World Languages Café
CA’s monthly World Languages Café offers free evenings of conversation and culture. It’s a place to practice speaking a language you know or are learning, converse in a friendly atmosphere, meet new people who enjoy learning about other cultures, increase your fluency by speaking and listening, pick up useful phrases to use when traveling and recall your childhood language.
World Languages Café is held once a month, year-round on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 7-9pm in the 50+ Center at the East Columbia Library, located at 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia 21045.
Come in and join the language table of your choice (indicated by signs on the tables). There is no need to RSVP. Language tables are hosted by a native or fluent speaker who will facilitate conversation. Languages include American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, Farsi, French, German, Haitian Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Irish Gaelic, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Turkish.
Tea, coffee, and water are available. Participants and table hosts are welcome to bring food and beverages and may bring treats from their culture to share with their table. Children under the age of 13 should be accompanied by an adult.
To find out if there will be a native speaker of the language of your interest, to request that your email is added to the World Languages Café email group, or for more information, please contact Laura Smit at 410-715-3162 or International@ColumbiaAssociation.org. Click here for the flyer.
Programs
CA’s International Book Club meets monthly to explore multicultural and international themes. All books are selected by participants. Through a collaboration with Howard County Library, the book selections are reserved each month at the East Columbia branch. All books are in English.
Book discussions are held at 7:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month at Columbia Association Headquarters, 6310 Hillside Court, Columbia. To see the the list of upcoming books, the list of books the International Book Club has read since 2010, and book suggestions made by members by area of the world, click here link opens in a new window. To join the CA International Book Club Google group, please contact Laura Smit at International@
Past Multicultural Events:
Africa CultureFest | October 2018, click here for photos |
Oceania CultureFest | October 2017, click here for photos. |
HaitiFest | January 2017, click here for photos |
Central America and Mexico Culture Fest | October 2016, click here for photos |
Eastern Europe and Russia Culture Fest | April 2016, click here for photos |
Ghana Fest 2 | November 2015, click here link opens in a new window for photos |
Western Europe Culture Fest | October 2015, click here for photos |
South America Culture Fest | April 2015, click here for photos |
Caribbean Culture Fest | September 2014, click here for photos |
North Africa and Middle East Culture Fest | May 2014, click here for photos |
The Art of Ghana Exhibition | May 2014, click here for photos |
Ghana Fest | November 2013, click here for photos by Ron Fedorzak |
South Asia Culture Café | November 2012, click here for photos |
East Asia Culture Café | March 2012, click here for photos |