'I met students from Mons who quickly became my friends. Even now, several months after the project, we're still in touch. It's a very enriching concept that contributes to one's social and linguistic development.'
Sometimes you don't have to look very far to discover a world of new experiences. Students of the Bachelor of Applied Linguistics French-Dutch (Translation and Interpreting Science) at the University of Antwerp were brought closer to each other and to the French-speaking culture in a special initiative. The UAntwerp-UMons Tandem Project gave them the opportunity to talk in a digital channel for two hours a week, alternating between speaking Dutch and French.
But the project goes beyond conversation: the students went on outings together in small groups, allowing them not only to practise their language skills, but also to forge new friendships. And the cherry on top of it all was that the two groups came together for organised visits to Mons and Antwerp.
Hanne Pallemans (UAntwerp student) describes the Tandem project as a very valuable experience. For her, the students from Mons were not just fellow students, but quickly became friends. Even months after the project, they were still in touch. The project, organised by Prof. Katrien Lievois (UAntwerp) and Prof. Laurent Nicaise (UMons), proves that international experiences are sometimes just around the corner, ready to be discovered.