Find a language exchange partner at University of Teacher Education of the cantons of Bern, Jura and Neuchatel (HEP-BEJUNE)
HEP-BEJUNE is not centred on one campus. As of July 2026, its activities span Bienne, Delémont and La Chaux-de-Fonds. Official 2025 figures record 720 students, including 555 in initial teacher education. In this compact but geographically distributed community, the right tandem partner may study or work at another site and keep a different schedule.
On Sprachtandem.ch, add HEP-BEJUNE to your profile and search for profiles with the same institution. The three-site setting becomes a useful starting point: you can spot shared context around a location, teaching placement, research or continuing education. Institution entries are supplied by users and are not confirmed by HEP-BEJUNE.
French and German are especially relevant. As of July 2026, HEP-BEJUNE describes a bilingual primary teacher education programme offered jointly with PHBern, connecting both languages with PER and Lehrplan 21. A tandem lets you practise education-related vocabulary and ask questions outside assessed teaching.
Why choose language exchange within HEP-BEJUNE?
A tandem is easier to start when both people share some context. At HEP-BEJUNE, that might be a location, teaching placement, research interest or preparation for multilingual schools. You need not follow the same programme; your language goals, learning style and available times simply need to fit.
- Connect the three sites: as of July 2026, official contacts place primary teacher education in Delémont and La Chaux-de-Fonds, while secondary teacher education, special needs education, continuing education and research are in Bienne. The university filter helps you look beyond your own building.
- Practise for teaching: rehearse explanations, classroom instructions, parent conversations or feedback, then compare which phrases sound clear and natural.
- Include incoming students: the mobility unit welcomes students from Switzerland and abroad for one or two semesters under existing agreements as of July 2026. A tandem can support speaking confidence and everyday orientation.
- Work around placements and travel: short online sessions can complement longer conversations when placements, block teaching or journeys between sites limit your time.
For session structure, role changes and feedback prompts, see Make the Most of Your Practice Session.
New: add your university to your profile
Select HEP-BEJUNE as your university or higher education institution. You can then filter for people who have added the same institution. This is useful if you study in La Chaux-de-Fonds but would also consider someone in Delémont, Bienne or available online.
A shared university is a starting point, not a guarantee of a good match. Compare offered and requested languages, goals, level, interests and availability. Finding the Ideal Language Exchange Partner provides a practical checklist.
Get Started with Sprachtandem.ch explains profiles and search. Existing users can consult Your Sprachtandem.ch Account. The university entry is self-declared and is not verified by HEP-BEJUNE.
How to search within your university
- Add HEP-BEJUNE as your university or higher education institution and describe the language outcome you want.
- Choose the language you offer and the one you want to learn or speak more confidently.
- Filter the search by HEP-BEJUNE to view profiles with the same institution selected.
- Compare learning goals, level, interests and availability. A shared site helps, but it is not essential.
- Make contact and agree on a suitable format: online or at an accessible public place near a confirmed HEP-BEJUNE location, such as around Chemin de la Ciblerie 45 in Bienne. Check access, opening hours and house rules yourselves before meeting.
For cross-site tandems, Learning Languages Online explains how to combine digital and in-person practice.
From PER to Lehrplan 21: practise language for the classroom
As of July 2026, the bilingual primary teacher education programme run by HEP-BEJUNE and PHBern brings French and German together. It prepares future teachers for monolingual and bilingual schools and for both PER and Lehrplan 21. In a tandem, you can explain lesson-planning or didactics terms, rehearse short teaching sequences, or compare how one task is phrased clearly in both languages.
The multilingual setting extends beyond this programme. In July 2026, HEP-BEJUNE's continuing education language area lists French, German, English, Italian and multilingual approaches. For the especially relevant French-German pairing, Learning German and Learning French offer further orientation. The guide to languages spoken in Switzerland helps place regional varieties and expectations in context.
Who is a HEP-BEJUNE language tandem for?
A university-based tandem suits people who want a realistic reason to speak and a partner with recognisable higher education context. It is especially useful in these situations:
- Primary teacher education students in Delémont or La Chaux-de-Fonds who want to use French or German more actively for their studies, placements and future classrooms.
- Secondary teacher education or special needs education students in Bienne who want to explain specialist terms clearly and become more spontaneous in conversation.
- Incoming exchange students spending one or two semesters at HEP-BEJUNE who want regular practice beyond their taught sessions.
- Doctoral researchers, researchers, staff and continuing education participants who want more confidence in meetings, presentations or informal professional contact.
- University members who move between locations or have tight timetables and need to combine in-person meetings with short online sessions.
Start your HEP-BEJUNE language exchange
720 students in 2025 and three active locations in July 2026 create many possible points of connection, but not automatically the right match. Adding the university narrows the search meaningfully. A clear language goal, realistic time windows and a thoughtful first message then turn that filter result into a workable exchange.
Where French and German meet across teacher education, placements and bilingual school contexts, a regular tandem can move you from passive understanding towards active routine. Agree from the start how you will divide the time, which situations you want to practise and what kind of correction each person finds useful.
Frequently asked questions about language exchange at HEP-BEJUNE
How do I filter for HEP-BEJUNE on Sprachtandem.ch?
First add HEP-BEJUNE as your university or higher education institution in your profile. Then use the university filter in the tandem search to look for profiles that have selected the same institution. This is a self-declared profile entry, not verification by HEP-BEJUNE. Before contacting someone, also compare their offered and requested languages, learning goal, level, interests and availability.
Can I find tandem partners across all three HEP-BEJUNE locations?
The institution filter covers profiles with HEP-BEJUNE selected; it is not limited to Bienne, Delémont or La Chaux-de-Fonds. The filter alone may not tell you whether someone is regularly at your preferred location, so discuss meeting places and travel days directly. When schedules or distances do not align, online sessions or alternating meeting points can be the most practical arrangement.
Which languages are particularly relevant at HEP-BEJUNE?
French and German are especially relevant because the bilingual primary teacher education programme connects both languages with PER and Lehrplan 21. In July 2026, the continuing education language area also listed French, German, English, Italian and multilingual approaches. Your personal goal still comes first: look for someone who offers your target language and wants to practise a language you can confidently share.
Do I have to be a HEP-BEJUNE student to add it to my profile?
This page is also relevant to incoming exchange students, doctoral researchers, researchers, staff and continuing education participants with a genuine current connection to HEP-BEJUNE. The institution entry is not confirmed by the university. Add it only when it accurately describes your present higher education context, and briefly explain in your profile how you are connected and what kind of tandem you are seeking.
How can a tandem support the bilingual primary teacher education programme?
A tandem does not replace formal study, but it creates extra speaking time. Partners can alternate between French and German while practising classroom instructions, specialist vocabulary, short explanations or situations from school life. Because the programme is aligned with both languages and the PER and Lehrplan 21 curricula as of July 2026, a tandem can also help compare terms and phrasing habits across the two educational contexts.