Since autumn 2023, Linguapolis has also organised an informal form of language practice for highly-educated people around the world: the Online Language Cafés. Guided by a native speaker (a ‘café coach'), language learners meet online and in groups, and talk for an hour every week about the culture, current affairs and society of the country or region where the target language is spoken. This way, they can keep practising the language they once learned.
What is typical of the Online Language Cafés - and this makes them different from the well-known Linguapolis language courses - is that there is no homework, study or exams involved; it involves practising only speaking and listening skills, and there is no set programme, so missing a session is no disadvantage. The biggest plus is that participants practise the language with like-minded people worldwide in a relaxed online setting. Linguapolis hopes this can give an international community of highly-educated language lovers the opportunity to support each other in the daily use of a foreign language. The café coach - a native speaker with a passion for their own language and culture - leads the conversations in the right direction and provides authentic input.
Maxime Peeters, project manager for the Online Language Cafés, developed all aspects related to organisation, administration and content. She conducted a market survey, organised test sessions and prepared for a successful launch. The café coaches were then inducted during an information evening and a training session. Maxime also created an extensive database of inspiration sheets and tips that café coaches can use to get started. Ginny De Vos, foreign languages coordinator, ensures that the Online Language Cafés find their rightful place within the entire Linguapolis offer and Rolf Nys, general operation coordinator, provides technical and administrative support.
As part of YUFE, the Online Language Cafés were launched for Student Journey students, who through this project are building their Language Stars. Those who lead an Online Language Café as a tutor earn a Civic Star. To start with, some of the most widely spoken European languages are offered: French, English and Spanish. In the future, YUFE Cafés will also open for the Alliance's other languages, such as Dutch, Polish or Croatian.
Linguapolis offers the Online Language Cafés as paid practice sessions to all highly-educated language learners. We aim to organise Cafés for just about every language that Linguapolis offers: a great addition to the existing language courses, and an attractive variety for all course participants!
To announce this new initiative, Maxime, together with Charlotte Teunis, Linguapolis communications officer, and Miek Bruggen, YUFE decentral admission officer, set up a promotional campaign via mail and social media. In the future, we will focus even more on international recruitment, because an Online Language Café knows no borders.
Now it is up to the participants and the Linguapolis café coaches with the YUFE tutors to fill the sessions with conversation and chatter. For sure it will be fun, just like in a real café!
Project Manager Maxime explains, ‘Not every language lover is looking for a structured language course. On the other hand, existing conversation groups are often not aimed at the highly-educated. The Online Language Café fills that gap perfectly: practising language in a casual atmosphere, but with professionally supported discussion leaders.’
Café coach Estefanía says, ‘Even the first session showed how nice it is to be able to share your culture with others.’