Languages

All our language groups remain active. Get those grey cells working and practice your linguistic skills!

French Conversation

Leader: Diana Brahams, assisted by Judith Steinberg

Computer screen showing members meeting online and in a private home
The French Conversation Group goes hybrid!

The French Conversation group has evolved into quite a cultural exchange. To avoid running out of topics, the members are each invited to suggest a song or other piece of music, a film, a poem, a book, or a painting.  Their choice is shared with the group on screen and the member explains to the others and then discusses (in French of course) why they made the choice. The group (which usually has the assistance of a fluent French speaker) could probably accommodate one or two further members whose French is of a reasonable standard.

  • Hybrid sessions in the leader’s home (NW11) with others joining online on Zoom
  • When: Tuesday 2.00 pm – 3.00 pm
  • Frequency: Fortnightly

French Improvers – Intermediate and Advanced

Leader: Yocheved Freeman

These groups cover conversation, understanding, and writing skills.

  • Using Zoom
  • When:
    • Monday 9.45 am – 10.45  am – Advanced group
    • Monday 11.00 am – 12.00 pm – Intermediate group

French Literature Group

Leader: Simone Grayson

Meeting fortnightly on Monday afternoons at Simone’s home and will be discussing the works of Flaubert and Guy de Maupassant. Participants must be fluent French speakers.

  • Where: Leader’s home in NW11
  • When: Monday 2.30-3.30
  • Frequency: Fortnightly

Further, we hope to be able to announce the start of another (similar) French literature group with a different, well qualified, leader. Anyone interested in joining this new group (and who is fluent in French) should contact Diana Brahams (brahamsd@gmail.com).

Advanced German Conversation

Leader: Caroline Blausten

Very informal conversation. Anything and everything the group would like to discuss.

  • At Joie de Vie, 25 Temple Fortune Parade, NW11 0QS (near Costa)
  • When: Tuesday 12.00–1.00 pm
  • Frequency: Weekly

Hebrew (Ivrit) Conversation

Leader: Ziva Dwek

  • Can you make yourself understood in Modern Hebrew (Ivrit)?
  • Want to improve your conversation and proficiency?
  • We are an intermediate-level, fun and friendly conversation group (chug) for people who can speak the language and want to progress their competence.
  • Great majority of discussion in Ivrit.
  • We are not a  learning group – we are a discussion group.

At each meeting, each of us either:

1. Reads and translates an article from the latest issue of Yanshuf (an Israeli newspaper in somewhat easier Ivrit) with its crib sheet – we then discuss that article.

Or

2. Chats in Ivrit on any subject they want (except politics or religion) for a few minutes and we discuss that.

Except when translating we speak only in Ivrit throughout our meetings.

  • Where: Leader’s home in NW11 and on Zoom
  • When: Wednesday 10.00–11.30 am
  • Frequency: Weekly
  • Space for 1 or 2 more — please use the form on the contact page if interested in joining (select the option “Application to join group(s)”)
  • Note: there is an annual charge shared among all members (approximately £20 each) for the subscription to Yanshuf

Italian Conversation (Intermediate)

Leader: Daniela Marx

Daniela is a native Italian speaker. Her beginners class has moved beyond the basics, and now focuses on conversation.

  • Online using Zoom
  • When: Monday 8.30 – 9.15 am
  • Frequency: Weekly

Learn Latin

Leader: Daniela Marx

Set book: Cambridge Latin Course Book 1 – 4th Edition

  • Online using Zoom
  • When: Monday 9.15 – 10.00 am
  • Frequency: Weekly

Spanish Conversation

Leader: Hannah Edmonds

Our native Spanish participant, Gaby Winter, will lead on the language side. We shall choose different topics from week to week to be discussed the following week. There will be an introductory 10 minutes for people to contribute to happenings during the past week or planned for the following week. We may read some literary extracts or look at excerpts on Netflix or look at news items from papers such as El País.

  • Where: Leader’s home in NW11
  • When: Monday 10.00–11.00 am
  • Frequency: Weekly

Yiddish Conversation

Leader: Cyril Ruttenberg

A fortnightly meeting for those who can speak and/or understand Yiddish.

  • Online using Zoom
  • When: Monday 2.00–3.30 pm
  • Frequency: Fortnightly