Mundo Lingo are cultural exchange events, that gather people of all ages and nationalities who wish to learn or improve skills in one or more languages. These community events take place in a casual atmosphere of a bar or pub on a weekday night. You don’t have to be a fluent speaker of any particular language,
all language learners are welcome no matter the level of skill.
As soon as you arrive, you are given by the organizers one or more stickers, flag stickers, to represent the languages you speak or want to speak. These are attached to your clothing to help others identify and engage with you around a specific language. Your native language is placed at the top, and the language that you want to practice below it. This helps to easily break the ice and allow for instant connections by providing a conversation starter.
The dynamics are relaxed with everyone free to interact in the language they want with whomever they want for as long as they want. You can come even if you only have one language to offer.
The concept of Mundo Lingo was born in Argentina on July 7 2011, with the first event organized by an English man named Benji Moreira, an immigrant living in Buenos Aires. The aim at the time was to create a space to help local Argentines and internationals engage and learn each other’s languages and also create friendships. Benji Moreira was looking for a way to get to know and get closer to the local culture and people which can be difficult if one doesn’t know the language even if there is a willingness and friendliness from both sides.
The right social environment can bridge the gap between locals and internationals, and an exchange like Mundo Lingo seems to strike the right balance allowing an enriching moment to interact on many levels of life and language. At present In Buenos Aires,
Mundo Lingo has become a popular event to a point of being held three times per week, every week. These events have a very unique format allowing people to engage with a language they studied or are studying in a real-world context which is often the only way to truly integrate and obtain fluency with a language.
The Mundo Lingo events are free and now occur regularly in over 30 cities on 5 continents. In the city of Geneva, the events take place once a week. An average 80 people show up at each gathering to meet new people and practice languages.
Don’t hesitate to join the Facebook group Mundo Lingo Geneva to follow upcoming events and see updates and pictures.