The Journal

Issue date: 9/28/06 Section: LifeStyle

Media Credit: Audrey Burke Students met Sept. 15 to share food and conversation in German. The table was lead by Christine Salmen, the German language teaching assistant from Vienna, seated in the center on the right.

Buenos tardes, bonjour, guten tag or konnichi wa are some of the first things a student might hear coming from Webster University's language tables. The language tables are meetings for students hosted by department of international languages and cultures teaching assistants.

The language tables help students develop their conversational skills and vocabulary while learning about a country's culture and the history of the language as well as getting homework help. The tables vary from simple conversation to planned activities, like listening to music, watching movies or cooking.
The participants' skill levels range from beginner to advanced to fluency.

"The first time I attended the Japanese language table two years ago I learned how to introduce myself and say my age properly," said Barbara Netteler, a junior animation major. "Now I go to get hints on my assignments and try to help people new to the language."

Edward Staples, a freshman journalism and media communications major, speaks Spanish fluently and studied Japanese on his own for a year prior to taking the elementary course at Webster. The Japanese table helps him use what he taught himself before taking the course, Staples said.

The teaching assistants are graduate students who teach a small number of language classes. Gisela Fortuna hosts the Spanish table. Christine Salmen hosts the German table. Armelle Depays hosts the French table and Keiko Hata hosts the Japanese table.

Salmen said this is her first year teaching at Webster and hosting the German table.

"I spent two hours in the kitchen," Salmen said, referring to the baked goods she presented to her German table. "So introduce yourself in German and start eating."

The Society of International Languages and Cultures, formerly the Foreign Language Club, provides the funds for all of the language tables.

David Cook, a senior history and education major, is vice president of SILC and attends the Japanese table.

"I go to the table to talk with the students from Japan and get help with my homework," Cook said.

The Spanish table meets at 3:30 p.m on Thursdays in Jazzman's Cafe and the Japanese table meets in the Webster Village Apartments' clubhouse. For specific times of the Japanese table contact Hata at keikohata37@webster.edu. The German table is every other Friday; the time and location vary. The French table has no set day or time. To learn more about the French table times, contact Depays at armelledepays01@webster.edu.

For general information on the language tables contact, the department of international languages and cultures at 968-7047.

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