by filling out this Doodle Poll as soon as possible:[ HYPERLINK "; ] On the date of your interview, when you cross the pond and enter through the glass front door, there should be someone sitting at the front desk. Just let them know that you are here for an interview for tandem, and they will show you where to go.Conduct interviewsEach interview took about 15-20 minutes, and were completed in the Boardroom at the Global Lounge. Due to a high volume of applicants we sometimes interviewed people two at a time. It’s nice to start with a funny question, e.g. What animal would you like to be/what animal are you most similar to?, to get them to feel more relaxed.From experience, we’ve found that the answers candidates provide don’t matter as much as the overall vibe you get during the interview. The only real red flag is if a candidate answers the question, What would you do if a participant complained about being dissatisfied with his/ her partner because of the partner’s accent, or appearance, or because their partner was not a native speaker? with a response along the lines of, “I would change their partner right away!”Create a schedule of candidate availabilityDuring each interview, the candidate indicates their availability on the interview question sheet. The availability of all applicants should be kept private, as applicants may be discouraged when they see that many people are available during the same time slot that they are applying for, After the interview, the candidate’s availability should be added to a Master sheet. We usually hand-drew this, but it would resemble the following:MondaysTuesdaysWednesdaysThursdaysFridays (early)Fridays (late)SerenaDylanIreneNafeelWingDimitriMiaoShivaniMhicaellaShivaniDimitriDylanNatsumiEleanorAndersonWingEanDimitriIreneDylanMhicaellaEleanorAndersonNatsumiAshleyAndersonAfter completing all interviews, decide on who would create the best pair, based on availability, and who you think would work well together. We found it easiest to highlight candidates on the Master sheet of availability.Send acceptance and rejection emailsTwelve Facilitators must be hired - two for each of the six sessions. Priority is given to returning Facilitators.Example of an acceptance email:Dear [Name],Congratulations, we would like to offer you a position as a Volunteer Facilitator! Please let us know before Thursday, September 15th at 12:00pm (noon) if you would like to accept this position, as well as any dietary restrictions you may have (allergies, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.).We also require that you attend a mandatory training session this Friday, September 16th, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm in the Global Lounge. You will also meet your facilitation partner at this session! Dinner will be provided.Should you accept this offer, you will be facilitating one session each week (excluding school holidays) with Nafeel, on Mondays from 3:30pm to 5:00pm at the Global Lounge. You must be available 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after the session for set-up and clean-up. The first sessions happen the week of September 19th (next week!), and the program ends the week of November 21st (one week before the last week of classes).If you have any questions, feel free to email us any time.Welcome to the tandem team!Example of a rejection email:Dear [Name],It was such a pleasure meeting you during your interview. We had several returning Facilitators from last semester which limited the amount of positions available, and we received a very high number of applications. Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to offer you a position in the program. However, we feel that you would be a strong fit for our program, and we encourage you to re-apply in the future, and/or be involved as a participant. Thank you very much for your interest and we wish you all the best.Stage 1: Program advertisement and launch (3rd week)Train Volunteer FacilitatorsTraining should take place the Thursday or Friday before Week 1 of tandem. We normally organize a 3-hour training session, including a 30-minute dinner break. Prior to this event, you must bulk order 12 binders, print 12 copies of the Guidebook, and prepare the binders with the following documents. Each Facilitator is provided with a binder, which includes:UBC tandem Agreement for Volunteer Facilitators (Appendix III)Contact information for all FacilitatorsExpectations sheet (for the start of the program) (Appendix IV)To be filled out by Facilitators during training, photocopied, and returned to the Facilitator for review.Snack sheet (Appendix V)Give one to each pair of Facilitators, so that participants in their session can sign up to provide snacks one week.How to Communicate Better with your Partner (Appendix VI)The Conversation Guidebook for that semesterA Global Lounge penIt is important to understand that training is an ongoing process. After tandem starts, Facilitators are highly encouraged to observe each other’s sessions in order to learn, collaborate and generate new ideas. Facilitators should also be flexible and keep in mind of the specific needs of participants.The “training plan” for the January 2017 Facilitators is attached in Appendix VIII as an example, which can be adapted to suit various situations. In addition to the items listed, one may also include: statistics from the program; participant feedback from previous years; more practice-oriented material; and more involvement from past facilitators.The matching processThe matching process is the most important part of tandem! After all participant data is collected from the application forms, they are ready to be paired up according to the language(s) they offer to teach and learn. However, the number of participants offering one language often does not equal the number of people interested in learning that language, which adds to the difficulty of matching. In the case of UBC, there are more participants offering Asian languages such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean, but not as high an interest in learning these languages. Meanwhile, there are more people wanting to learn some European languages (e.g. French and Spanish) but not many people offering to teach. The following list shows the most common “unmatched” language combos at 8 least likely language combos (Jan - Apr 2017)1. English speaker learning French (64 unmatched)3 matched5. Mandarin speaker learning Japanese (16 unmatched)3 matched2. English speaker learning Spanish (50 unmatched) 10 matched6. English speaker learning German (14 unmatched)2 matched3. Mandarin speaker learning English (28 unmatched)49 matched7. Mandarin speaker learning German (8 unmatched)1 matched4. Mandarin speaker learning French (28 unmatched)1 matched8. Mandarin speaker learning Spanish (7 unmatched)0 matchedThe matching algorithm was developed by the Arts ISIT team, and was launched in September 2015. Running the matching algorithm is fairly simple, but it can take up to an hour to generate all of the auto-emails that are sent out, and the computer must remain on during this entire process!Plan Language Speed Dating Event for Unmatched ApplicantsEvery year, about 40% of applicants are not matched. The most commonly unmatched applicants are:Mandarin speakers who want to improve their English.English speakers who want to improve their French or Spanish.In order to increase the matching rate, you can organize a one-time “Unmatched Applicants Speed Dating” event during the end of the second or third week of tandem. Invite all unmatched applicants, as well as any “orphans” whose partners have not showed up to the first two weeks of sessions.If our algorithm is correct, it should not be possible to create any two-person pairs from our pool of unmatched participants. However, one of the downsides to our online matching system is that it can’t create three-person groups. For example, there are many Mandarin and Spanish speakers who want to improve their English, and many English speakers who want to improve their Spanish. These three individuals can work as a group of three, and everyone benefits from the exchange!Planning this event involves 3 steps:Creating a Google Form survey;Sending a personalized email invitation to all unmatched applicants;Advertising on Facebook;The event itself.Create a Google Form surveyIn the tandem Google Drive, create a Google Form survey so that applicants can RSVP. Send email invitationsAn email template is outlined below:Subject: UBC tandem unmatched applicants “Language Speed Dating” event Thursday, January 26 from 4:00-5:15pmDear UBC tandem unmatched applicants,Did you apply to UBC tandem but unfortunately were unmatched? Are you interested in other languages? Do you want to meet people interested in language learning? Are you open to being flexible in finding a tandem partner?Then UBC tandem’s first ever Unmatched Applicants Language Speed Dating is the event for you!When: Thursday, January 26 from 4:00-5:15pmWhere: the Simon K. Y. Lee Global Lounge and Resource Centre HYPERLINK "; : All unmatched applicants to the UBC tandem’s Spring 2017 semester are invited to attend a Language Speed Dating event, in which you will get the opportunity to meet other UBC students, learn about their languages and cultures, and potentially find a UBC tandem language partner. We cannot guarantee that you will find a partner based on your language preferences and availability, but it is still a great way to meet people and learn about languages!RSVP HERE TO ATTEND: [LINK to Google Form survey]Please note you are receiving this email because you applied for the UBC tandem program and were unmatched. This event is only for students who registered and then were unmatched, so do not share this event with anyone who did not already register for the program.For further learning we have a list of resources for additional language learning opportunities here See you then,Advertise on FacebookA Facebook advertising status can be found below:Did you apply to UBC tandem but unfortunately were unmatched? Are you interested in other languages? Do you want to meet people interested in language learning? Are you open to being flexible in finding a tandem partner?Then UBC tandem’s first ever Unmatched Applicants Language Speed Dating is the event for you! At this event you will get the opportunity to meet other UBC students, learn about their languages and cultures, and potentially find a UBC tandem language partner.We cannot guarantee that you will find a partner based on your language preferences and availability, but it is still a great way to meet people and learn about languages!RSVP here: [LINK to Google Form survey]Only students who applied for UBC tandem and were not matched are able to attend.Unmatched Applicants Language Speed Dating EventSuppliesChips/snacksName tags and pensStudents will write their name and the language they want to learn (in red) and the languages they can teach (in blue)Attendance list from RSVP Doodle Poll/Google FormPowerPoint with information about tandem and instructions for the eventTwo laptops for students to sign themselves up once they find a partnerSpreadsheet will have name; email; languages exchanging; and the time they will meetSet-upHave one table in the entrance of the Media Centre for students to make name tags and check off their name from the attendance sheet.Have signs around the room to direct students to the different languages they speakDirectionsSplit the group into two.One group will stand in a line, the other group will stand in a line facing the other, so that each person is directly across from another. One group will switch after 5 minutes so that every person meets each other once.Ask participants to answer the following questions:Name and what they are studyingThe languages they speakThe languages they want to learnTeach the other person something in the language they speakSomething fun! New Year’s Resolutions, their favourite food, etc.Give time after the Speed Dating for people to mingle, find the people they might want to match withIf students make a partner they can sign themselves up on the laptops.Wait and hope everyone can make a partner!Thank everyone and we hope people had a nice night!Clubs DayClubs Day takes place after registration for the tandem Program closes, so we attend this event simply to make connections with other clubs on campus. Walk up and down the booths, and look for AMS clubs to create partnerships with!Stage 1: Program advertisement and launch (Week 1)The “email red zone”Kevin Dickie (Assistant Coordinator, 2013-2015) dubbed the first four weeks of tandem the “email red zone.” You will receive a tremendous number of emails each day, following these nine main themes:I didn’t receive an email! Was I matched?There are three reasons why