Language Tables Flourish at Yale-NUS College

At Yale-NUS College, students have the opportunity to learn languages both in and outside of the classroom. Since Yale-NUS’s founding, community members have regularly organised Language Tables at the College’s residential dining halls for students to practise conversing in different languages and engage in intercultural learning over a meal.

Kimberly Quek (Class of 2025), Zahra Lalani (Class of 2025) and Yihui Xie (Class of 2024), in collaboration with Don8uri, a social enterprise for the deaf and hard of hearing, initially began the Singapore Sign Language (SgSL) Table during Diversity Week in February 2023.

“We were pleasantly surprised by the strong turnout which filled all our tables, and so decided to launch a weekly SgSL Table to cater to the community’s interest in practising and learning together,” Kimberly shared.

The SgSL Table was casual, and typically included people with differing levels of experiences. “Some participants take sign language classes on campus and some learn from off campus classes with the Singapore Association for the Deaf, and others are absolute beginners. We share what we know and learn from each other. It becomes a community of learning that takes place on the dining table, reflecting the ethos of our college,” said Yihui.

In order to improve the accessibility of sign language and deaf culture, the organisers shared how they aimed to teach participants whatever signs they were curious about. “As with any new language or culture, it is always daunting to learn on one’s own, but I believe a community of friends can ease them into understanding the complexity and beauty of it,” Yihui added.

At the end of the semester last year, the Spanish Language Table co-organisers invited students, Spanish-speaking friends and Yale-NUS alumni to make pizza and eat together at their apartment. While the SgSL Table was a relatively new initiative, the Spanish Language Table is one with a long history, running since the early years of Yale-NUS. However, when this cherished tradition was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic, Associate Professor of Science (Environmental Studies) Michiel van Breugel and his wife, Juliana Lozano, decided to revive it in 2023. “We thought it would be a fun way of interacting with our students on campus, and a way to share our family’s language with students with Yale-NUS. It is also good for our daughter to be in an environment where people other than her parents are speaking Spanish!” said Michiel.

The reestablished Spanish Language Table is popular with the community. Students from diverse backgrounds gather weekly and share personal stories about daily campus life, their home countries, professional aspirations, and their families. The conversations even occasionally evolve into academic discussions on topics such as architecture and history.

“During my time abroad in Spain, I was immersed in the Spanish language and I loved it. When I came back, something felt missing, and the Spanish Table was the best way to re-experience that immersion. It was also a great way to meet other people who share my passion for the language, and learn more about the intricacies of the Spanish language and culture!” Eunice Loh (Class of 2024), a regular participant in the Spanish Table, shared.

The Spanish Table is open to all participants, regardless of Spanish proficiency. It welcomes a mix of students from both Yale-NUS and NUS College, and creates an environment where even beginners feel comfortable engaging in conversations. The organisers, offering guidance when needed, witnessed participants supporting each other, fostering an atmosphere of continuous and relaxed conversations – a crucial element in language acquisition.

“To really learn to use a new language, there is nothing more important than practise in normal and relaxed conversations. There are not too many opportunities to do that here, and this provided a bit of that for the students,” explained Juliana.

Indeed, Language Tables at Yale-NUS remains a longstanding tradition that looks set to stay as it continues to celebrate and foster linguistic diversity on our campus.