The Language Café is run by volunteers who are either native or fluent speakers of various languages including: Arabic, British Sign Language, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Welsh.
Each session, we'll suggest a theme to give you a starting point for your conversation and to help you learn something new each time.
Every language has its own conversation group. Where possible, we'll divide groups by language level, from beginner to advanced. Conversation groups are small so that everyone gets a chance to speak.
All members of the University community - students, staff and alumni - are very welcome to attend.
"The Language Café is a fun, relaxed, and interactive way of learning and practising languages. It welcomes all students, irrespective of their proficiency in the language. It is also an international social occasion where you can explore different facets of culture." (Hiu Yi Vienne Lin, EdD Research in Education)
When and where
In Academic Year 2023/24 the dates of the Language Café are:
- Thursday 26 October 2023
- Tuesday 13 February 2024
- Thursday 18 April 2024
Each event takes place from 1.00pm to 2.00pm in The Edge. Advance booking is required on MySkills and we ask you to complete a short form to tell us which language you wish to practise.
We'll provide free tea, coffee and snacks, but please bring your own cup.
"I really enjoyed the Language Cafés! They boosted my self-confidence when speaking in both English and French. I also met people and made new friends. It's a friendly environment and everyone makes an effort to include everyone in the conversation." (Peregrine Mackintosh, BSc Computer Science)
How to volunteer
If you're interested in volunteering to facilitate a language group, please get in touch:
Students: contact the Students' Union.
Staff: contact Carmen Schembri Wismayer or Astrid Forsyth.