Language Exchange: Bilinguals gather for weekly conversations

Lauren Fisher |

COFFEE AND CONVERSATION. Linguists meet at The Goat Coffeehouse on Water Street in Eau Claire on a Thursday evening to talk, collaborate, and practice English and Spanish languages.
COFFEE AND CONVERSATION. Linguists meet at The Goat Coffeehouse on Water Street in Eau Claire on a Thursday evening to talk, collaborate, and practice English and Spanish languages.

When Genero Leal or Rebecca Denney tell Spanish speakers about Habla en la Cabra, the language exchange group they volunteer with, Habla en la Cabra, they are met with confusion, or a chuckle. That’s because the literal translation of the program’s name is “Speak in The Goat.” Things become a little clearer when he explains that English and Spanish speakers gather at The Goat Coffee House to help each other practice a second language at the group’s weekly meetings (5-7pm Thursdays).

Denney, now a mother and professional interpreter, started Habla en la Cabra in 2013 as she was about to graduate from UW-Eau Claire. She was worried that once she wasn’t in language classes any longer, she would fall out of practice with her Spanish speaking. So she brought together a group of friends for weekly practice sessions at The Goat, 336 Water St. Soon after, she reached out to campus professors and arranged for students who attended the group to receive extra credit with their classes.

After Denney and Leal met, they worked together to maintain the meet-ups, making sure that one or the other was in attendance each week to guarantee a Spanish speaker would be present.

Since then, the program has been adopted by El Centro de Conexión de Chippewa Valley, a nonprofit group dedicated to recognizing and promoting multiculturalism in the area. The organization has a network of volunteers who help Latin American locals access resources such as interpreters, support systems, doctors, legal counsel, and more. The organization sends volunteers to Habla each week, giving Denney and Leal more flexibility in their schedule.

Habla en la Cabra is open to English and Spanish speakers of all skill levels and dialects; Spanish speakers with many different regional accents attend, giving ample opportunity for non-native speakers to learn about the language’s nuance. The only rule is that attendees be respectful of others, and critique kindly, so that no one is discouraged during the learning process. Typically, five to eight people show up to each meeting.

When the group first started, Denney showed up with themes, handmade flash cards, and miniature lesson plans. However, she quickly realized that conversation is king. The group would often become distracted with social conversation. She believes it is the sense of casual community that appeals to language learners. “They love that it doesn’t feel like a class,” she said.

“You see these people really excited about learning, and that gets me really motivated,” Leal said. Some participants drive all the way from Stanley to practice.

While Habla has typically been a place for people who speak Spanish as a second language to learn, more and more people who speak it as a first language have been coming to The Goat to learn or improve upon their English. Denney and Leal hope to encourage this growth, as it promotes El Centro’s cause as well as their own goal to exchange language.

Habla en la Cabra Language Exchange • 5-7pm Thursdays • The Goat Coffee House, 336 Water St., Eau Claire • facebook.com/habla.cabra