you may not have received a matching email:The email is in your junk mail folder;The email bounced back, or;The email that you put on the Registration Form is not the one that you normally use. To verify your matching status, please visit and log in with your CWL. If this does not work, please notify us, and we can try to search for your application in the database.I need to change my availability.If the matching process is already complete, and this person has already been matched, it is up to them to contact their partner and arrange an alternative time to meet. If they are Independent Meeters, they will already have each others’ contact information. If they are Session Meeters, you will need to look up their partner’s email address on the matching spreadsheet. Either way, when you respond to the person who would like to change their availability, make sure to CC their partner on the email! Applicants will frequently email us, and expect us to pass the message along to their partner without ever communicating to them.If the matching process is not yet complete, this is an easy change to make. Coordinators can change an applicant’s availability on Wordpress.I need to change one of the languages on my application form.If the matching process is not yet complete, this is also an easy change for Coordinators to make, following the same steps as for changing a participant’s availability.I don’t want to participate anymore/I want to be re-matched because I didn’t get my first choice language.We encourage you to attend the first session and get to know your partner before withdrawing from the program. Remember that the purpose of this program is to improve your fluency in [English], and to teach another person about your culture and the [Mandarin] language. When you signed the registration form, you made a commitment that you would be available for the entire duration of the program, and if you don’t show up, your partner can’t learn.Furthermore, we are not able to re-match participants, except in very rare cases. [Mandarin-English] is one of the most difficult matches to create. Overall, our matching rate is about 60%, but for [Mandarin-English], it drops to [30%-50%]. This is because we have SO many [Mandarin] speakers at UBC who want to improve their English, but not as many English speakers who want to improve their Mandarin. This semester, we had [76 Mandarin]-speaking applicants apply to improve their [English], and only [35 (46%)] were matched with a partner. If you choose not to participate in the program, we will not be able to re-match your partner with somebody else. We do not have any unmatched [English] speakers who would like to improve their [Mandarin].I want to keep the same partner I had last semester!We're glad you had such a positive experience with your partner, and that you would like to continue exchanging languages with them! We will add you to our list of Manual Matches. Could you please:Send us your partner’s name and email address (so that we can follow up with you, and send you email updates as necessary);Tell us whether you would like to attend one of the weekly, on-campus facilitated sessions (listed on our website at ), or whether you and your partner be meeting independently;Fill out the 2nd part of the application form. It’s only 11 questions, and it really helps us improve the program and maintain accurate statistics [FLUID SURVEY LINK].In addition, we are looking for a past participant who had a great experience with the tandem Program to write a short blog post about why they liked it and why they are returning. It can be just a short paragraph (5-6 sentences), and we would use it in our marketing campaign. Would either of you be interested? If so, let us know!Once the participant has responded, open the official matching spreadsheet, which you saved during the final step of the matching process. Create a new tab, and name it Manual Matches. Both Coordinators must update this spreadsheet as they respond to emails, adding potential manual matches as they go. If the matches choose to meet independently, they must be sent the Independent Meeters email each week.I missed the registration deadline; can I apply late?Unfortunately, we are not usually able to match late applicants, unless they fall into one of the following categories:An English speaker, who wants to improve their Mandarin, Korean, or Farsi (sometimes Cantonese or Japanese);A German speaker, who wants to improve their English;A French or Spanish speaker, who wants to improve their English (sometimes Mandarin), or;Sometimes it is possible to match applicants who are interested in learning a rare language (Danish, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese), but this changes from year to year.If the late applicant falls into one of these categories, you try to find them a match from the pool of unmatched participants, and then add them to the Manual Matches list.However, late applicants are most likely to be Mandarin speakers who want to improve their English, or English speakers who want to improve their French/Spanish. In that case, we must calculate some statistics, and send them an email following the template below:Unfortunately, we are not able to match late applicants, except in very rare cases.[Mandarin-English] is one of the most difficult matches to create. Overall, our matching rate is about 60%, but for [Mandarin-English], it drops to [30%-50%]. This is because we have SO many [Mandarin] speakers at UBC who want to improve their English, but not as many English speakers who want to improve their Mandarin. This semester, we had [76 Mandarin]-speaking applicants apply to improve their [English], and only [35 (46%)] were matched with a partner. We do not have any unmatched [English] speakers who would like to improve their [Mandarin]. We suggest that you take a look at:The UBC Student Services website (), which lists a number of resources for improving English on campus, both free options, and options with fees, and;Other resources for improving language skills (), which lists the many resources available to improve your language skills and learn about diverse cultures on campus, in Vancouver, and online. We apologize that you will not be able to participate in tandem this semester, and we wish you luck this year!I’m not a UBC student - can I join tandem?Unfortunately, all applicants must have a valid CWL in order to register for the UBC tandem Language Learning Program. However, there are many community-based language exchange programs that you can take part in, including Language Partners BC and Language and Cultural Meetups Vancouver, as well as online language matching services such as Ayni, the tandem mobile language exchange (not related to UBC’s tandem program), and the Mixxer. I am an Independent Meeter. I emailed my partner, but they haven’t responded.Email addresses are the only contact information that we have for participants. If an Independent Meeter does not respond to their emails, the only thing we can do is check and see if the matching email we send to their partner bounced back (in which case, they might not even know that they’ve been matched), and encourage their partner to wait. If more than a week has passed, you can try to re-match them from the unmatched pool.Stage 2: Program continuation (Week 2)Language Speed DatingWeek 3 of the tandem program is the Language Speed Dating event. More information about this event can be found in the Conversation Guidebook. As the Program Coordinators, you simply need to remember to reach out to the English Language Institute, and invite their students to the event. Be clear that this is not an opportunity to be matched with a partner, and that it is simply a fun event where students at the English Language Institute can share their language and culture with other students in the program.Stage 2: Program continuation (Week 4) First team meetingThe first couple weeks of tandem can be overwhelming, and this team meeting is a chance to check in with the Facilitators and see how everything is going. We try to run at least two tea meetings per term (one halfway through the term, and one at the end of the term). These are also a chance for Volunteers to improve their professional development. We used Doodle polls to arrange a meeting time and have Volunteer Facilitators vote for what topics interested them the most. We always provided dinner or snacks depending on the budget. Asking what the Facilitators wants ensures higher attendance and more relevant topics, as well as using the skills that they have to lead their own workshops if they want. We took notes every meeting and sent it to the Facilitators afterward for their records and in case anyone couldn’t make it.Previous topics have included:The “How to Train the Trainer”; Public speaking and enunciation lead by a Volunteer Facilitator;Demonstrations for group activities like Language Speed Dating and Language Clusters;The Sexual Assault Support Centre lead a free 45-minute workshop on their services. It’s not common but about once a year there will be something that comes up so it’s important for everyone to be prepared about how to talk about this and to know what services are available;“Head, Heart, Hustle” to think about passions and goals;Intercultural CV Workshop to help with expressing the position through resumes and cover letters;Taco Tuesday at the end of the semester just to hang out! For the past two years, we have also asked our Academic Advisor to provide a short train-the-trainer workshop. This is followed by a meal, and updates from the Facilitators about their sessions. Some new Facilitators may also request that a Program Coordinator observe one of their sessions and provide one-on-one feedback regarding their facilitation style.Stage 2: Program continuation (Week 5)Mid-term self evaluation form for participantsSelf evaluation forms are available to guide participants during their language learning process based off of the ALCTES 2017 conference which we hope will help people engage more with their learning. We hope that participants feel like they can talk with their Facilitators (and for Independent Meeters, with the Coordinators) about their process and if they have any questions.Beginning in fall 2017, a self-evaluation form should be provided to participants mid-way through the semester. Volunteer Facilitators should guide their session through this process. The intended purpose of this self-evaluation is to provide a time for reflection and ultimately, motivation for improved language learning and exchange. This can be found in Appendix IX.Plan Midterm MixerThe Midterm Mixer usually consist of having a meal together with 10-30 participants and volunteers. (Participants pay for their own meal, but Coordinators have theirs covered). A trivia sheet is provided at each table, and the winner receives a dessert (or several desserts to share with the table). In the past, we have gone to the Eatery, Banana Leaf, and Indian Oven.Stage 3: Chill zone (Week 7)Plan End of Term CelebrationBy November, tandem is chill. Weekly session attendance is much lower than Week 1, but it’s fairly consistent. All there is to do this month is the Midterm Mixer, and plan for the End of Term Celebration. In the past, it has consisted of a trivia night, a collaborative, escape room inspired, teambuilding treasure hunt, and a fun alien-themed party in which participants cycled through stations based on the various aspects of communication. The idea was that each team was from a different planet, and they had to learn how to communicate with one another using gesture, drawing, limited words, etc. In the future, it would be interesting to collaborate with other on-campus clubs and initiatives.Stage 4: Wrap up (Week 10)Feedback surveyIn the last week of tandem, we collect feedback from all of our participants. This is used to improve tandem in the future, and certain elements are included in the Impact Report which is presented to Michelle Suderman in the summer semester. It also reminds the participants that tandem is not a manufactured and delivered product. Instead, it is organic and changes depending on the people involved. The participants are the program. It is important that all Facilitators give all participants at least 15 minutes to complete this form during their session (and that they email it to everyone in their session, so that participants who dropped out can explain why!), and that Coordinators remember to send it to all Independent Meeters. The April 2017 feedback form is located in Appendix X.Feedback is also given to the tandem administrative team all the time informally. For example, the team watch participants during a session and talk to them; they talk to people in the tandem venue who see the program running; they talk to other people