Let’s explore why joining a foreign language club might be right for you.
First off, what is a club? According to Oxford Languages, a club is “an association or organization dedicated to a particular interest or activity.” That’s pretty broad. This means there could be a lot of things going on in that club.
And that’s exactly true. Each foreign language club is structured differently. They could differ by:
types of meetings
activities during meetings
frequency of meetings
place of meetings
number of people in the club
language used in the club
You could join a language club that meets at a local coffee shop with 4-5 people once a week or one that meets online with 100 people once a month. This could provide you with completely different experiences. The club could also have another interest that connects it, such as a language book club, or in our case, a language tv club.
That being said, there are some benefits that come from pretty much ALL foreign language clubs. Let’s discuss them in a little more detail.
1. An opportunity for speaking practice
Having a group to practice speaking (or signing!) with is really important. This can help you gain more confidence with your new language before going out to speak with people in everyday activities.
Different language clubs do this in different ways, such as having a conversational topic, using the language for daily activities like ordering at a restaurant, or playing a game in the language.
2. A sense of companionship or friendship
It just feels good to know people who are going through similar things as you. For example, if you’re struggling with the German cases, it is so great to find someone who is also struggling with them too! You can talk about things that are related to your common interest: learning foreign languages. You may find that you have a lot of other things in common too.
3. Access to resources
You can find new resources by asking the other members of the club. For example, in our Language TV Club Monthly Social, two members were discussing being beginner Polish learners and one offered to send their favorite resources for that level to the other member. The club might also offer information about resources related to the foreign language you are studying, or have partnerships with related programs.
4. Cultural knowledge
A language club can offer opportunities to learn about the culture and customs of where the language is spoken. You might learn about the food, traditions, music, history or media from that culture. This could be done in many different ways in the club, from participating in a tradition, eating food, or just listening or reading about it. This will help you gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the language.
5. Personal growth
Learning a new language can be challenging, and sometimes even frustrating, and a language club can offer support and encouragement to help you through those times. It provides a rewarding experience while using your new language, such as someone understanding you or you providing an appropriate response to a question, even if you’re still at a beginner level. Using your new language outside of your home and with new people will help you build confidence in yourself and confidence in your abilities to communicate in that new language. This will lead to overall feelings of growth.
Whether you are a beginner or advanced learner, being a part of a foreign language club can provide a supportive and motivating environment to help you achieve your language learning goals.
Now that you know of these many benefits, do you want to join a language club?
