Unite! Online Language Café: Learning languages outside the classroom

Unite!’s multilingual and multicultural environment provides an excellent setting for informal language learning which, based on language learning theories, can occur unconsciously and incidentally outside the classroom setting through interaction with native speakers or exposure to authentic language. The Unite! Online Language Café (UOLC) is designed to do just that - easily accessible and voluntary. It fosters informal interactions to promote and encourage students to use and learn all Unite! languages. A virtual space, where meetings are planned, the UOLC will be run by students for students starting on 15 th January 2025. Detailed information and access will be given on the Metacampus space.

The UOLC is an extracurricular peer-to-peer activity to use, practice and deepen language knowledge in a safe environment. Students from diverse academic backgrounds gather and decide in which language(s) they want to communicate and exchange ideas and intercultural experiences. The room will be regularly open for two hours every second Wednesday 16:30-18:30 CET.

In the UOLC as proposed here, students meet on a platform for an authentic intercultural communication which is facilitated by student tutors. The trained student tutors’ role will be to explain the idea of the Language Café, introduce topics, encourage communication and clear misunderstandings. To reach the objectives the UOLC will create a model, the didactic concepts, training material for student tutors (speaking all nine local Unite! languages Catalan, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Spanish and additionally English), an evaluation process and select an appropriate platform. Once finalized, the virtual UOLC will be a sustainable project which raises awareness of linguistic diversity and encourages autonomous learning. The model will easily be adapted to other contexts and target groups.

I have made many great experiences with Languages Cafés in various forms: It was and still is on of the best ways to use your language skills in a safe and relaxed space.  

And that’s what's in it for the students

• The Unite! Online Language Café is an informal learning environment that provides a non- binding activity to use languages in a peer-to-peer setting and to raise awareness of the opportunities provided by Unite!.

• Students are engaged in using languages in a safe environment without grades and testing.

• Students are supported in developing autonomy in language learning as they are not following exercises and instruction from teachers, but engage in meaningful and real-life encounters in (a) different language(s).

• The UOLC creates the chance of developing intercultural competences as people with different backgrounds interact and discuss various topics.

• Students get involved with peers from other Unite! partners. These encounters can lower the threshold to engage in virtual or physical mobility within Unite! and promote exchanges n a trans-European campus.