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Practical information

Language exchanges

The language exchanges or tandems are an informal way of practising or improving languages you already know or that you are learning, as part of which two people who speak different languages meet up to practice the other person’s language.

We put local students in contact with mobility students, visiting lecturers and foreign doctoral students, so that you can talk in the languages that you know or study. This enables you to consolidate your oral language skills and to learn in a different environment to the classroom. It also gives you the opportunity to know another culture and way of life.

We offer you these three options:

  • The aforementioned linguistic exchange. The programme is run each semester and is announced at the beginning of each semester, when mobility students arrive, and it consists of a 35-hour exchange between partners, 50% in one language and 50% in the other. With this programme you can obtain 2 free-elective credits.
  • Cultural exchange in English. This programme is only offered during the first semester and ends at the beginning of December. It consists of 20 hours of exchange with your partner, in which you will mainly practice English with an international student, who will also enjoy getting to know our language a little bit better. With this programme you can obtain 1 free-elective credit.
  • Language volunteering: Unlike the tandem, volunteering is for people who only want to help somebody to learn Catalan, without expecting to improve their own knowledge of a third language in return. The 35 hours are therefore all for practising Catalan. With this programme you can obtain 2 free-elective credits.

Who can take part?

All members of the university community (bachelor's, masters and doctoral students, administrative and service staff, and UdG teaching staff). The only requirements are that you speak Catalan and Spanish, and you have an average command of a third language.

All the people participating in a mobility programme and staying at the University of Girona. You just need to be eager to learn and improve your knowledge of Catalan.

How can you sign up for it?

Fill in the form and you will join the list of candidates who wish to take part in the exchange programme.

Once your application has been examined we will get in touch with you by email.

OBTAIN 2 CREDITS BY DOING AN EXCHANGE OR LANGUAGE VOLUNTEERING

If you are a bachelor's-degree student, taking part in the language exchange or language volunteering programme offers you an opportunity to gain 2 free-choice credits.  

What do you need to do to gain credits?

In addition to the 35-hour exchange, you will have to do the following to gain the 2 credits:

  • Participate in four of the activities we offer each semester. The majority of these activities are for you to do with your exchange partner on a specific day or period, or during the semester.
  • Complete the two tasks and the follow-up and assessment questionnaires in the Moodle course.
  • Attend thefinal interview with the person in charge of the programme.

On the other hand, if you are a mobility student and want to obtain these credits, you must first check that your university of origin recognises this type of credit and then include the following subject in your Learning Agreement:

3100RA0848   Language tutorials

OBTAIN 1 CREDIT BY DOING A CULTURAL EXCHANGE IN ENGLISH

If you are a bachelor's-degree student, taking part in the cultural exchange in English programme offers you an opportunity to gain 1 free-elective credit. Remember, this programme is only available during the 1st semester of the course.

What do you need to do to obtain this credit?

In addition to the 20-hour exchange, you will have to do the following to gain the 1 credit:

  • Take part in two of the semester’s activities that we offer. The majority of these activities are for you to do with your exchange partner on a specific day or period, or during the semester.
  • Complete the follow-up and assessment questionnaires in the Moodle course.
  • Attend thefinal interview with the person in charge of the programme.

a few recommendations

  • During your meetings you are best advised to communicate first in one language and afterwards in the other, or allocate each meeting to practising one of the two languages.
  • Consult the e-mailbox regularly, since all communications on the development of the programme are made through this system (registration for activities, possible incidences in the running of the activities, registration for interviews and so on.)
  • Start the meetings as soon as possible or you will not have the necessary time to complete 35 hours of language-exchange practice.
  • Should you decide to quit the exchange programme after it has started, communicate this immediately to your language-exchange partner and to intercanvis.llengues@udg.edu.
  • Consult the Exchange-Support Guide. The aim of the Guide is to provide the two members of the exchange with a set of ideas, guidance and proposals with which they can handle meetings in an autonomous way and get the most out of the experience, linguistically, culturally and personally.

The Guide consists of two sections. In the first, an explanation is provided of what a linguistic exchange consists of and subjects like the structure of the exchange, the duration, the place or appropriate activities are addressed. In the second, topics of conversation are proposed and information is offered to reflect on the similarities and the differences between cultures and countries when living and organising oneself.

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