Guiding material of the WICP Project’s tandem training programme

The term tandem used to describe the bicycle made for two people who sit one behind the other and ride together. According to Cambridge dictionary, another meaning of the word is “two people or pieces of equipment that work together to achieve a result, or a team of two people or animals”. The tandem learning is about the process in which two people (can be peers) are teaching something to each other while deepening their knowledge in the field too. It’s widespread in language learning practices, when students in pairs are learning a part of the lesson and teaching their learning partners. In the classroom the term can be used also in a sense that there are 2 teachers who lead the classes. In non-formal education a variation of the tandem training is known as peer-to-peer learning which is more about 2 learners with the same age range. Meanwhile, in their booklet “PEERing In PEERing Out: Peer Education Approach in Cultural Diversity Projects”, Lynne Tammi and Susie Green write that peer means equal: meaning we all learn together and that all our contributions are of equal worth.

Tandem training is a non-formal learning process that gives empowerment, confidence and independence to young people whatever their background.

The tandem training participant respects differences of opinion and creates a safe and friendly environment, is objective and has the tools and knowledge to work in partnership with the partner.

In this guide you can find more information about Tandem training, it’s structure and learning approaches.