UW-Madison offers foreign language students more than classroom instruction by providing regular opportunities to hone language skills in a casual setting.
Innovative foreign language discussion groups extend the learning process beyond the walls of a classroom and provide a conversational setting similar to that of the native region, according to Associate Director of the Language Institute, Dianna Murphy.
Murphy said more than 30 of these foreign language discussion tables exist at UW-Madison and according to the Language Institute website, they range from Spanish, French and Italian, to Swahili, Norwegian and Arabic.
These hour-long discussion groups, most of which meet weekly, are often facilitated by a teaching assistant or professor in the particular language department. They are typically held in a casual setting, like the Memorial Union Rathskeller, or the Terrace.
'Discussion follows the interests of the people who show up,' said Monica Seger, a teaching assistant in the Italian department. She said those who facilitate the discussions often bring additional materials, including magazines, newspapers and movies in the native language in order to spark conversation.
The Russian table discussion, for example, lists film series, trips and dance parties among its activities, according to the UW-Madison events calendar.
There are numerous benefits for those who choose to participate in the conversation tables, Murphy said.
'It gives students a chance to, in a more informal setting, practice speaking in the language they are studying, often with native speakers,' she explained. Many students prefer this setting because there is less pressure, students are not being graded and may not feel as nervous about speaking she added.
Murphy said in some languages these conversation tables have evolved into a place for international students to get together and speak with students who are studying the language.
Seger said it also helps former students brush up on their studies.
'It also provides a opportunity for people who aren't actually enrolled in Italian classes at the moment to go back to their Italian,' she added.
According to Seger, no sign-up is necessary to attend a group and there is virtually no commitment required.
The discussion tables are available to anyone who is interested, and 'everyone is welcome,' she said.