on the administrative side. All these people could provide valuable feedback from their perspectives.Getting “formal” feedback from participants is equally important and useful. For one thing, it means the tandem administrative team can hear from participants who might not talk to them much otherwise. Feedback does not need to be formal and institutional. In fact, if participants are relaxed and having fun, they will probably provide more frank and useful feedback.Using feedbackCoordinators can read through the feedback sheets right away and should take notes of the specific comments on their facilitating skills. They should talk about: What comments stand out most;What are the most useful suggestions; Any problems or questions about getting feedback, and;If there are any ways to incorporate useful suggestions now or in the future.Facilitators should thank people for their feedback, and mention some of the things learned from previous feedback. They should inform the participants about the way the program might use the feedback now or in the future. This way, participants see that their feedback is actually useful and their voices are heard. Facilitators can also share any commonalities/differences from other groups.Second team meetingThe second team meeting is a combination of professional development, and a celebration of Facilitators. We ask for feedback on how the semester went, and host a workshop on a topic that is interesting for Facilitators (e.g. building an intercultural resume, finding your passion, behind-the-scenes at tandem, etc.). If a Facilitator is interested, they may want to host their own workshop! We also give small gifts to all the Facilitators (a thank-you card, a small bar of chocolate, a mug and tea, etc.), or take them out for a group meal, to thank them for their hard work.Preparation Stage (May-August)Seeking FundingFunding helps to pay the salary of Program Coordinators, the annual fee of program website, covers the cost of social events and other administrative needs. However, seeking funding has not always been easy for a student-initiated program like tandem. Although the program can benefit all students, faculty members and staff on campus, it does not fit easily under the umbrella of any specific department or unit. Therefore, contacting all units on campus that deal with language teaching and learning is a good strategy. Tandem can emphasize the benefits it offers to students in their programs in the form of job openings and opportunities to practice the target language in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. If possible, collecting statistics about the demographics of participants (such as faculty, department, year of study, languages spoken, home university, etc.) can create a huge impact on faculty or department heads.The other venue where funding might be available are units that target all enrolled students, such as Career Services, Student Development, or the Alma Mater Society. Another source of funding might come through awards that encourage student-initiated or student-led programs. In this case, an application often needs to be submitted, and the Coordinator is the most appropriate person to apply for them. Appendix XIII provides details of some of the funding sources at UBC. In addition, other units supporting intercultural development initiatives and student development might also offer financial support as well as administrative assistance. For instance, such units at UBC including the Center of Intercultural Language Studies (CILS), the Office of Graduate Program and Research (OGPR), and the Provost Office, provide in kind support in administration, finance managing, consultation and other related areas.Selecting Program CoordinatorsThe student Coordinator is the core member of tandem program. This person runs the program, recruits volunteers and communicates with stakeholders. If the budget allows, an Assistant Coordinator may also be recruited to assist the student Coordinator. (At UBC, two Coordinators are hired, and they work in tandem to coordinate the logistics of the program). The positions are often advertised among language departments on campus to attract graduate students and students pursuing a major in language education. The idea is to recruit students with a background in language learning and experience in teaching, assessment, material preparation, and other language-related activities. Experience as group leaders or group coordinators is beneficial to the position. The Coordinator position is best filled by a graduate student due to the responsibilities the position entails (see Appendix XI for the job description at UBC). The position of Assistant, on the other hand, can be advertised among undergraduate students preferably pursuing a major in one of the language programs. As tandem is a student-run program, the job descriptions provide a general guideline and could be adapted to suit various contexts.Position detailsAt UBC, the Program Coordinators are paid positions with an average workload of 10 hours per week. However, because the participant matching and advertising are done in the beginning of each semester, the Coordinators will have a much heavier workload during those weeks compared to the later ones - especially the final 3-4 weeks of semester, when tandem has wrapped up and exams are taking place.Job descriptionsTandem provides opportunities for students, especially in fields related to language learning, to gain leadership experiences and improve their organizational skills. It also helps the Coordinators to connect to various language departments on campus and be part of a community that is enthusiastic about language and culture. In the case of UBC, past and present Coordinators and Volunteers have formed a tightly knit community where they take initiative in attracting, recruiting and training new people who will work collaboratively with previous tandem members to help the program grow and improve. Although the two Coordinator positions are advertised openly, they are often filled with people who have previous experience with tandem, either as participants or volunteers. Ideally, the applicants for these positions would be enthusiastic about language learning, have good connections with various student organizations on campus, and feel comfortable facilitating groups and speaking publicly. The job responsibilities for Coordinators can be divided roughly into: 1. Communicating with various stakeholders (including language departments, student organizations, administrative support from the university, participants of the program, Facilitators and other volunteers);2. Advertising and administering the program (including hosting information sessions, matching participants, booking event venues, seeking funding, etc.);3. Refining curriculum and contributing to materials development, including updates to the website and the tandem handbook. A sample of the job advertisement at UBC is provided in Appendix XI. In practice, while embracing the principle of autonomy that characterizes tandem, the Coordinators might divide the tasks according to their skills, interests and experience.Training the new Program Coordinators The Program Coordinators may not be new to the program. The advantage of hiring experienced people is that they are already familiar with tandem and they are enthusiastic about it. They may have ideas about how they would like to improve tandem based on their experiences either as participants or in a leadership role. At the same time, their previous connection with tandem might also limit their creativity on how the program can evolve. At UBC, we have traditionally hired one newcomer and one experienced participant or Facilitator to fill these two positions. This mix of experience and new perspectives has been effective in terms of keeping good traditions and adding fresh ideas. When it comes to the training process, the person who has previously worked with tandem can help to train the newcomer. They are provided with all documents accumulated and developed by previous Coordinators, including the handbook, curriculum material, program website and social media site information, advertising posters, registration forms, email templates, funding applications, contact list of stakeholders, etc. The new Coordinator and assistant are also invited to observe some tandem sessions if they are hired at the end of the previous term. If the hiring does not happen until the new term starts, weekly facilitated sessions can be videotaped for them to watch. A physical tour around the venue is also recommended to help the newly hired to get familiar with the space. Key tandem-related people (e.g. past Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator, administrative staff at the venue, volunteers, past participants) should be introduced to them so the communication can start. A summary of comments from previous participants may also be shared to help the new Coordinator and assistant view the program from alternative perspectives.Chapter 4: Program delivery and curriculumIntroductionStrictly speaking, tandem weekly conversation sessions are not traditional language classes. The word “curriculum” is used to describe the procedures and suggested activities for each week’s topic. A list of tips for communicating more effectively with your partner is also including during the first week of the semester. This chapter includes weekly conversation topics at UBC, a weekly Conversation Guide template, an outline of the typical delivery of a tandem session, and some advice for Facilitators. In the future, Coordinators may choose to incorporate material and tips from the SEAGULL (Smart Educational Autonomy through Guided Language Learning) website into the curricular programming.Description and characteristics of tandem deliveryParticipants are expected to meet their partner for an hour and a half each week, spending the first 40-45 minutes speaking one language, and the 2nd 40-45 minutes speaking the other language.The UBC tandem Program is delivered in two different ways. When registering for the program, applicants can choose to meet either as Session Meeters, attending one of the weekly, facilitated sessions that take place on campus, or as Independent Meeters, who meet independently. If we are able to match two applicants, but they have not selected any of the same session times, they will be matched independently instead.Session meetersWeekly, facilitated sessions take place every day, from week 1 to week 10 of the tandem Program. In these sessions, participants meet one-on-one with their partner, but they do so in a room filled with other participants who are also meeting their partners. If you are matched as a Session Meeter, you and your partner will attend the same session each week, together.Sessions are scheduled at different times of the day throughout the week to provide the greatest opportunity for participants to attend the faclitated sessions. By spreading out the meeting times, more students have the opportunity to join. Over time, we have found that sessions before noon have very low attendance (plus the Global Lounge is closed, meaning the Facilitators need to be added to the Marine Drive Key List - a process which is not always easy). These sessions are meant to create a feeling of community amongst language learners, and encourage intercultural learning and dialogue. One way in which we share culture and build community is by sharing food, alongside conversation. During the first session, facilitators will provide snacks for participants to share, but throughout the rest of the semester, participants will be asked to sign up to prepare a small meal or snacks to share.To help illustrate the organization and delivery of a tandem session, consider an example partnership: Nori and Steve. Nori is a Japanese exchange student who wants to improve her English and Steve is a Canadian student who is learning Japanese. Nori “exchanges” her Japanese for Steve’s English.Facilitated sessions will typically begin with an introduction from a Volunteer Facilitator, who will welcome the participants, discuss any language-related social events coming up, introduce the weekly Conversation Guide topic, and provide hard-copies to all participants. Each week, the facilitators will introduce a new suggested topic. Because of the wide range of learners in each tandem session, these topics are only suggestions and participants are invited to modify or change the topic if they prefer. This is important because what may be an appropriate topic for Nori and Steve may be too challenging or not motivating for another group. In this way, participants take responsibility for choosing a conversation topic that is practical and appropriate to their interests and abilities in their target