On March 1, TSU volunteers will organize a Language Exchange area, where you can meet with TSU’s students from various countries and find among them a partner for studying another language.
- This event is for everyone who wants to meet native speakers of different languages, to communicate with them and form linguistic tandems, - states the description of the event. - Tandem is a modern method of learning foreign languages, which is based on the formation of pairs of two speakers who study each other’s native language in personal meetings.
The organizer of the Language Exchange is a student from Germany, Lisa Shtar. Lisa has been studying in a language in tandem for a year and a half - she found a partner from the Faculty of Philology. Now Lisa and Alexandra meet twice a week and share knowledge in the Russian and German languages.
- It's really very effective and it helps me very much - says Lisa. - The advantage of the tandem of two native speakers is that the partner can explain not only the verb conjugation but also cultural nuances. It happens that I misjudge some life situation due to the intricacies of the Russian language, and Alexandra helps me to understand.
When Lisa had joined the volunteer organization TSU Online, she decided to organize an open area where other students would be able to find a language partner. The event was very popular: last semester, over 100 people wanted to find a friend, associate, and teacher in one person.
- Our goal is to organize a platform for exploring, and then a lot depends on the partners themselves: whether their personalities mesh, whether they can organize their time - here we cannot influence, - says Lisa. - In addition, not everyone meets just for the sake of training, many simply communicate and share their culture - and this also helps them to learn each other's language.
To participate you need to register. The number of seats is limited. From the experience of the previous event, volunteers suggest that at the Language Exchange, you may find a partner to learn English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, and of course the Russian language.
In 2016, people from 37 countries were studying at TSU, including the first freshmen from Jordan, Ghana, and some of the Caribbean islands. International students are studying Russian language and literature, economic and historical specialties, and computer science at TSU. Not only faculties and services but also students from TSU Online are helping to them to adapt to the university and to life in Tomsk. Volunteers provide not only tips for solving everyday issues but also guided tours, festivals, and educational programmes.