摘要：As the 21st century progresses and the internationalisation of higher education is gainingmomentum, encouraging students’ intercultural communication has become of paramountsignificance. A Tandem Language Exchange (TLE) is among a number of initiatives taken bythe Language Learning Hub (LLH) at the University of Limerick (UL) to bring togetherforeign and home students. The TLE takes place in both semesters of the academic year,attracting over two hundred students including UL undergraduates and some postgraduates aswell as international students of many nationalities. It is offered across faculties (Humanities,Business, Education, and Engineering) to students with levels of second language competenceranging from elementary to advanced. Drawing on the empirical data collected at variousstages of the TLE, this study first looks at some of the organisational and pedagogicalchallenges encountered during 15-years of experience of pairing foreign and home students. Itthen presents the various means of support that the LLH has put into place to raise culturalawareness and encourage linguistic diversity among students. Finally, it puts forward somerecommendations for implementing this type of peer-to-peer language exchange in universitysettings
关键词：Face-to-face language exchange; intercultural interaction;authentic communication
