Windsor language exchange draws people from across the world

French, English, Spanish, even American Sign Language.

The list oflanguages people can learn at the Loose Lips Language Services downtown is long.

Thursday nights, Audra Macintyre places reservation cards on tables at Craft Heads Brewery and waits for people to come in around 7:00 p.m. to see what languages will be spoken that night.

• Drinking a beer can help you speak a foreign language, study finds

"It depends on who comes," she explained."If somebody comes and they speak Japanese and there's another person who speaks Japanese or is a native speaker, then another group is formed."

Macintyre saidthe inspiration for Loose Lips struck while she was on a trip to Spain where she discoveredmany native speakers went to bars to learn English. She joined in to improve her Spanish skills.

Windsor's Loose Lips Language Exchange

7 years ago

Duration 1:05

Most Thursday nights at Craft Heads brewery Loose Lips holds a language exchange night. Members of the public can sit, chat and learn a foreign language for free.

"It was a very casual event where you meet a lot of new people," she said. "And you weren't really afraid of making a mistake, because you were all in the same boat."

That relaxed and comfortablefeeling is exactly what she wanted to transfer to Windsor.

Macintyre said the city is diverse and figured there would be people interested in learning different languages.

"When you do an event like this, it brings in people from all over the world and you really see the diversity," she said.

Each week is different. Participants say they've spoken Arabic, Russian and even Esperanto an international language created in 1887. Each month,Macintyre likes to mix it up and adds in a special event, which the group advertises on their Facebook page.

On one recent Thursday, participants made gingerbread houses and competed for a gift card. Those in attendance say they like doing something a little different.

"It's pretty cool. I've met a lot of people and learned a few languages. It's always a fun time here," said Pao Dela Cruz.

He already speaks Tagalog, a language from the Philippine Islands,but likes to learn new languages too. So far he said he's learned American Sign Language, Japanese, and Korean.

Megan Gregoire is fluent in French and came for the first time with friends from her Spanish class with the hope of improving theirspeakingskills. Even though it was her first time, she said she felt relaxed.

"You don't have to worry about making mistakes or using the wrong words," she said. "You get to learn and have fun."

Others come almost every week. Miguel Sanchez is from Spain and finds more than just friendship at the tables.

"I feel a bit at home here."