Find a language exchange partner at University of Speech and Language Therapy (hlo) in St.Gallen
Since its 2025 move, the School of Speech and Language Therapy Eastern Switzerland hlo has been based in the railway station building at Bahnhofplatz 2 in St.Gallen. In the 2025 reporting year, 81 students were enrolled in the Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Language Therapy. The revised programme comprises 180 ECTS, including 60 ECTS of professional practice. Language is therefore more than a subject here: it is part of lectures, case discussions, placements and the careful explanation of speech and language therapy concepts.
On Sprachtandem.ch, you can add hlo to your profile and filter the search for people who have selected the same higher education institution. In this specialised academic community, the filter can shorten the route to someone who understands the programme’s rhythm, its terminology and the St.Gallen location. You still decide which language, level and meeting format suit you.
Why exchange languages within the hlo community?
The Bachelor’s curriculum introduced in the 2025 autumn semester integrates medical and educational content throughout all six semesters. The 2025 annual report also lists 50 external lecturers and 160 placement supervisors. Students therefore encounter different professional roles, ways of explaining complex ideas and communication settings. A tandem creates a low-pressure space for trying out wording, asking follow-up questions and becoming more confident outside an assessed class or placement.
- Practise Standard German for presentations, case vignettes and clear explanations rather than limiting sessions to general small talk.
- Meet someone who understands why placements, case-based work and therapy planning shape your timetable.
- Get used to hearing Swiss German in St.Gallen while offering your tandem partner a language you already speak confidently.
- Keep the exchange going online when placement locations change or the timetable becomes busy.
New to reciprocal language learning? What is a language tandem? explains how both partners share the session and support each other’s goals.
New: add your university or higher education institution to your profile
Select the School of Speech and Language Therapy Eastern Switzerland hlo as your institution. You can then filter the search for profiles that list the same institution. This is particularly useful at hlo when you would rather meet someone from the speech and language therapy community around hlo than search across all of St.Gallen. The institution match is a starting point: level, language offered, availability and preferred learning format still determine whether a profile is suitable.
The institution entry is self-declared on Sprachtandem.ch. It is not checked or confirmed by hlo, and Sprachtandem.ch is neither an official hlo website nor presented as a partner of the institution. For profile and account help, see Your Sprachtandem.ch-Account.
How to search within your university or higher education institution
- Create a profile and say briefly why you need the language. Get Started with Sprachtandem.ch covers the basic profile and search steps.
- Select the language you offer and the language you want to learn or speak more confidently.
- Use the institution filter and choose the School of Speech and Language Therapy Eastern Switzerland hlo.
- Compare learning goals, level and availability. Finding the Ideal Language Exchange Partner offers criteria for assessing profiles.
- Make contact and arrange an online session or meet at a busy public place around Bahnhofplatz in St.Gallen. See Learning Languages Online for digital sessions and Keep Sprachtandem.ch safe before meeting someone for the first time.
From specialist terminology to Standard German and Swiss German
Language practice at hlo operates on several levels. As of July 2026, German is the official language of the Canton of St.Gallen, while Swiss German is often heard in everyday life. Speech and language therapy adds another layer: specialist terminology must be precise, but explanations for patients, family members, school professionals or interdisciplinary teams also need to be accessible. A tandem lets you separate and practise these registers deliberately, without replacing academic teaching, placement guidance or supervision.
One possible format is to spend 20 minutes explaining a technical term in plain Standard German, 20 minutes working on your partner’s target language, and the remaining time giving specific feedback. Anyone considering the consecutive Master’s programme whose first language is not German should also note that, as of July 2026, hlo lists a C2 certificate where required among its admission documents. Regular conversation can support fluency and confidence, but it does not replace formal proof.
For everyday dialect comprehension, continue with Learning Swiss German. To move beyond small talk, use Make the Most of Your Practice Session to plan a focused exchange.
Who can benefit from a language exchange at hlo?
A tandem within this higher education community is especially useful when the other person understands the specialised setting, even if their own language goal is different.
- Bachelor’s students can rehearse terminology, presentations and clear descriptions of fictional cases.
- New members of the hlo community in St.Gallen can strengthen Standard German and become more familiar with Swiss German in daily life.
- Master’s students and prospective applicants can practise academic German for research and teaching methodology.
- Researchers, staff and external lecturers can maintain another language for professional exchange, reading or contacts across the German-speaking region.
- Students completing the third-semester practice semester can keep an existing tandem online. As of July 2026, the consecutive Master’s is offered jointly by hlo and Pädagogische Hochschule Weingarten; the practice semester carries 30 ECTS and includes a research or teaching placement that can take place in Switzerland or abroad.
Start your language exchange at hlo
The Bahnhofplatz location makes a meeting before or after a day at hlo easy to organise, while online sessions remain practical during placements. The institution’s scale also gives the filter a clear purpose: with 81 Bachelor’s students reported for 2025, you are not simply looking for any contact in St.Gallen, but for someone familiar with the language-intensive world of speech and language therapy. Add hlo to your profile, state a specific learning goal and suggest one manageable exercise for the first session.
Frequently asked questions about language exchange at hlo
How do I filter for people from hlo on Sprachtandem.ch?
First add the School of Speech and Language Therapy Eastern Switzerland hlo to your profile, then enter the language you offer and the one you are looking for. In the tandem search, filter for the same institution and compare profiles by learning goal and availability. Institution information is self-declared by users; it is not verified by hlo and does not indicate an official partnership between the institution and Sprachtandem.ch.
Is hlo located in Rorschach or St.Gallen?
As of July 2026, hlo is located in St.Gallen. The former Schweizer Hochschule für Logopädie Rorschach was renamed Hochschule für Logopädie Ostschweiz in connection with the 2025 move. The current address is in the railway station building at Bahnhofplatz 2. For a tandem, choose a busy public place around the station or meet online. Use university rooms only in accordance with the institution’s access rules.
Which languages are especially useful for a tandem at hlo?
Standard German is an obvious choice for study, research and precise professional communication, while Swiss German supports everyday listening in St.Gallen. Depending on available profiles, English, French, Italian or other languages may also fit. Learners whose first language is not German can benefit from practising everyday language and academic terminology separately. For Master’s admission, hlo lists a C2 certificate where required as of July 2026.
Can I select hlo if I work or teach there rather than study there?
The page is relevant not only to Bachelor’s and Master’s students, but also to researchers, staff, external lecturers and other people with a genuine connection to hlo. The institution entry helps narrow the search to this environment; it is not confirmation of employment or enrolment by hlo. When contacting someone, describe your connection to hlo honestly and state the language goal you would like to work on.
How can a tandem support hlo’s practice-oriented degree?
According to the 2025 annual report, 60 of the Bachelor’s programme’s 180 ECTS are allocated to professional practice. A tandem can support related communication tasks: explaining a specialist term in accessible language, structuring a presentation or practising respectful follow-up questions. Always use fictional scenarios and never share identifiable patient information. Language exchange builds routine, but it does not replace subject-specific feedback, placement supervision, diagnostic training or clinical supervision.