Every Friday, a gathering takes place in the fourth floor “Commons” of the Modern Languages Building. From 10 am to 11 am, the space is filled with the joyful chatter of students and faculty, all enjoying their coffee, soft drinks, or snacks during "La Tertulia," a weekly Spanish conversation hour. Following that, from 11 am to noon, "Pause Café" offers a similar French-speaking rendez-vous, creating a lively atmosphere that promotes cultural exchange and camaraderie. “[It’s] the best way to start your Friday morning,” said sophomore Jack Davis. “The community is tight-knit and very inviting. There are all levels of speakers working to better their abilities to communicate. It is a fun environment with fresh baked goods, snacks, drinks, and great people. [Coffee Hour] is a fantastic way to meet new people and develop stronger relationships with the great professors of the department.” Jack believed that this type of regular conversational interaction is the best way to improve a foreign language skill, and noted, “I look forward to it every week!”
Students could be seen coming and going as schedules allowed. Many were clearly regulars, chatting over a game of Scrabble, Kloo, or working together on a word search. Others were new, cautiously entering and asking, “Is this coffee hour?” Within moments, their trepidation turned to relief as the newcomers were welcomed into conversation. Friday mornings always finds the Commons brimming with students, conversation, and laughter. “It’s a fun, relaxed way to practice…and meet new people,” said one RLL student. “I overall love it,” chimed in another. “[It] helps with my pronunciations. I am able to learn new ways of saying things in the language and able to meet new people.”
Every Friday, a gathering takes place in the fourth floor “Commons” of the Modern Languages Building. From 10 am to 11 am, the space is filled with the joyful chatter of students and faculty, all enjoying coffee, soft drinks, and snacks during "La Tertulia," a weekly Spanish conversation hour. Following that, from 11 am to 12 pm, "Pause Café" offers a similar French-speaking rendez-vous, creating a lively atmosphere that promotes cultural exchange and camaraderie. “[It’s] the best way to start your Friday morning,” said sophomore Jack Davis. “The community is tight-knit and very inviting. There are all levels of speakers working to better their abilities to communicate. It is a fun environment with fresh baked goods, snacks, drinks, and great people. La Tertulia is a fantastic way to meet new people and develop stronger relationships with the great professors of the department.” Jack believed that this type of regular conversational interaction is the best way to improve a foreign language skill, and noted, “I look forward to it every week!”
Students could be seen coming and going as schedules allowed. Many were clearly regulars, chatting over a game of Scrabble, Kloo, or working together on a word search. Others were new, cautiously entering and asking, “Is this coffee hour?” Within moments, their trepidation turned to relief as the newcomers were welcomed into conversation. Friday mornings always find the Commons brimming with students, conversation, and laughter. “It’s a fun, relaxed way to practice…and meet new people,” said one RLL student. “I overall love it,” chimed in another. “[It] helps with my pronunciations. I am able to learn new ways of saying things in the language and able to meet new people.”
“I overall love it! It helps with my pronunciations. I am able to learn new ways of saying things in the language and able to meet new people.”
The decision to host language coffee hours on Fridays appears to be a convenient choice. “I don’t have classes on Friday, so I love [coffee hour] because it gets me out and about being productive. Moreover, I have met some solid friends in every grade who I share something important with. It makes it easy to talk to people, to get advice, and to make friends. I love coming with a couple friends and hanging out. It keeps us together and ensures we hang out at least once a week.” It also works well with faculty schedules. A French student humorously suggested that, given the frequent presence of French Professors at Pause Café, they might deserve extra compensation for their dedicated involvement.
The high turnout at La Tertulia and Pause Café has Portuguese piloting a Fall 2023 coffee hour as well, with overwhelming success. Excited Portuguese students filled the Commons, hoping that the language hours become a regular occurrence. “I love it so much," said one student. "It gives me an opportunity to connect with my peers and practice my Portuguese. I wish we had more!” Another student echoed, “I love these sessions because it is a great informal way to meet my classmates and practice my Portuguese without judgement.” “I love these,” a third chimed in. “We get to meet people in our class and develop our friendships. We should have more.”
The camaraderie fostered over cups of coffee, games, and conversations not only eases the learning process but transforms it into a shared adventure. In essence, the success of the language coffee hours lies in their ability to integrate language learning with the warmth of building friendships.
