COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
The Home Language Conversation Cafe On May, the 18th we held the first edition of The Home Language Conversation Café at St Pauls's Learning Centre. In an informal and friendly environment, 3 groups of immigrant native speakers of Italian, Spanish and Portuguese had the opportunity to share their experiences of leaving their home country to live in the UK. We heard fascinating stories from people at different stages of their settlement in the country. Missing family and communication difficulties were the most common challenges emerging from the discussions at this first meeting. Sharing the experience of living abroad Whatever the reason for moving abroad, living in a country with a different language and culture can be an interesting and exciting experience. However, although it may vary from person to person, the process of relocation usually involves a long period of adjustment, with different stages and also hidden challenges along the way, such as the steps to access jobs, housing and health care. A typical challenge starts with communication difficulties. More than just an idiom, a language is inserted into a socio-cultural
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background and even for those who already speak English as a second language, it takes time and effort to assimilate the complexity of elements involved in this new environment. Lack of confidence and communication difficulties can affect people emotionally, leading to isolation, loneliness and even mental health problems. More than that, it affects the way people participate and contribute to the betterment of the local society. Based on these concerns, the Home Language Conversation Cafe is an initiative created to informally welcome and connect immigrants from the same language and cultural background around various topics related to their experiences of living abroad. In a friendly environment provided, people from outside the UK can meet their peers to share individual experiences of immigration in their first language. Our monthly meetings welcome different language groups in the café area
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