Photo by Mahdia Ahmed (Language Café supervisor)

The University of Sussex is a vibrant multicultural community with students and staff from all over the world. While you are here you will have the opportunity to build a diverse network of friends, mentors and professionals from various cultural backgrounds, which will enrich your academic experience and broaden your intellectual horizons.

If you’re interested in making friends while learning a new language and developing your intercultural skills, the Language Café is the place for you! It’s a weekly social event organised by students for students. There is a wide range of languages on offer, from English, Spanish and Mandarin to Turkish and British Sign Language, and all the volunteer teachers are current Sussex students.

The Language Café is a safe space to meet open and friendly people who have similar interests to you. Most participants attend regularly, which develops a sense of camaraderie and belonging.

Kei, one of the volunteers says making new friends at the Language Café was very easy:

“I met someone from the cafe last year and she's also volunteering with me again this year! Now I hang out and grab a coffee with her often.”

The activities are usually divided into beginners, intermediate and advanced. Everyone is very encouraging and supports one another. The organisers and volunteers create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere where you can feel comfortable practicing the language you have always wished to learn.

Mahdia Ahmed, the supervisor for the Language Café said:

“My favourite thing about the Language Café is the impression of unity and alliance that it comes across. We have people from all walks of life come through our doors and nothing matters other than the fact that they turned up with a positive attitude, they want to learn a language, and they're open to making friends. It's a great environment with people floating about, hoping to provide a helping hand!”

The Language Café takes place every Tuesday evening from 7pm - 8:30pm at Dine Central. You don’t need to register, but sessions are run on a first-come first-served basis, so we recommend you arrive at around 6:30pm to sign in and get a place on your desired language group.

Do you speak any language fluently? Complete this online form if you would like to volunteer at the Language Café.