Speaking in many tongues

Along the busy block on the Ave between Northeast 45th and Northeast 47th streets lies a restaurant where a secret exists, largely unknown to the traffic outside. As one enters the simple doors, a rich, Greek aroma drifts out. But before a nose can really dig in, the senses are overwhelmed by voices speaking a variety of languages — all with intense passion and sincerity.

Each week, UW language groups congregate at the Continental Restaurant in an effort to practice speaking their respective tongues and network with worldly natives living in the Seattle area.

The idea began with a German language group that had been running for decades. It was greatly enlarged when Paul Smith, now a UW technology officer, discovered it in the autumn of 1993.

As a student focusing on business German, Smith needed a place to practice his language skills. Upon discovering the small group at the European Bakery, then also on the Ave, he started an e-mail list and began reaching out to more students.

With the German group, known as Seattle Stammtisch, leading the way, 15 groups now meet on either a weekly or bi-monthly basis at the Continental, which became the permanent meeting location when the European Bakery closed in 2003. The groups consist of dozens of individuals from both the UW language departments and the larger Seattle community.

“The German group developed so well that it established a model for other language groups,” Smith said. “It’s easy to start a new group.”

Of the groups that followed, the Czech Table, has been one of the most successful groups. Established by Dagmar Koenig, a former UW Czech language instructor, the program has been taken over by Jaroslava Soldanova, now the lone Czech professor at the UW.

Soldanova attends each meeting to help students and native Czech speakers form connections.

“Students are meeting native Czech speakers in order to improve their conversational skills and learn more about Czech culture and history,” she said.

Practicing language skills in a more practical forum outside the classroom seems to be the real draw for students.

“We don’t get as much practice actually speaking in class, so the table is a great way to make up for that,” senior Jake Barr said.

Barr, who is majoring in International Studies, German and Czech, also attends the German language group. He said he believes his experiences in both practicing the language and meeting native speakers will be invaluable for preparing to study abroad next year.

For Erin Horvath and Kathryn Moffat, the groups have been all about forming helpful relationships and friendships. Moffat, a sophomore history major and first-year Czech student, met Horvath, a second-year Czech student majoring in communication and Eastern European languages, through their visits to the table.

“It’s a great tool for first-year students to meet second years,” Moffat said.

Horvath feels the nature of having a discussion group in a restaurant atmosphere makes it that much more useful.

“It’s the best resource we have outside the classroom, and it really makes a huge difference knowing that we are not graded on our grammar or vocabulary,” she said.

For Czech students, however, there are additional academic incentives to participating in the tables. Soldanova awards extra credit to her first-year students for their attendance, and for second years, it’s a requirement.

The groups welcome new members through word of mouth, but most groups also use e-mail lists as well as weekly postings on Craigslist.

Students new to the tables are encouraged to bring a phrase book to help them understand some of the rapid speech that comes from native speakers.

“I brought one in the beginning,” Barr said. “I could ask people to speak slower while I looked up certain words or phrases.”

New members are welcomed to the tables with enthusiasm and interest. Many often start out just listening, as the conversation can be intimidating.

“I mostly just listen, because my conversations don’t go too far,” said freshman Anton Shadyrya, a pre-major who recently attended his first Czech table. “It’s funny because when you’re here, your mind goes blank, but later you remember everything that you should have said.”

Another incentive for students is the Greek cuisine and family dining atmosphere.

The Lagos family took over the Continental Restaurant in January 1974. Since then, it has had a fiercely loyal customer base, with some patrons coming to the Continental for more than 20 years.

The clientele is also extremely diverse, seemingly fit for the language groups that frequent the restaurant.

“This place lends itself to internationalism, because you’ll find all different types of people here,” owner Demetre Lagos said.