language.These on-site meetings run for 90 minutes and are divided into two equal portions. After the facilitator’s introduction, Nori and Steve will begin speaking in Japanese and will continue in Japanese for roughly 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, the facilitators will ring a bell and ask the more proficient partner in the first part of the session (Nori, in this case) to give feedback to the partner (Steve). Some partnerships share feedback at this point, while others share feedback during the conversation and do not feel the need to return to it. Once this feedback break is finished, the partners switch languages and begin speaking the other language. In our example, once Nori has finished giving Steve feedback on his Japanese usage (such as vocabulary choices, pronunciation tips, etc.), they will begin speaking English. They will speak English for the next 40 minutes, at which time the facilitators will ring the bell and ask partners to share final feedback with each other before the session ends.Facilitated sessions have benefits and challenges. We discuss some of these below.Benefits of facilitated sessionsThey can create a strong community of learners, which makes the language learning process intrinsically motivating; as Nori and Steve work on their language skills, they are surrounded by peers engaged in similarly challenging exercises. It is supportive to have company in learning, and the on-site meetings are great for this. Also, a cozy learning environment (often with cookies and coffee provided) can create positive feelings toward the learning experience and make it more likely students will return to future sessions and not drop out. By providing a location for partners to meet, tandem removes another subtle roadblock to successful meetings: space. Many participants may not find appropriate places on campus where they can have a conversation without either disturbing others (such as in the libraries) or being disturbed by others (such as in cafes or the common student areas). Also, a high proportion of tandem participants may be exchange students and may not be familiar with appropriate places for tandem meetings.Facilitators are able to introduce important learning tools through their introductory talks. In this way, facilitators can encourage participants to set goals, find ways to assess their learning progress, and find new ways to continue learning outside of the tandem sessions (such as through smartphone applications, foreign film festivals, language learning websites, etc.).Participants have the opportunity to meet people besides their partners, which creates opportunities for new friendships to develop and connect people from across campus who otherwise may never had had the opportunity to meet.Challenges of facilitated sessionsScheduling conflicts are inevitable as participants schedules are all different. Despite having one 90-minute session available each day, there are going to be some participants who cannot find availability due to being in class or being required to be off-campus. To accommodate potential participants with daytime employment who may be unavailable to attend daytime session, evening sessions are also offered.Noise can be an issue. With dozens of participants conversing simultaneously, it can be easy to get distracted by the rest of the chatter. Venue choice should take into consideration outside noise levels to provide participants with a comfortable environment with minimal disruption.Occasionally, Session Meeters do not come to their session and neglect to forewarn their partner. This can result in a scramble to pair the single participants with another group practicing the same language.Independent meetersIndependent Meeters are those who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to or choose not to attend the facilitated sessions but still want to participate in a tandem exchange. In this case, partners are responsible for arranging times to independently meet with their partner in person. Electronic copies of the weekly Conversation Guides are provided on our website for partners to use. These participants often choose to meet on campus, although participants are free to meet in any public space they like, on- or off-campus. At UBC, Independent Meeters make up a substantial portion of the tandem body, and it is always important to attend to their needs. A number of strategies can be used to address these needs. For example, if Nori and Steve were not able to make any of the facilitated sessions, but still wanted to participate, the tandem coordinator will pair them and send emails to each of them. Nori and Steve will then discuss between them when and where they can meet on a regular (ideally weekly) basis. The tandem coordinator will then send out weekly emails to all Independent Meeters letting them know about the weekly topic, some sample questions, and any other tandem-related information.While Independent Meeters are encouraged to follow the same format as the Session Meeters (40 minutes each with time for feedback), how they manage their tandem experience is entirely up to them. They may meet biweekly, they may meet for an hour at a time, and they may mix social activities such as watching films in their target language into their sessions.Maintaining regular contact with the Independent Meeters and encouraging them to participate in tandem social activities is an important way to promote participant retention and keep all meeters engaged.As with on-site meetings, independent meetings have benefits and challenges.Benefits of independent meetingsThey promote participant autonomy and self-regulated learning. If participants want to practice for 3 hours every 2 weeks, they can. For example, if Nori and Steve are working on language about food, they could visit a Japanese restaurant and practice talking about Japanese dishes, eating with chopsticks, and appreciating a typical Japanese restaurant environment. These opportunities for creativity and initiative can foster self-confidence and can help connect language learning to real world practicality.They allow participants who cannot attend the faciliatated sessions to still enjoy a tandem learning experience. With over 6,000 staff on campus at UBC Vancouver, this creates vast opportunities for participants who would otherwise not be able to take part in tandem.Challenges of independent meetingsIndependent Meeters miss the opportunity to develop supportive relationships with the discussion facilitators and other participants that Session Meeters are afforded. While this may not be an issue for strongly autonomous, self-regulated participants (learners who practice goal settings, self-assessment, diverse studying habits, etc.), participants without these skills may find not enough support is provided to sustain a one-on-one practice with their partner. This is something that the tandem coordinators should be aware of, and they should maintain attentive communication with Independent Meeters, as well as provide opportunities for social gatherings outside of regular tandem hours, to better support them.From an organizational perspective, it is far more challenging to receive program feedback from Independent Meeters than Session Meeters. A far smaller proportion of Independent Meeters respond to emailed feedback requests compared to the in-person requests made to Session Meeters. This can?make it difficult to ascertain the particular needs of Independent Meeters or to track attrition rates.Independent Meeters are entirely dependent on their partners attendance for tandem to happen. If a partnership stops meeting for any reason (lack of time, lack of fit, sickness, vacation, etc.), the learning stops. Unlike Session Meeters, Independent Meeters do not have opportunity to be paired with another group (if there is a language match).How to communicate better with your partnerFor the most part, tandem participants are not language teachers, and meeting a tandem partner for the first time can be scary. An important reminder from Program Founder, Mary Leighton (2011), is:To make the first meeting a little less scary, a tip sheet was created (included in Appendix IX). It is provided to all participants during their first meeting, alongside that week’s Conversation Guide.Weekly conversation topicsThe following is a list of the weekly session topics at UBC, taken from the Conversation Guidebooks (Dickie & Shuman, 2014; Dickie 2015). The topics range from very basic, concrete concepts to more difficult and abstract or situational and hypothetical topics. To keep the interest of the participants, weekly topics/themes should be annually reviewed to suit the interest of participants. New topics should also be added so that returning participants would not repeat the same activities. Participants could be invited to provide suggestions for topics.Term 1Week 1 handout: How to communicate better with your partnerWeek 1: Who is my partner?Week 2: Have you ever..?Week 3: What’s happening on your newsfeed?Week 4: Do we see colour differently?Week 5: How can I not sound like a textbook?Week 6: What would it be like to grow up in this culture?Week 7: Language speed dating (special event)Week 8: What type of situation might I need help with?Week 9: Who’s hungry?Week 10: Where did the time go?Term 2Week 1 handout: How to communicate better with your partnerWeek 1: What are your goals?Week 2: Who’s hungry?Week 3: Where are you from?Week 4: Language clusters (special event)Week 5: Don’t you love animals?Week 6: Can you make me laugh?Week 7: Why is this language important? Language equalityWeek 8: Language speed dating (special event)Week 9: Have you heard this song?Week 10: Where did the semester go?When coming up with and developing these topics, the authors were “constantly reminding [themselves] to follow three elements: universality, progression, and interest.” (Dickie & Shuman, 2014). Topics were also adjusted so that they follow an order which is pedagogically motivated and culturally engaging, based on two bodies of literature: Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis and task-based learning (Jackson & Sakol 2013; Robinson 2001; Sasayama 2011), and Schema Theory (Li, Fox, & Almarza 2007; Swiderski 1993; Zhao 2011). An example of a Conversation Guide can be found in Appendix VII.DeliveryA number of steps are involved in the preparation and delivery of a tandem session. What follows is a list of tasks completed by tandem facilitators in order for them to run a successful program, and some tips for running a successful session.Tasks for facilitatorsEmail participants the coming week’s topic at least three days before the session. By giving them lots of advance notice, participants can prepare materials for the session or?brainstorm particular sub-themes they would like to work on with their partner.Review the weekly topic and activities well before the session begins. Doing this will give the facilitators time to reflect on how to facilitate the discussion and add ideas.Arrive 15-20 minutes beforehand to prepare for each session. They should make sure the sign-in sheet and snack sign-up sheet is out, then they can write up the day’s activity on the whiteboard/paper. ?While writing, they should think about how to discuss the lesson so that participants see it as an interesting, relevant, and challenging topic. This is the best chance to engage participants.Move seating into a semi-circle or into rows that face each other to avoid the traditional classroom format. Having students facing each other is a great way to foster communication and a sense of community.Welcome participants (by name, if possible!) as they arrive and take their seats around the room, sitting with their partner, and continue developing a relationship with them. This friendly atmosphere is crucial to tandem’s success and participants often comment on how much they appreciate the outgoing attitudes of the facilitators. Present the weekly activity and discussion topic on time, so that participants are encouraged to be punctual, because lateness can be an issue. Pay attention to how the group responds and observe if they are engaged. This should not be a time of silence where the facilitators enact the role of teacher; rather, they should think of it as an opportunity to start a conversation that will last the rest of the session. The introduction should not take longer than five minutes.Ask for any questions, then let the group begin chatting. At this time, they should attend to anybody whose partner did not come and see if they can be paired up with a group speaking the same languages.Facilitators should feel free to mingle and join conversations where they are competent in the target language (if the participants want the facilitators to join) during the discussion