The Language Club

In 1984 some of us language lovers decided that, although there were plenty of places in New York to learn foreign languages, there were no places to go to practice foreign languages.

Sure, you can let fly a greeting in Italian and a request for red pepper at the pizzaria and practice similar performances at even the busiest French restaurant, but there was no place to sit down, have a glass of wine, open books, converse with others, and consult with native speakers for two or three hours at a time.

So we started the Language Club with "practice parties" every Monday night at La Maganette, a restaurant in Manhattan at the corner of Third Avenue and Fiftieth Street. That remains our "mother club," though we've extended our practice parties to other evenings and other restaurants – even a Sunday brunch at Victor's on Columbus Avenue at Seventy-first Street.

Our mission is to enable men and women to practice conversation in other languages in a pleasant, non-threatening atmosphere at fine restaurants at a minimum price. The restaurants understand the uniqueness of the Language Club and enjoy catering to such a high minded endeavour.

The questions callers most frequently ask about the Language Club are "What night is French?" and "What's your age group?"

We explain that every night is French night – all languages are welcome at all practice parties. When you enter you go to the French table, the Italian table, the Spanish table, the German table, the Russian table, etc. Many visitors grasshopper from table to table, practicing three, four, or more different languages at the same practice party.

When they ask about age group, we immediately understand that their agenda is broader than mere language practice! We first explain we're a language club, not a "social" club or a "singles" club. We emphasise that age is irrelevant, since someone five years old can provide good language practice for someone ninety-five years old.

Having made that point, we then relent a bit and explain that indeed many of our members are single, and if two single language lovers should enter our practice party separately and leave together, we don't blow a whistle and pull a citizen's arrest. In fact, we have several "language marriages" to our credit and at least one confirmed birth!