The Arqus Café is a great opportunity to practice speaking the language(s) you are learning with others in a relaxed atmosphere. These are not language courses. The language cafés are open to all students and staff from Leipzig University and the other Arqus Universities as well.
We offer two formats: online language cafés, which usually start in March and August/September, and in-person language cafés, which run parallel to the lecture periods at Leipzig University.
You should have a working knowledge of the language (min. A2+) so that you can actively participate. The cafés are not led by teachers but instead by language tutors who are native-level speakers.
Current Session
The current session of the online Arqus Cafés will run from 10 March to 30 May 2025. The one-hour cafés take place once a week via Zoom. You can still register and take part up to two weeks before the end of the current session. The link to register is on the Arqus website. Registration opens at the beginning of March.
The in-person Arqus Cafés in Summer Semester 2025 will run from 24 April to 9 July 2025.
Go to Moodle to register to be a tutor and/or participant. You will also find more information about the cafés there (e.g., location).
Languages
The languages vary according to the tuors´availability. The last edition included online language cafés for the following languages: Arabic, Belarussian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese.
The last edition included in-person language cafés for the following languages Dutch, English, French (beginner and advanced), German (beginner and advanced), Italian, Irish, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Spanish and Ukrainian.
Become a Tutor
Would you like to offer a language café for a language you speak at a native level?
Teaching experience is not necessary. You will be prepared for your role as a tutor in a one-hour meeting. At the end of the cafés, you will receive an Arqus certificate for tutoring the sessions.
You can register to be a tutor for the on-site café on Moodle before the cafés begin.
Your can register to be a tutor for the digital cafés here.
We look forward to meeting you and hearing which language you would like to offer!
Conditions of Participation
- Participation in the online cafés requires a quiet workplace and functioning technical equipment (camera and microphone).
- If for some reason you can no longer participate in an Arqus Café that you signed up for, please contact the Arqus Café Team by sending an email to arqus_cafe@arqus-alliance.eu. This way we can give the place to the next person on the waiting list.
- In the event of repeated cancellations or unannounced absences (3 times), your place will also be given to the next person on the waiting list.
- If you take part in at least 80% of the weekly meetings, you will receive an Arqus Café Certificate of Participation. These will be issued about 2 weeks after the end of each session.
We look forward to seeing you there! Just grab a cup of coffee and join us (online)!
Language cafés at Stockholm University
Leipzig University students and staff can also take part in the language cafés at Stockholm University. The languages offered, the current schedule and registration for participation can be found here.