IU Language Groups and Organizations

African Languages and Cultures Club

The African Language and Cultures Club acts as a gathering organization for students currently studying African Languages and to provide outreach about the languages and cultures of Africa to the wider campus. As an organization, the club hosts the African Language Festival and also smaller club events such as showing African language movies and discussing specific cultural regions of Africa.

This group was formed in the Fall semester of 2006 as a joint venture between the Department of Linguistics and the African Studies Program at Indiana University-Bloomington in order to encourage the use and study of all African languages. The primary goal of this group is to bring together students and speakers of African languages, as well as those with a more general interest on the IU campus. One of our goals is to raise awareness of the programs and courses offered at IU to individuals interested in learning more about this topic.  We hope that this group will supplement the many great opportunities for learning African languages already offered at Indiana University. As a community of African language speakers, members of the African Languages Club at IU, can gain valuable knowledge from one another by conversing about their experiences, concerns, and successes in this field of study.

Learn more about the club on their beINvolved page.

AI Espresso: Weekly Quick Shots of AI for Language Studies

AI Espresso meets weekly for half an hour to highlight the skills and experiences of IU faculty, students, and staff who are passionate about the intersection of AI and languages.  Through this event series, we hope to work collaboratively to develop and shape a thoughtful and inclusive AI-powered learning community.

Learn more and volunteer to present at this link.

IU Foreign/Second Language Share Fair

Share Fair is a semi-annual event that encourages encourages both graduate students and faculty to share inspiring ideas, useful teaching strategies, and new activities that can be widely applied in language classes. Share Fair's vision is to create and foster a true community of language educators through interdepartmental collaboration. Organizers believe in the supporting power of networking and learning from peers, and strive to provide a casual and welcoming environment for this unique and worthy cause.

Visit the Share Fair website here for more information and to view recordings of previous events.

IU French Club

The French Club welcomes all those interested in speaking French and in learning about French and francophone cultures. Our director of language instruction in French, Erin Candeias, serves as the club's faculty director, assisted by Melissa Lapalus and Decker Pope. The aim of the French Club is to offer enrichment activities for current Indiana University French students, while also exposing the broader campus and Bloomington communities to aspects of French and francophone culture.

Learn more about the French Club on their webpage or Facebook page.

Language Conversation Tables

Language tables provide the opportunity to practice language skills in a friendly and informal environment. Drop by a conversation table to connect with other speakers and learners over a cup of tea or coffee, improve your intercultural skills, and make new friends.

Click here for a list of currently scheduled tables.

The Language Forum at IU

The Language Forum is a graduate student discussion group focused on languages and their interaction with culture and society. The group is designed to promote interdepartmental conversation, so graduate students from all fields are welcome and encouraged to share their perspectives. Meetings are intended to be interesting, thought-provoking, and low-commitment. Meetings are typically centered around a topic predetermined by group members, but no preparation is required to join the discussion.

Learn more about the Language Forum on the group's beINvolved page.

Language Learners' Lounge Series

The Language Learners’ Lounge (LLL) is a series of informal student-focused events for those who are interested in language-related topics. Our goal is to provide language students at IU with a community where they can share experiences, resources, and tips for success, regardless of which language they are studying. Each semester we hold one LLL event, featuring presentations by and discussions with fellow students, language instructors, and alumni. 

View recordings of previous LLL events here.

Watch CeLT's events page for information about upcoming LLLs.

Les Chevaliers: IU's student-run French Club

Les Chevaliers aims to build an undergraduate community to enhance French language skills and expand understandings of French and francophone culture. Les Chevaliers is a community that is respectful of all levels of learners, be they fluent speakers or those who are new or curious to the language.

Learn more about Les Chevaliers on their beINvolved page or Facebook page.

Russian Language and Cultural Association (RLCA)

The Russian Language Cultural Association is a student organization that promotes Russian and Eastern European cultures on the IU-Bloomington campus and in the larger Bloomington community. In addition to organizing social events for its members, RLCA is actively involved in bringing various fairs, traditional events, and educational information to Bloomington. Anyone who has interests in Eastern European culture, and/or Russian (Slavic) languages is encouraged to become a member.

Learn more about the RLCA on their Facebook page.

UnderLings

UnderLings is a student organization supporting student activity in Linguistics and related fields. UnderLings is free to join and regularly holds events, including talks given by professors and grad students, movie nights, game nights, language puzzle nights, food-related events, and language microlessons.

Find more information about UnderLings here.