time. By mixing among the group and offering encouragement and interesting conversation tidbits, the facilitators help keep the atmosphere fresh and dynamic.Ring the bell on time, half-way through the discussion time, and let the groups know that it is time for them to switch languages. If you are having trouble remembering to ring the bell on time, set an alarm on your phone! Participants can use this time to give feedback and suggestions to their partners, but it is common for most participants to give feedback immediately during their conversations. Nevertheless, it would be great for partners to take a few minutes to review some of the areas that need work and write them down for later study.Ring the bell again, five minutes before the end of the session. Congratulate the participants on having such great conversations, and ask if anybody would like to share something from their discussions. They can offer something they learned to start it off, as participants can be disinclined to be the first to speak up. After that, the facilitators can announce any upcoming language or cultural events coming up, thank the group, and end the session.After the session, the facilitators should reflect on how it went. How did their role of introducing and facilitating the discussions affect the session? Was there something positive they did? Anything that could be worked on? They should then share these with the coordinators so that they can learn from the facilitators and implement the suggestions in the future.The facilitators should pat themselves on the back for doing a great job!Some tips on being an effective facilitatorBe clear and concise when speaking. Avoid long introductions and get right to the topic.Don’t worry about feeling nervous in front of a large group. Everybody feels that way for a while. A great technique to avoid those painful “uhhhhs” and “ummmms” is to take a deep breath every time one feels oneself getting ready to mutter another “uhhh”. It will relax the facilitators, give participants time to think about what they just said, and make them look confident and controlled. Use simple words. Many participants are using English as their second language. Therefore, simpler way of explaining something is always preferred.Check in with participants to make sure they understand what they are saying. Asking somebody to reformulate or give an example of what they just said would work better than asking “do you understand me”. This both engages the class (so that they are not just sitting and listening passively) and helps the facilitators make sure that their message is being received.SEAGULLWe first discovered the SEAGULL project at the ALCTES 2017 conference. As described on their website (SEAGULL, 2017):“The SEAGULL Project, conducted from 11/2012-10/2015 and funded by the EU Lifelong Learning Programme, aims to support tandem learning in various ways. SEAGULL stands for Smart Educational Autonomy through Guided Language Learning. As illustrated by its name, it tackles the challenge of bridging the gap between an autonomous learning approach while at the same time being accompanied by the need for a systematic and calibrated support. 20 partner institutions from all over Europe and beyond [have developed] learning materials for autonomous tandem learning in 11 languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Spanish, and Turkish). For each language, materials in form of topic sheets for levels A1 to B2 [are available online]. To foster adequate language acquisition which focuses on genuine dialogue collaboration SEAGULL will provide a subject matter on topic sheets in order to provoke authentic and lively conversations. The idea is to implement topic sheets providing pictures and rare word input, enriched with lexis and grammatical structure. These topic sheets mean students can rely on materials conceived by professionals even within an autonomous tandem setting. The topic sheets will be accompanied by handouts including advice on didactics and specific language phenomena, and therefore enable each partner to transmit his/her mother tongue.”Every semester, participants in the UBC tandem Language Learning Program request to have Conversation Guides in the language that they are learning, but we have not had the resources necessary to create something like this. With the SEAGULL resources, we hope to bridge this gap, and we hope that other institutions will too.Chapter 5: Tandem in other post-secondary contextsAs mentioned in Chapter 1, tandem language learning is practiced in a variety of contexts and modalities internationally. Tandem learning is practiced face-to-face (in person), via online communities, and through for-credit, university programs.The following information was collected through email correspondence and Internet research from January – October 2013, and new discoveries from the ALCTES 2017 conference were added in August 2017. This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to be representative of the different models currently found. Below is a brief overview of different styles and some examples of these different program delivery models. Representatives of other tandem learning programs are invited to contact the UBC tandem Language Learning Program to have this list updated with their details.Supported modelsThe supported model is used widely across European and North American post-secondary institutions. In this model, participants meet their partner face-to-face in a facilitated, centralized meeting location. One reason for the widespread success of tandem language learning in European institutions is the close proximity of a multitude of linguistically and culturally unique nations. Despite the relative “isolation” of North America, there are also a number of tandem programs distributed across the continent.The University of Malm? in Sweden was one of the first universities to model their tandem program after the one offered at UBC. Applicants contact the program and are paired with a partner, and then the partners meet weekly for facilitated discussions. They are also encouraged to meet outside of these sessions. This program is particularly diverse, with 32 languages represented in the 2012 session. The Edinburgh University Students Association offers a program that combines both in-person and independent meetings. With about 150-200 active participants, most partners meet independently. The program offers weekly sessions devoted to particular languages and a strong variety are represented in the program. While this exchange is not facilitated by discussion leaders, the EUSA supports the program by offering venue space for meetings.The UBC model has also expanded to the UBC Okanagan campus, and has been adopted by Simon Fraser University. Former Volunteer Facilitators and tandem participants have transported the model to high schools in Turkey, Bellevue University in Omaha, and Pearson College in Victoria. In addition, representatives from several universities have contacted us to ask if they could use UBC’s tandem model, including Berlitz Learning Centre in Philadelphia, Trent University in Durham, ON, and York University in Toronto. In the coming years, we may see tandem programs pop up at these institutions, and many more.Most recently, this model of language learning has been adopted to help support newcomers to Canada. The significance of this is huge: federally-funded Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) courses are perpetually full, with waitlists as long as sixteen months (Rolfsen, 2016). Language exchange is an integral part of supporting new Canadians and refugees, and organizations such a Language Partners BC are adapting the tandem model of bringing individuals together face-to-face to improve language skills and build community. This relieves some of the pressure from overcrowded English language courses, providing newcomers a cost-free space to practice their English, while at the same time sharing their own language and culture with a Canadian ally in the local community. At the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), francophone university students are “twinned” with new immigrants from diverse backgrounds, who are primarily English-speaking (Guillot, 2017).Pairing servicesAnother common tandem format, primarily found in European universities, pairs participants for independent meetings. These programs may offer an introductory session and learning materials, but the partnerships are highly independent and little participation tracking occurs.The University of Sheffield was one of the founders of tandem language learning in Europe. An online community was created for students to find an informal tandem partner, and partners are expected to reciprocally support each other in achieving their own pre-agreed goals. The University of Bonn in Germany offers a tandem pairing service with approximately 400 participants who meet independently. Twelve languages are represented and most participants are learning German, English, Spanish, or Italian. The program recommends that participants have a competency of at least B1 on the Common European Framework of Languages in their target language. While there is no active facilitation, all participants attend an introductory meeting to acquaint them with the program’s delivery. The University of Kent offers a similar, if smaller, program. Participants meet independently, are supported with a guide to tandem learning, and primarily work on French, German, English, Italian, and Spanish. The Central European University in Hungary also offers a tandem pairing service. This program has been running since 2011 and has about 120 applicants per year. Eastern European languages are strongly represented, and many visiting students participate in order to learn Hungarian.Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium offers a service pairing speakers of English, German, and Italian with local Dutch speakers. The Université libre de Bruxelles has an online forum, where university students find tandem partners based on language requested and personal interests. Over 15 languages are available, and each language learner is assigned a counsellor who assesses their fluency at the beginning and the end of each semester. There is possibility in taking tandem for university credits through these models.The University of South California has a virtual tandem program in collaboration with l’?cole national des ponts et chaussés [The National School of Bridges and Motorways], an engineering school in France (Benoit & Lomicka, 2017). The London School of Economics runs a pairing service via Facebook where English-speakers can find native speakers of languages they would like to learn. While the service is aimed at pairing English with other languages, users often post messages looking for alternatives, such as exchanging Spanish for Mandarin.The Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne matches partners from different cultures and mother tongues, who then choose where and when to meet independently. Like most programs, meetings usually last one-to-two hours, and participants are advised to meet at least once a week.Online Services Online services for tandem exchanges are developing quickly, as they are able to take advantage of the decentralized nature of their user base. These services are available to anyone with computer and Internet access, regardless of geographical location. These services primarily pair users based on learning needs, though we expect the offerings of these services to broaden in the coming years. Unless otherwise stated, the following services are open to participants from around the world.The most significant first step towards extending the tandem approach to institutions of higher education was the LINGUA project International E-mail Tandem Network, funded by the European Union (Little & Brammerts, 1996). Universities in more than fifteen countries came together to 4 form a network of student exchanges via email. More recent is the development of the tandem Mobile Language Exchange, which creates one-to-one matches between learners of over 150 languages. Users do not need to schedule a meeting time, sign into Skype, or attend meetings they simply log into the app and invite a speaker of the target language to chat. Another recent development is Ayni, an electronic pen pal-matching service, presented by Kévin Allec and Jordon Jeandon at the ALCTES 2017 conference. Totalingua is another pairing service that supports in-person and online partnerships. The site is supplemented with an extensive, user-generated, audio phrasebook. This phrasebook allows users to hear vocabulary spoken by a native speaker, in an order to help with pronunciation development.Tandem Exchange is a developing service that finds tandem