Modern Languages awarded significant European funding for e-Tandem project

This ambitious project seeks to develop a professional, bespoke web platform for students and staff to organise e-tandem exchanges. It is expected that this new online presence will better facilitate the development of students' communication and intercultural skills.

This international project will bring together seven partner universities including Goethe Universität Frankfurt, University of Liverpool, Universités Poitiers and Paris Sorbonne, Universidad Blaquerna Barcelona, Università di Firenze and the University of Exeter.

The Project (EUniTa) received a total of 318,296 Euros of Erasmus+K2 funding. The University of Exeter will receive the second largest share of the funding, following Frankfurt University, the leading institution for the Tandem project.

Exeter project lead Christian Mossmann has been working alongside his colleagues from the Department of Modern Languages María Lafuente-Marruedo and Dr Sonia Cunico. Christian and María recently represented the University when they attended the initial project meeting at Frankfurt University in October.

Christian Mossmann said: “The aim is to offer students a chance to develop both their basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) as well as their cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) in the foreign language(s) they study as well as enabling them to establish contacts with students from other countries.”

Sonia Cunico, director of Language Teaching, added that “The Tandem project will contribute to the development of students’ intercultural competence, a competence much needed to join the present international and multicultural working environment. It will also foster and contribute to students’ mobility, and facilitate daily contacts and future collaborations amongst graduates from all partner institutions.”

The development phase of the European University Tandem Project is expected to run over the next two and a half years, with a multiplier event in Exeter yet to be announced.

For more information about the EUniTa project, please visit their website.