Updates!
There has been a lot of interest in the Language meet-ups and now we can start scheduling them! Please help out the coordinators by leaving a comment below with your preferred days and times to meet. Thanks and we hope to get the tables up and running soon!
Instructions
- Scroll down to language(s) that you would like to participate in.
- Click on "reply" and enter your preferred meeting days and times. That will organize your time according to your language. (Morning=before 11am, Lunch=noon-2pm, Afternoon=3-6, Evening=after 6pm.)
- If your language of interest isn't listed, scroll to the bottom of the box below and click "leave a comment", write down the name of the language in the comment box, then reply to that comment with your desired times.
What's this all about?

Are you trying to learn a new language for research or personal interest? Do you miss speaking your native language? Do you already have a group that meets to speak a language? Consider coordinating or participating in a weekly language meetup!
The meet-up is a new set of events to get graduate students (and others) together to speak and practice languages. Each language will have it's day and meeting time and each of these will count as a meet-up. Each meet up will have one organizer and a group of participants. The organizer's role is simple: set a meeting time, show up regularly, and welcome new participants.
Scheduled Meet-Ups
Meet-ups that are ready to begin (contact coordinators for more info):
| Language | Day/Time | Coordinator | Coordinator's Email |
| Spanish | Thursdays @ 7 pm | Marco | moc.liamg|rabocseaocram#moc.liamg|rabocseaocram |
| French | Thursdays @ 6pm | Erin | moc.liamg|dscuenolame#moc.liamg|dscuenolame |
| German | Sundays @6pm | Annette | ude.dscu|revulca#ude.dscu|revulca |
| Japanese | Wednesdays 7-8:30pm | Daisy | ude.dscu|eelysiad#ude.dscu|eelysiad |
| Mandarin | Tuesdays @ 8pm | Lili | ude.dscu|gnepl#ude.dscu|gnepl |
| Portugese | Mondays @ 4:30pm | Elize | ude.dscu|ogeidazame#ude.dscu|ogeidazame |
Get involved!
Be a coordinator!
Being a meetup coordinator is easy and fun! Coordinators greet new participants, keep conversation going and make everyone feel welcome. You're primary job is to be present so people will know where the meet up is taking place. Your few duties will include: determining a meetup time, greeting new participants, and keeping an email list. All publicity, reserving space, and other logistics will be taken care of for you. There will also be materials available to help you out: a placard with the language on it, icebreakers, and materials with fun social activites to keep the conversation flowing. Each language meetup will also have a webpage on ucsdgrads.wikidot.com where you can place updates or photos if you wish.
As grad students we know that even this small committment might just be too much to handle, so consider co-coordinating. Split your duties with another participant or if you can't make a meeting, contact someone on the email list to play coordinator for a day. If you are interested, contact Erin at moc.liamg|dscuenolame#moc.liamg|dscuenolame.
Be a participant!
If you are interested, send your name, email, and language(s) spoken to Erin at moc.liamg|dscuenolame#moc.liamg|dscuenolame. Please indicate if you are interested in coordinating a group, being a participant, or both! After interest has been gauged, a weekly schedule with the meeting times for different languages will be posted right here and in Cafe Vita.
Languages of interest
Thus far, there has been interest expressed in the languages below. There are many groups that have interest but to start scheduling the meetings there should be at least 1 participant and 1 coordinator. Once those are secure the meet-ups can officially start. Contact moc.liamg|dscuenolame#moc.liamg|dscuenolame or leave a comment to express interest in one of the languages below or suggest a new language.
Check the table below for the status of other meet-up groups.
| Language | # of Participants | Coordinator? Y/N |
| Arabic | 2 | N |
| ASL-American Sign Language | 1 | N |
| Bengali | 1 | N |
| Cantonese | 1 | N |
| English/ESL | 3 | N |
| French | 12 | Y |
| German | 4 | Y |
| Hindi | 1 | N |
| Italian | 3 | N |
| Japanese | 5 | Y |
| Lithuanian | 1 | N |
| Mandarin | 5 | Y |
| Portuguese | 3 | Y |
| Russian | 3 | N |
| Spanish | 16 | Y |
| Tagalog | 1 | N |
| Taiwanese | 1 | N |
| Thai | 1 | N |
Comments
American Sign Language?
Arabic? I am a beginner to intermediate speaker and interested in improving.
Japanese
I would love a group to practice beginning/intermediate Spanish with!
Mandarin
If there are any speakers of Lithuanian out there I would be very happy to have a chat.
I tried to add it on the sidebar, but I didn't see it come up.
I just added french w/ schedule info, and I'm willing to coordinate.
I'm a native speaker of English and Japanese
I'm also interested in learning any one of several (most?!) of the languages listed so far - if I have time and there's sufficient interest to get a group going.
Pig latin
Anyone interested in Romanian?