partners for people to connect online or in-person. TANDEMcity is part of TANDEM? International, “a network of independent language schools [in] France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.” TANDEMcity offers a search engine to find and contact potential language learning partners based on common languages and/or location. Teletandem Brasil connects students of S?o Paulo State University with learners of Portuguese at affiliated universities or language schools internationally. Exchanges are done through Skype and Zoom Video Conferencing, are to be for two hours a week, and lasting for three months.Teletandem Mexico is a Skype-based language exchange between the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and several North American universities, including the University of British Columbia (UBC tandem, personal communication, 22 September 2014).The Mixxer is a platform for users to exchange written texts and chat via Skype (Bryant, 2009).Other modelsOther models, often represented in the research literature, generally include tandem exchanges that are part of a course curriculum (Chung, Graves, Wesche & Barfurth, 2005; K?tter 2010; Ushioda, 2000). Universities that offer these tandem exchanges include the University of Manchester (UK), Rhur-Universitat Bochum (Germany), and Universidad de Oviedo (Spain). Some of these models rely on asynchronous communication via text chat or e-mail, others use synchronous communication methods, such as Skype or Windows Live Messenger.While these models do include aspects of the conceptualization of tandem employed in this handbook, there are a number of significant differences. Firstly, these models are often prescriptive on topics (i.e., topics follow a class curriculum rather than participants’ interests) and do not meet the principle of autonomy. Secondly, as many of these models are required course content, they lack the highly-motivated, voluntary aspect that characterizes the not-for-credit models previously mentioned. Still, the potential for other models of tandem learning to improve second language classrooms and increase access to target language communities of practice is significant and will be an interesting practice to watch evolve in the coming years.ReferencesChapter 1Appel, C. & Mullen, T. (2000). 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Dickie, K. & Shuman, M. (2014). Conversation guidebook: the UBC tandem Language Learning Program. Vancouver, BC: Simon K.Y. Lee Global Lounge and Resource Center. Jackson, D. O. & Sakol, S. (2013). The cognition hypothesis: A synthesis and meta-analysis of research on second language task complexity. Language learning, 63(2). doi: 10.1111/lang.12008Li, H., Fox, R.F., & Almarza, D. J. (2007). Strangers in stranger lands: Language, learning, culture. International Journal of Progressive Education, 3(1). Retrieved from 8850-4c28-8dodcf4cc9762703%40sessionmgr4002&vid=1&hid=4207&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Qt bGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRI#db=eue&AN=24339775 Robinson, P. (2001). Task complexity, cognitive resoures, and syllabis design: a triadic framework for examining task influences on SLA. In P. Robinson (Ed.), Cognition and second language instruction (pp. 287-318). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Sasayama, S. (2011). 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Computer-mediated communication in Korean-English chat rooms: Tandem learning in an international languages program. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 62(1), 49-86. doi: 10.1353/cml.2005.0040 Guillot, M. (2017, March 23). Le jumelage interculturel dans une classe de langue : une pratique innovante [Intercultural twinning in a language class: An innovative practice]. Presentation at the Apprentissage des langues et cultures en tandem dans l’enseignement supérieur ou secondaire (ALCTES 2017) [Tandem language and intercultural learning in higher or secondary education settings conference], Paris, France. K?tter, M. (2001). MOOrituri te salutant? Language learning through MOO-based synchronous exchanges between learner tandems. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 14(3-4), 289-304. Little, D., & Brammerts, H. (1996). A guide to language learning in tandem via the internet. CLCS Occasional Paper No. 46, 1-83. Retrieved from files.eric.fulltext/ED399789.pdfRolfsen, C. (7 January 2016). Syrian refugees in BC face long waits for English courses. CBC News. Retrieved from , E. (2000). Tandem language learning via e-mail: From motivation to autonomy. ReCALL, 12(2), p. 121-128. Retrieved from AppendicesB?cker, J., Ciekanski, M., Cravageot, M., Jardin, A., Kleppin, K., & Lipp, K. (2017). Développer des compétences par l’apprentissage en tandem: Focus sur les acteurs, les ressources et la formation (Une étude franco-allemande) [Developing skills through tandem learning: focus on actors, resources, and training (A Franco-German study)]. Paris: Office franco-allemand pour la jeunesse.Kleppin, K. (2017, March 23). Formes de soutien à l’autoévaluation dans l’apprentissage des langues en tandem [Forms of support for self-assessment in tandem language learning]. Plenary presentation at the Apprentissage des langues et cultures en tandem dans l’enseignement supérieur ou secondaire (ALCTES 2017) [Tandem language and intercultural learning in higher or secondary education settings conference], Paris, France. AppendicesAppendix I: A summary of timelines (tl;dr)Stage 1: Program advertisement and launchSeptember/January1st week: Decide registration dates, make schedule for tandem sessions, book spaces for sessions, make small changes to the Registration Form, ELI Sociocultural Fair, ELI Registration Day, update matched and unmatched email templates and send to Vicky, bulk order 12 binders from Staples to use for Volunteer Facilitator training.2nd week: Advertise tandem, recruit and open applications for Volunteer Facilitators, update confirmation email, open registration, interview for and hire volunteer facilitators.3rd week: Train volunteer facilitators, post a Facebook status to say that registration is closed, email all matched and unmatched participants, plan Language Speed Dating for Unmatched Applicants event, Clubs Day, GL Network Training.Week 1: The “email red zone” begins, email VFs and ask them to inform session meeters of upcoming potluck (term 2), send statistics about Ritsumeikan students to Sheri Wenman.Stage 2: Program continuationOctober/ FebruaryWeek 2: Reach out to ELI and unmatched participants to invite them to Language Speed Dating event, email red zone continues.Week 3: Deadline for re-matches, calculate final match statistics, host Language Speed Dating for Unmatched Applicants, email red zone continues.Week 4: First team meeting, email red zone continues.Week 5: Volunteer Facilitator check-ins, mid-term self-evaluation form for participants, incoming emails begin to slow down, plan Midterm Mixer (term 1) or Movie Night (term 2).Stage 3: Chill zoneNovember/MarchWeek 6: Midterm Mixer (term 1) or Movie Night (term 2).Week 7: Plan the End of Term Celebration.Week 8: Relax :), email VFs and ask them to inform session meeters of upcoming potluck (term 1). Week 9: Buy thank-you gifts or plan final team outing for Volunteer Facilitators, send Feedback Form to facilitators so they can pass it along to their sessions next week.Stage 4: Wrap upDecember/ JanuaryWeek 10: Collect feedback from participants, second team meeting, create RSVP list for End of Term Celebration.2nd week: End of Term Celebration.3rd week: Final GL staff meeting, update Handbook if necessary, GLCA Feedback Form (term 1), write Impact Report (a.k.a. Year-End Report - term 2), write Transition Report (term 2).Stage 5: PreparationMay-AugustSelect Program Coordinators, GLCA training, add/remove Wordpress administrators.Appendix II: Targeting marketing emailsSubject: UBC tandem Language Exchange Program Registration Open January 3-11Good evening,My name is [NAME], and I am the [PROGRAM COORDINATOR/ASSISTANT COORDINATOR] for the UBC tandem Language Learning Program. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this email, and for helping to spread the word.The UBC tandem Program is a free, student-led initiative that pairs people who want to learn each other's languages.[General paragraph for a range of faculties: We would like to encourage participation from students from all faculties and disciplines because language learning is a useful skill for all types of future employment and opportunities. Last Fall 2016 semester we had almost 600 students participating in the tandem language program and hope to increase the matched number of students by increasing registration from all faculties.][Optional extra sentence for Go Global: As you know, language learning is an important aspect for Go Global and we appreciate you sharing our program with your students.][Optional extra sentence for language clubs and cultural clubs: In particular, your student club has a specific reach that can increase participation and variety of languages. The more people apply, the more languages available and therefore the more people who can be matched!][Optional paragraph for Global Lounge Network Members: We would like to encourage participation from the Global Lounge Network to increase our registration numbers, which in turn increases the number of students matched and the variety of languages that students can share!] [Optional paragraph for Lecturer of Mandarin: We have been asked to encourage participation from Mandarin language teachers and learners as it is a very popular language choice, and as a lecturer of the Mandarin language, I thought that this would be of interest to you to provide students with additional learning opportunities. Mandarin speakers looking to improve other languages (such as English, Japanese, Korean, and French) are one of the largest unmatched groups so we hope to improve our matching rate and of course, ensure more people learn!][Optional paragraph for Lecturer of Ancient Greek: As a lecturer of Ancient Greek, I thought that this would be of interest to you to provide students with additional learning opportunities. While I understand your courses focus on Ancient Greek, students may still be interested in this program to learn modern, spoken Greek, or any other languages that may help them with their studies and interests. Unfortunately we do not have a 100% match rate for all languages but the more people apply, the higher the chance becomes and a larger variety of languages become more available.][Optional paragraph for Sauder School of Business: Last semester Fall 2016 we had 60 students who said they were students of Sauder School of Business in a non-mandatory survey, showing that students from Sauder are interested in language sharing. Additionally we know that Sauder students may benefit from language learning in the world of international business, making this program a perfect fit.] [Optional paragraph for Lecturer of Russian/Polish: As a lecturer of Russian/Polish, I thought that this would be of interest to you to provide students with additional learning opportunities.][Optional paragraph for Lecturer of Portuguese: We would like to encourage participation from Portuguese speakers and learners, and as a lecturer of Portuguese, I thought that this would be of interest to you to provide students with additional learning opportunities. Portuguese is a popular tandem language and in the Fall 2016 semester we had 11 pairs sharing Portuguese. Additionally, there were 5 unmatched students who wanted to improve their Portuguese and only 1 Portuguese speaker wanting to improve other languages, showing a need for greater participation from Portuguese speakers, such as those in your upper-level classes.][Optional paragraph for Lecturer of Swedish: As a lecturer of Swedish, I thought that this would be of interest to you to provide students with additional learning opportunities. Last semester, Fall 2016, we had one pair sharing Swedish, however there were still unmatched Swedish learners and teachers, showing demand that your students could fill!][Optional paragraph for Lecturer of Spanish: We would like to encourage participation from Spanish speakers and learners, and as a lecturer of Spanish, I thought that this would be of interest to you to provide students with additional learning opportunities. Spanish is one of the most in-demand language and in the Fall 2016 semester we had 37 pairs sharing Spanish. There were also 120 unmatched students who wanted to improve their Spanish and 12 Spanish speakers wanting to improve other languages, showing a need for greater participation from Spanish speakers, such as those in your upper-level classes.][Optional paragraph for Lecturer of French: We would