GUADALAJARA - When Maria Calderon moved back to Guadalajara after eight years living in Paris she set up Polyglot Guadalajara to “establish new intercultural bonds by means of the practice of different languages that we speak or are in the process of learning.”
In practice that means getting a chance to chat away in a language you want to learn or improve.
The group meets in a local bar/café once a week (usually on Thursdays). Those attending can practice their language of choice, help out others learning their native language and meet new people from all over the world.
“I organized the club as a means of establishing a new social network in Guadalajara,” says 38-year-old Calderon, who speaks French as a second language and English as a third. “And to bring together Mexicans and foreigners who live here.”
The first notable feeling on attending one of the meetings is the relaxed and friendly atmosphere. You set your own conversational pace and there is no pressure at all. The amount of languages on offer is incredible but is reliant on those fluent in the language attending. The age range is wide and the most frequent topic of conversation is travel. Tales of living in different parts of the world are also popular.
{mosimage} “Many are students or professionals who have studied foreign languages as a second or third language,” says Calderon. Among less common languages represented at the meetings so far are Esperanto, Hebrew and Huichol. But don’t worry, the opportunity to practice Spanish is there too. Since the group began meeting on March 26 it has become increasingly popular, bar those unfortunate two or so weeks when Guadalajara seemed to be grinding to a halt amid swine flu paranoia.
“At the first two sessions there were about 20 people and by the fourth meeting there were 40,” Calderon says.
For regular attendee Daniel Mendoza, Polyglot is a means of practicing not just English, but advancing in German and French. And, he says, it is a great way of meeting new people.
“The best thing about Polyglot is that it’s free, and you actually get to know really cool people, have a beer and spend an interesting evening instead of being at your house watching TV.”
For those who wish to explore the topic further, there’s a website and international non-profit association called Polyglot that has some 200,000 members in over 100 countries. Go to www.polyglot-learn-language.com for more information.
The next meeting in Guadalajara is on Thursday, May 28 at El Fenix, at Prisciliano Sanchez 885, just off Avenida Enrique Diaz de Leon. The event usually starts at 8 p.m. For further information email Maria at polyglot.guadalajara.gmail.com., check out the Polyglot Guadalajara group on Facebook
For those living in Chapala, Ajijic or elsewhere and for whom Guadalajara on an evening is too far, why not start your own group?
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