Language Swap Guide
Last edited by Antony Chung (2008-02-04 08:24:35)
Important Information: The GSA thanks Alistair Bird for continuing to manage GSA Language Swap. By using this service, you accept that any data that you provide will not be managed by the GSA. You further accept that that GSA will not accept any responsibility for this service.
On this page:
Resources
Lancaster University Language Courses
The University library has some language resources:
- List of Dictionaries
- List of Learning Resources
The internet:
- BBC language learning resources
- Simple English wikipedia
- List of Wikipedias in various languages
Facebook:
- Language Swap Facebook Group - meet other members
- Language Exchange - like Language Swap, but global - chat by skype
What to do when you are matched
- Please write an introductory email, or reply, to your new language partner as soon as possible. Bear in mind which languages your partner can speak! (If you don't hear back from your partner, send an email to GSA language swap [at] gmail.com and we can put you back on the list)
- Arrange a date, time, and place for a meeting, preferably in a public place (some suggestions).
- Prepare some topics and vocabulary to fall back on.
- Bring a dictionary, but don't rely on it!
- Please, try to be on time and tell your partner if you need to change your arrangements.
- Having a regular meeting time and place can be easier to organise.
- Agree to a time limit, so neither of you dominates the session.
Meeting Spots
Quiet rooms:
- Graduate Common Room
- Library Meeting Rooms
- Management school lobby
Noisier places:
- GradBar (outside if it is good weather!)
- Any other College Bar
- The Venue coffee shop
- Infolab café
- Wibbly Wobbly
What to talk about
- Introduce yourself; discuss your families; pets; hobbies.
- Ask and tell each other about your weeks, and what you are doing next week.
- Describe your home, and where you live. Describe your home country.
- Tell them about your academic subject, and find out about theirs.
- Discuss some issues that interest you - politics, current affairs, the environment, cinema, theatre, literature, art,
- Try to find some common ground
- Try roleplaying - pretend you are: a lost tourist asking for directions; booking a hotel; in a restaurant; complaining about a holiday; in a job interview, etc.
- Try doing something together:
- Watching a film or TV in one of your languages, and discuss it afterwards
- Play a board game and try to describe/understand the rules. Try playing a word game in a foreign language! (verbal/board, eg. 'I Spy', Scrabble, Boggle).
- Meet some of your partner's friends who share their language.
It's your time - you decide how best to use it!
Safety
For safety, only lancaster email addresses are used for correspondance, and entered on the database. This guarantees the identities of those involved, and that they are at the university. A record will be kept of all email correspondance, and the details of each pairing.
Even so, you should still take precautions when meeting a new person.
Here are some suggestions:
- Meet, and stay, in a public place, preferably on the University campus
- Tell a friend who, where, when you are meeting, and for how long, and arrange to meet your friend afterwards.
- Make sure you know where the nearest porter's lodge, or security point is located.
- Take your mobile phone - ensure you have the university security number on it.
- Do not leave your personal belongings, or any drinks unattended.
- Stay sober.