like to encourage participation from French teachers and learners, and as a lecturer of French, I thought that this would be of interest to you to provide students with additional learning opportunities. French is one of the most in-demand language and though in the Fall 2016 semester we had 54 pairs sharing French, there were 155 unmatched students who wanted to improve their French, showing a need for greater participation from French speakers, such as those in your upper-level classes. ]Additionally, we would like to increase our connection and collaboration with student clubs on campus. If you have any events or activities that are language related that you would like UBC tandem to partner with or advertise, please let us know via this email address. We are happy to collaborate on ideas and also want to share what other events are happening on campus with tandem participants.][Optional paragraph for Department of Anthropology: We would like to encourage participation from students from all faculties and disciplines because language learning is a useful skill for all types of future employment and opportunities. Last Fall 2016 semester we had almost 600 students participating in the tandem language program and hope to increase the matched number of students by increasing registration from all faculties. From the non-mandatory survey we had 8 participants saying their major was Anthropology, and 298 total Arts students (42%).][Optional paragraph for International Relations: We would like to encourage participation from students from all faculties and disciplines because language learning is a useful skill for all types of future employment and opportunities. Additionally, given the importance of foreign language acquisition in International Relations, this program would be incredibly beneficial to IR-major and minor students. Last Fall 2016 semester we had almost 600 students participating in the tandem language program and hope to increase the matched number of students by increasing registration from all faculties.]Registration is now open January 3-11, 2017, and we would greatly appreciate your help in sending out our registration link. We would love for your students, faculty, and staff to have the opportunity to participate in this program. Below is a message that we would like sent out. We have also included some slides with further information [attached].Thank you very much in advance, and please let me know if you have any questions.Best regards,UBC tandem Language Learning ProgramDo you want to improve your French? Your English? Your Japanese? Your Arabic? Or any other language? The UBC tandem Language Learning Program pairs you with someone at UBC who speaks the language you want to improve and who wants to get better at the language that you speak.No teaching experience is required – just enthusiasm! Activities and support are provided by a facilitator. The program runs once each semester – this term from January to April. Partners meet for 1.5 hours every week for a total of 10 weeks. You spend half of each meeting in each language – the one you’re learning and the one you’re teaching. In other words, you help each other! This is a fully student-run program, and it’s free! It’s also great for meeting people across cultures and participating in a lot of fun intercultural activities on campus.REGISTER NOW AT more information visit our website (tandem.ubc.ca), like our Facebook page () for up to date information, or email us directly at tandem.program@ubc.caWe look forward to receiving your application!UBC tandem teamAppendix III: UBC tandem agreement for Volunteer FacilitatorsAppendix IV: Expectations sheet for Volunteer FacilitatorsAppendix V: Snack sheetAppendix VI: How to communicate better with your partnerAppendix VII: Training plan for Volunteer Facilitators10763256772275Appendix VIII: Weekly Conversation Guide templateAppendix IX: Midterm self-evaluation form58959755286384772025495300UBC tandemLanguage Learning ProgramVancouver CampusSimon K.Y. Lee Global Lounge2205 Lower Mall, Building 1Vancouver, BC CanadaSelf-Evaluation Form___________________________________________________________________________________________Purpose: To reflect on your progress in the tandem program. Keep this form as a reminder! Feel free to ask your Volunteer Facilitator or email the coordinators if you have questions or would like to discuss further.Reminder: What were your short-term and long-term goals?Short term:Long term:General Questions to ask oneself:What am I able to understand, able to speak…?What are my strong points in the language I am learning?What are my weaknesses?What do I want to improve, understand better, further discover?How will I improve in order to reach my goals?How can I identify what helped me improve my skills?What new decisions should I make to improve?How do I follow through with these decisions?Specific Questions to ask oneself:When was a time when I felt comfortable speaking my learning language?What was a phrase or word that I found difficult to understand/pronounce? What was a sentence I didn’t know before that I find useful and have used recently?What new thing have I learned (a sentence, a word, a structure, a fact) that I have learned recently that I would like to use in the future?Exchange questions:Did your partner do something that helped you:Understand?Say something you couldn’t say before?Identify a mistake?Correct yourself?When do you feel like you are truly learning something?When do you feel stuck?Would you like your partner to behave a certain way?Questions from Karen Kleppin, Colloque ACTES, March 23-24, 2017, Paris, FranceBocker, J., et al. (2017). Developper des competences par l’apprentissage en tandem: focus sur les acteurs, les ressources et la formations. Office franco-allemand pour la Jeunesse Deutsch-Franzosisches Jugendwerk: Paris/Berlin. Appendix X: End of semester feedbackAppendix XI: Job descriptionsVolunteer FacilitatorIf you want to become a Volunteer Facilitator, please send a cover letter and resume to tandem.program@ubc.ca with the subject “VOLUNTEER FACILITATOR”. tandem does not run during the summer, so we will accept applications from Saturday, August 26th, until Saturday, September 9th at 11:59pm.Time Commitment:Most weeks, you will simply be asked to attend and co-facilitate a weekly 1.5 hour tandem session (group meeting) at the Global Lounge (plus 20-30 minutes before and 10-15 minutes after the session for set up and clean up). However, there are also several training sessions, meetings, and events that we ask you to attend, which may occasionally increase your weekly time commitment to 5 hours total.Must be available each week to facilitate during one of the following time slots, from January 16th to April 1st:Mondays 5:30-7:00pm;Tuesdays 3:30-5:00pm;Wednesdays 3:30-5:00pm;Thursdays 12:30-2:00pm;Fridays 1:00-2:30pm; orFridays 3:00-4:30pm.Must be available for a 3 hour training session on Friday, January 13th 2017 from 5:00-8:00 pm (dinner provided).Must be available to attend one, 2-hour long, team meeting per month.Must be available to attend the End of Term Celebration at the end of March.Responsibilities & Activities:With a facilitation partner, attend and co-facilitate a weekly 1.5 hour tandem session (group meeting) at the Global Lounge (plus 20-30 minutes before and 10-15 minutes after the session for set up and clean up).Send weekly emails to participants, containing information about upcoming sessions and events.Keep attendance lists and contact absent participants.Foster a sense of community within your session – encourage dialogue between partners, remind participants to sign up to bring snacks each week, and collect examples of new words and phrases learned by participants.Ensure partner-partner interactions are running smoothly and that conflicts are resolved in a timely manner.Use the tandem Conversation Guidebook materials to guide session activities.Promote the tandem goals of autonomy and reciprocity throughout the weekly sessions while also emphasizing that every language is valuable and equal.Collect feedback from participants for review at end-point of the program.Maintain constant communication with the Program Coordinator and the Assistant Coordinator, and contribute to enhancing and expanding the UBC tandem program.Respond to emails from participants in a timely manner. Please note that during the first 2-3 weeks of the program, while participants are getting to know their partners, changing schedules, and asking questions, there will be a very high influx of emails taking approximately 1 hour per week. The workload declines rapidly after week 4, with one or two emails per week.If interested, there is the possibility to help illustrate the weekly Conversation Guides!Benefits:Gain experience in a less traditional foreign language methodology (i.e. outside the classroom).Expand and enrich facilitators’ own classroom learning and/or teaching.Gain intercultural experience.Develop relationships and receive support from the tandem team of facilitators and staff.Facilitation skills.Have the opportunity to participate in the academic research that is currently going on around tandem.Dedication to leading one session a week and undergoing continuous training.Qualifications:Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with an interest in interacting with tandem participants.Punctuality and organizational skills.Experience working with diverse backgrounds and an interest in different languages and cultures.Interest in teaching and in second-language acquisition an asset.Fluency in one or more additional languages an asset, but not mandatory. Especially useful: Arabic, Turkish, Mandarin, Japanese.Interest in drawing or illustration an asset if you are interested in helping illustrate the Conversation Guidebook. Not a requirement for all volunteers.Good sense of humor and willingness to have fun!Program Coordinator(s)Job Description – UBC tandem Language Learning Program Student CoordinatorPlease NOTE: This position is contingent upon Work Learn funding and will start in September 2017. If funding is not approved for this position it is not guaranteed that the job will be available.The tandem Program Coordinator(s) are responsible for coordinating and supporting the UBC tandem Language Learning Program, a student-run program wherein students teach each other their mother tongue (or a language in which they are highly proficient). It is a program designed to enhance additional language acquisition, intercultural communication and cross-cultural understanding on campus. Participants in the tandem Program can choose i) to attend one of the weekly, facilitated sessions that take place on campus, or ii) they can choose to meet independently. For more information about the program, visit: HYPERLINK "; tandem Program Coordinator(s) will report directly to the Program Advisor, Global Campus Initiatives in regards to the day-to-day logistics of the program. In regards to curriculum and pedagogy, the Student Coordinator will be supported by a Faculty Advisor from the Centre for Intercultural Language Studies (CILS) or the Department of French, Hispanic, and Italian Studies.The Program Coordinator(s) are responsible for:Collaborating with, motivating and inspiring members of the UBC tandem Language Learning Program to ensure the success of all program components;Working collectively with faculty, staff, and Volunteer Facilitators on the execution of the tandem program and planning of stimulating social events and collaborations that encourage sharing of language and cultures;Developing, maintaining and supporting relationships with campus groups (such as AMS, and student clubs) and language departments;Recruiting, training, and coordinating professional development workshops for Volunteer Facilitators;Coordinating communications (e.g., email and website management) to all campus stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, and volunteers;Making informed decisions based on past history of the program and the needs of student leaders, volunteers, and students;Matching applicants (in coordination with second Coordinator) using the online matching system;Managing the database and organization of tandem Language Learning Program sessions; registration and support for participants;Keeping track of the financial budget;Contributing to the expansion of the Program Handbook, Facilitator Guidebook, Conversation Guides, website and other web resources;Seeking opportunities to present tandem learning at conferences and meetings;Corresponding with participants and campus partners in a professional and timely manner;Conducting email exit interviews with students who leave from program;Other administrative tasks as necessary.QualificationsExcellent leadership, organizational and time management