Abstract
Tandem learning, a collaborative language exchange practice where language learners pair up to mutually enhance their linguistic skills, offers a dynamic and interactive platform for language learners to engage in authentic communication, enhance their linguistic proficiency, and develop intercultural understanding (Brammerts, 2003). While tandem language learning is recognized for promoting autonomy and motivation in language acquisition, existing studies often concentrate on a single target language, overlooking the dynamics of the learners' full linguistic repertoires.
This paper presents a study of plurilingual practices within the framework of tandem language learning at a major Czech university. Data were collected through written reflections and recorded tandem sessions, offering an insight into plurilingual interactions. The study outlines profiles of three language tandem pairs, each consisting of a Czech student and an international student, working on Czech, French, and German, all learning as an additional language (L3+). The results reveal that participants, although they did not receive any formal training in plurilingual approach to language learning, intuitively employed plurilingual strategies such as translanguaging, translating, or intercultural mediation. The results underscore the potential of plurilingual practices in learning an additional language in autonomous learning settings, and challenge the monolingual principle rooted in language education (Woll, 2020; Vassallo & Telles, 2011).