Topic Sheets and Handouts

The selection of topics that provide the context for the various grammatical structures is in line with the recommendations of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The topics include conversations about every day matters, as well as conversations at work and in the public sphere (offices, banks, hospitals, educational institutions, etc.). On the levels B1 and B2 we also offer topics that invite discussion. If you prefer to steer the proposed topic of conversation in a different direction, you are welcome to follow your own interests. The topic sheet merely serves as a support, rather than strict rules that need to be followed. The clear layout facilitates an easy return to the topic sheet. Select a topic you would like to talk about and feel free to ignore the topics that do not interest you.

There are 15 topic sheets available for every level. The topic sheets for levels A1/A2 start with the most important key phrases that you will need during your conversation. For levels B1/B2, the beginning of each topic sheet lists the various communicative targets that you can practise with that sheet. The topic sheets are designed for a conversation time of about 20-30 minutes.

Where appropriate, you can find suggestions for exchanging ideas about cultural characteristics or regional information of your and your Tandem Partner’s home countries. Don’t hold back in asking your Partner about his or her country; make use of the opportunity to obtain first hand information and don’t hesitate to talk about your own experiences.

The topic sheets provide you with the relevant sentence structures and vocabulary, in the form of example sentences. This way, you can not only find suggestions relating to the content of the topic, but also practise the various ways of expressing something. Try to use the proposed expressions, so you can improve your language skills.

At the end of each topic sheet you will find a writing task that covers once more the topic you have talked about with your Tandem Partner. Use this follow-up opportunity to produce a text with the words, expressions and sentences you used with your partner. He or she will be happy to correct your text.

In addition to the ideas proposed in the topic sheets, in the handouts you can find further suggestions or questions that invite you to go into more detail, or that point you into a different direction. The handouts also contain suggestions on where to find more information about the topics, which may be useful when preparing for the meeting. It is generally recommended to take some time to prepare a discussion about a certain topic; it is easier to talk about facts than about presumptions.

Use the handout before the meeting to get an idea about the course of the dialogue. Familiarise yourself with the grammatical structures and think of potential links to other questions, as well as ways to simplify the conversation, in case the proposed topic is too difficult for your partner.

The cultural differences between two countries can be quite remarkable, but of course also rather small. Adjust the questions to your countries of origin and change them where necessary. The handouts give you guidelines for dealing with culturally sensitive questions.

As a native speaker you can probably not explain all grammatical structures. However, as it may sometimes be necessary to refer to a grammatical rule, the handout provides you with short and easy to understand explanations, which you could pass on to your Tandem Partner. You will also find the linguistic name of the grammatical structure, so that you or your partner can look it up in a textbook or online, and also find some relevant exercises.

It is possible to prepare the learner for the writing task by already discussing it during the conversation. This way, the written work may become easier. Depending on time and interest, decide whether you want to make use of this opportunity.