Bienvenido! Willkommen! Dobro pozhalovat'!
Each week, a number of foreign-language groups meet in the University District to improve their speaking and listening skills.
Hosted by the Continental Greek Restaurant and Café, a different language group meets almost every night of the week. The groups range anywhere from 10 to 30 people and meet to immerse themselves in the language of their choice. Whether one is a beginner hoping to one day be fluent or a native speaker who wants to practice his or her mother tongue, all are welcome.
The Continental, at North 45th Street and University Way Northeast, has hosted these groups since 2002 and has a designated area for members away from other diners. Manager Demetrios Lagos, whose family has owned the restaurant since 1974, said these groups are a great way to learn a language.
"It's a nice social event," he said, "and one of the best ways to practice language."
Lagos, who has been around to see these groups grow and develop, said the groups are great for getting used to listening, practicing speaking and hearing words. He believes the groups are also a great way to immerse oneself in a different culture.
An international flair
The language groups are all loosely affiliated but are part of the Continental Language Groups. The oldest and one of the largest is the German group, Stammtisch, which was founded decades ago. Its meetings formerly took place at the European Café, which later became a teriyaki restaurant.
Other language groups include French, Spanish, Dutch, Russian, Italian, Czech-Slovak, Persian, Scandinavian (Danish, Swedish, etc), and Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian.
The laid-back atmosphere of the Continental invites people of different cultures, with a short walkway at the entrance that is lined with various small national flags.
"The groups add an extra flavor to the place," Lagos said. "We're more international, so it seemed like a natural fit."
The atmosphere of the meetings is conducive to conversation. A long table is reserved on one side of the restaurant, and the chatter of other diners is barely audible.
As far as conversational topics go, there are no barriers. Conversations range from small talk to joint activities, and sometimes members will plan to go see an opera or international movie together.
People also get the chance to speak to other people by changing seats, and sometimes people are grouped with others of the same level. While every person may be at a different level and have different interests, everyone has two things in common: a love of the language and a dictionary at hand.
regular, has been a part of Échange Français for four years.
IMPROVING THE SPOKEN LANGUAGE
Paul Reed Smith, who co-founded the German group and founded the Spanish group, is the coordinator for all the groups. He speaks German and Spanish fluently and knows a little Dutch and Yiddish.
As a longtime, active member of these groups, he has seen them grow in both numbers and popularity. The German and Spanish groups are two of the largest ones, with more than 400 people on their mailing lists.
As the technology officer for facilities services at the University of Washington, Smith maintains the websites and mailing lists of both the German and Spanish groups and helps other people start new groups. He said that these groups provide more continuity and activity than the groups offered by the UW, and added that for most groups there is no minimum skill level required to join - it is dependent upon the individual's comfort level.
Smith, who goes back further than anyone, continues to stay involved with his groups.
"I've been able to make a lot of friends and improve my German a lot," he said. "It's such a wonderful way to improve spoken language."
Round-table language groups
The Continental Greek Café
4549 University Way N.E.
632-4700
RUSSIAN
Sundays, 6-9:30 p.m.
ITALIAN
Every other Monday, 7-9 p.m.
GERMAN
Tuesdays, 6-10 p.m.
FRENCH
Wednesdays, 6:30-9 p.m.
SPANISH
Thursdays, 6-10 p.m.
For more information about these groups, specific meeting times or starting your own, visit language. stammtisch.us.[[In-content Ad]]
