How a Language Café in Berlin Became the Highlight of My Study Abroad

By: Marissa Bergquist

One of my favorite memories from my study abroad experience in Berlin was going to a language cafe. For some context, prior to arriving in Berlin I had no plans to learn German, but suddenly I felt that learning a bit of the language would be really important for immersion and cultural understanding. I learned about the language cafe from my Intercultural Communications class, so once I had some very very basic knowledge of German I decided to give it a try. I didn’t know it would become one of my favorite experiences in Berlin to date! 

I went into the language cafe experience looking forward to meeting new people and exchanging with them. I thought it would be a fun and interesting experience, and I was not disappointed. In fact, my expectations were exceeded! I thought that I would only be able to converse with people in German for the beginning portion of our interaction, because most of the German I know is very preliminary. I was planning on just going silent, listening, and nodding as others spoke, but this did not end up being the case; I spoke with the seven other German speakers at my table for two hours. Overall, I did not have many expectations for the experience nor myself, which I think ended up working to my benefit— I did not get upset or discouraged when I was unable to communicate or understand others, I just laughed at myself and did my best. 

I found the entire experience very fun and enriching. For the whole two hours, I wore a big smile, because I found it amusing to watch myself try to use the little German I knew to construct sentences and communicate. Some of the more advanced speakers at the table helped me learn new vocabulary and, anticipating what I was trying to say or ask, helped me ask them questions or respond to others. Everyone at my table was very patient and forgiving, so I did not feel intimidated or embarrassed. Because we sought to understand one another, miscommunications were a source of laughter, not a cause of friction. There were various moments when we all could not stop laughing, and I remember thinking how amazing it was that me and people double my age could share a laugh about very simple things like a sneeze or someone awkwardly answering a question. It was also interesting to see how fun and exciting conversations can be even if they revolve around very basic topics of conversation like your favorite foods, hobbies, and job.

After two hours I made friends! We even planned when we would come again so that we could practice all together. It was really amazing to bond with people from all ages and backgrounds over our shared efforts to learn a language and understand each other. The experience highlighted for me how easy it can be to connect with others if all parties involved are interested in understanding each other. Since my first visit, I have gone almost every Wednesday to the cafe to practice my German and meet new people.  It was such a special experience, and I’m so grateful to be in a city with plenty of programs for promoting cross cultural exchange and education. I highly recommend going to a language cafe while abroad, even if you’re not very familiar with the language because you’ll meet and connect with people from all walks of life! 

EXPLORE BERLIN