Find a language exchange partner at the University of Bern

At the University of Bern, 19’741 students were enrolled in the autumn semester of 2025; 21% were foreign nationals. As of July 2026, the university describes its key student locations as centrally situated in the Länggasse district and within easy walking distance of one another. This combination of an international community and short routes makes regular language practice easier to fit around lectures, research and office days.

On Sprachtandem.ch, you can add the University of Bern to your profile and filter the search for profiles listing the same university. This lets you look beyond language alone and find someone familiar with Bern’s academic rhythm and university locations. Sprachtandem.ch is an independent platform, not an official University of Bern service or partner.

Explore language exchange in Bern

Why exchange languages within the University of Bern community?

A shared university setting makes meetings easier to organise before a seminar, after work or between appointments. At year-end 2025, the University of Bern employed 8’204 people, 32% of whom were foreign nationals. Many disciplines, roles and language backgrounds therefore meet in the same academic environment.

• Shared context: terms such as seminar, colloquium, research group and semester planning need less explanation.
• Practical routes: the university’s building list, accessed in July 2026, includes the Main Building, UniS, Unitobler and the vonRoll area.
• Useful combinations: one person may want German for administration and everyday conversations; the other may want English or French for study, research or mobility.
• A sustainable rhythm: someone familiar with semesters and busy research periods can help set realistic meeting times.

A good match also depends on interests, level, availability and format. The guide to finding the ideal language exchange partner can help you compare profiles.

New: Add your university or higher education institution to your profile

Select the University of Bern as your university in your profile. You can then use the university field in the search to find profiles that list the same institution. This is useful when you want someone who knows university life in Bern or is regularly in Länggasse for study or work.

University details are entered by users themselves. They are not confirmation of affiliation by the University of Bern, and the university does not verify profiles through Sprachtandem.ch. Add a clear aim too, such as “German for conversations around my institute”, “English for academic presentations” or “French for contacts in the bilingual canton”.

See how to get started on Sprachtandem.ch

How to search within your university

1. Add the University of Bern to your profile or account and briefly describe your current connection to it.
2. Select the language you offer and the language you want to practise, then add your level, goal and preferred format.
3. Open the search and use the university filter to focus on profiles listing the University of Bern.
4. Compare goals, availability and interests. A shared university setting does not replace a compatible learning arrangement.
5. Make contact and agree on an online session or a clear, accessible, well-used meeting place. In Länggasse, that could be a busy café near the Main Building or a cafeteria in the vonRoll area; confirm the exact location and access beforehand.

Search for tandems at the University of Bern

For a first session, choose one topic, split the time between both languages and agree when to switch. The guide on how to make the most of your practice session helps you build a repeatable routine.

From Länggasse to academic English: use Bern’s language mix

The University of Bern language guidelines adopted in 2023 name German as the main language. Because the Canton of Bern is bilingual, German and French are seen as equal, while English is described as very important for science. At master’s level, the admission page accessed in July 2026 says teaching may be in German, English or one or more other languages. The individual degree programme remains decisive.

This creates practical tandem combinations. International master’s students can learn German for conversations outside English-taught classes. German-speaking students and researchers can practise English for presentations, papers or international teams. Anyone seeking a stronger connection to the bilingual canton can work on French. For the wider context, read about the languages spoken in Switzerland.

Who is a University of Bern language tandem for?

A tandem works particularly well when practice is tied to situations that genuinely occur in university and city life.

• Exchange students and international master’s students who use English in their programme but need German for organisation, housing and daily contacts in Bern.
• German-speaking students developing academic English for presentations, discussions or a future period abroad.
• French-speaking university members, and German speakers who want to use the canton’s bilingual setting as a reason to speak French more often.
• PhD candidates, postdocs and researchers in international teams who need both specialist communication and informal conversation.
• New students or staff finding their way between Länggasse locations and looking to combine language practice with new university contacts.

Start your language exchange at the University of Bern

The University of Bern combines a large academic community with short routes through Länggasse. Its language setting brings together German as the main language, English as an important language of science and French in a bilingual canton. That supports specific goals: following everyday discussions in German, presenting more freely in English or starting spontaneous conversations in French.

Keep your profile specific and choose a frequency you can sustain. A 30- to 45-minute session with half the time in each language, one everyday topic and one study- or work-related topic is enough to begin. You can then adjust the pace, correction style and meeting place together.

Create a profile and add the University of Bern