skills;Ability to work cross-culturally with diverse populations;Excellent communication skills: professional email/phone correspondence;Excellent computer skills specifically in the area of google applications (such as Google Docs), Microsoft Excel, and social networking sites/websites. Database experience or experience with Wordpress is an asset.Ability and willingness to work both independently and as part of a team;Knowledge in additional language acquisition and language related activities (e.g., teaching or learning additional languages, individual learner differences, intercultural differences, etc.);Experience with meeting facilitation;Previous experience with the UBC tandem Language Learning Program is an asset.Student Learning Components (UBC Vancouver Work Study/Work Learn Program)What kinds of orientation and training will the student receive?The Program Coordinator(s) will have a comprehensive orientation in late August/early September. The first part will include a group orientation with the entire Global Lounge team that includes topics of facilitation, leadership and intercultural awareness. The second part of the orientation will include meeting with the Program Advisor of Global Campus Initiatives, and the Faculty Advisor to review: The tandem program (i.e., goals and expectations, methodology, etc.); Current state of the program, review databases of useful contact information; The job description and learn how Coordinators will work together; Visit one of the sites where conversation meetings will be held;Review materials and resources available;Assess and determine need of instructional materials to support the conversation sessions. During this time, the Advisor and Faculty Advisor will be in contact with the Program Coordinator(s) to provide all necessary help and support.Throughout the year, the Program Coordinator(s) will be advised to attend (whenever possible) the workshop sessions on language and language related issues organized by Centre for Teaching and Learning and Technology (CTLT), and the language departments (e.g., CILS, FHIS SLA Research Cluster). The latter activity will keep the student up to date on what goes on about the language programs on campus that might be relevant for tandem. Opportunities for other professional development may also be identified in one on one sessions.What kinds of feedback and on-going support will the student receive? What mentorship opportunities will be available for the student? What kinds of encouragement and support for reflection will the student receive?The Program Coordinator(s) will receive consistent feedback throughout the term and will be provided with at least one formal performance evaluation in the middle of the term. This will be a 360 review which will include a self-evaluation component. The Advisor will provide coaching, supervision, mentorship and direction for the Program Coordinator(s).The Program Coordinator(s) will also be invited to attend sessions of CILS’ research initiatives (e.g., TLEF group) to learn about CILS, ongoing research initiatives and create opportunities of networking with senior members of CILS’ advisory committee. The latter are professors in different units on campus. These meetings will be valuable moments for the student to receive mentorship from highly qualified professionals in language and education; these meetings will also create moments of encouragement and support for the student in terms of ideas, suggestions, and materials.How does this job develop and enhance the student’s personal and professional development?The Coordinator will work out of the Global Lounge and have an opportunity to engage with a wide cross-section of students who have an interest in not only language learning, but also intercultural awareness and global citizenship. As the tandem Student Coordinator, the student will develop the following skills, knowledge, and experience: program development skills; data management abilities; community building techniques; customer services skills; marketing skills; experience working with internationally minded campus groups; professional development opportunities; extended leadership and collaboration skills by working with an Assistant and volunteers.The student will also be invited to participate in research projects that will develop around the tandem program, particularly in the area of language acquisition and intercultural development. The latter will be an invaluable opportunity for the student to strengthen his/her research and publication portfolio. At the personal level, the student should experience the benefits of interacting with other fellow students and professors in a friendly and cordial atmosphere.How does this job complement classroom learning?Coordinating the tandem program offers the opportunity of first-hand experience of a less traditional language learning methodology. The Student Coordinator will be in a position to expand and enrich his/her own classroom learning and, in turn, contribute to classroom learning. The Student Coordinator will learn about the benefits of learner-learner interaction and collaboration (basic components of tandem), will have an insightful view of non-guided language learning (i.e., learning outside the language classroom), and the benefits of integrative motivation as a trigger of a learner’s “willingness to talk” in a target language.What opportunities does this job offer for the student to develop workplace skills or graduate competencies?The inherent demands of the job require the development of administrative skills for the coordination of the program as a whole (e.g., pairing up students, organizing and supervising conversations sessions) as well as social skills to connect with university units involved in the tandem program (e.g., language departments), and CILS’ research groups. In addition, the position can help in developing project management and leadership skills (through the training and coaching of volunteer facilitators and participants).What opportunities are available for the student to expand their network?By being part of the Global Lounge, students are able to connect with over 42 different clubs on campus. The Student Coordinator will also work closely to promote the program by visiting different faculties throughout campus.Eligible candidates must be enrolled at UBC-V for studies in the 2014-15 academic year and meet the requirements for Work Learn. This position is posted pending Work Learn approval.Appendix XII: Funding sources at UBC1. Name: Global FundEligibility Criteria: The Global Fund provides small awards (up to $2,000) to any currently enrolled UBC students to fund student-led initiatives, projects, or events that focus on international engagement, intercultural understanding, sustainability and collaboration, and/or have a connection with the Simon K.Y. Lee Global Lounge and Resource Centre (Global Lounge).When tandem was first beginning, it was successful in applying for this fund.Key Dates: There are several deadlines throughout the summer, generally once per month from September-April, and once in the summer semester.More information: _____________________________2. Name: UBC Work Learn ProgramEligibility Criteria: The UBC Work Learn Program supports and subsidizes meaningful work experiences on campus that offer the opportunity for all current UBC students to develop their professional skills and learn in a work environment.Winter session runs from September 1 to April 30; students can work a maximum of 10 hrs/week and 300 hrs total.Tandem annually seeks WorkLearn funding to pay its two student Coordinators to run the program. However, due to the competitive nature of the application, there is no guarantee that tandem will be granted this money from year to year. For this reason, the 2016-17 Program Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator worked exceptionally hard to gain recognition throughout UBC, and were pleased to meet with the Dean of Arts, the Chair of the First Nations and Endangered Languages Program, an International Students Working Group (a meeting of various professionals involved in international student recruitment and Go Global activities), etc.Key Dates: Deadlines for application are generally 6-10 weeks before the beginning of semester.More information: _____________________________3. Name: Walter H. Gage Memorial FundEligibility Criteria: The Walter Gage Memorial Fund provides financial support for non-curricular student projects and activities that enhance the University’s reputation and have broad interest to students at UBC.Applications will be accepted from student groups or clubs affiliated with the AMS or a Faculty or School, or associated with some other officially-recognized UBC organization.Applications must be received by the Committee a minimum of four weeks in advance of an event or project has been completed. Projects that are eligible for funding include the following:Hosting an undergraduate conference at UBC;Attending as a UBC delegate at an undergraduate conference held elsewhere;Participating in an education-related activity (e.g., debating competitions; youth parliaments; scientific or engineering competitions; participation in sporting competitions by athletes representing UBC on teams not fully sponsored by UBC Athletics).Key Dates: Deadline is mid-March.More information: _____________________________4. Name: Faculty of Arts Internal GrantsEligibility Criteria: Must be in Faculty of Arts. Different grants are available for activities such as research, workshop & visiting speakers, conferences, etc.Key Dates: Depends on the grant, many deadlines have already passedMore information: HYPERLINK "; . Name: Arts Undergraduate Society Club and Conference FundingEligibility: Be an Arts student or involved with an Arts-related clubKey Dates: Applications on a rolling basis.More information: _____________________________6. Name: AMS Impact GrantEligibility: The AMS Impact Grant is an initiative providing funding to all UBC students interested in conducting scholarly research to build knowledge and understanding of post-secondary matters affecting UBC Vancouver’s community. The ultimate goal of the program is to create a healthier, more supportive, more successful student community. Priority will be given to interdisciplinary and team projects. Key Dates: Due March 17, 2017More information: _____________________________7. Name: Sustainability Projects FundEligibility: Open to all UBC students for sustainable projects contributing to an environmentally conscious culture that reduces the ecological footprint of UBC studentsKey Dates: Apply one week before the monthly meeting More information: _____________________________8. Name: Innovative Projects FundEligibility: Students, faculty and staff working on projects that benefit to a significant number of students, developing campus community In the past, innovative projects include media initiatives, new student services etc.Key Dates: Unknown, email adassist@ams.ubc.caMore information: _____________________________9. Name: AMS Student Initiatives FundEligibility: Must be an AMS Member, i.e. a UBC student used to fund philanthropic, academic, or other causes deemed worthy by the AMS Finance Commission.Key Dates: At least 3 weeks prior to the project.More information: HYPERLINK "; _____________________________10. Name: Professional Activities Fund (Engineering)Eligibility: The Professional Activities Fund aims to support co-curricular activities and external projects that are also complementary to the engineering curriculum. It is not intended to replace University-level, Faculty-level, or Departmental-level funding that directly supports curricular activities. PAF is meant to support short-term, student-initiated projects, subsidize student travel, and support sustainable activities that benefit the student body. Key Dates: For Term 1: October 21, 2016. For Term 2: January 31, 2017.More information: HYPERLINK "; _____________________________11. Name: Connect to Community GrantEligibility: Grants funding so that you can address community priorities through projects that you design and execute. Build on your experience working with community and get creative with what you can do to address community needs. Advisors and staff are also on hand to help refine and guide you in developing your proposal. The Connect to Community Grant projects can take place over 2 weeks or up to 2 months. $250 to $1,500 can be awarded to projects.Key Dates: Spring 2017 dates not updated, please contact community.learning@ubc.caMore information: HYPERLINK "; . Name: Chapman & Innovation GrantsEligibility: Funds for larger community projects.Key Dates: Intake now closed for 2016/2017 year.More information: ................
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