Description
Aim of the event: 
  • Promote mobility
  • Raise Awareness
Goal of the event: 
To enhance intercultural communication by learning and teaching languages, playing language games with each other and telling about one's home country and culture in a relaxed atmosphere.
This time the additional goal of raising awareness for people who are signing ("speaking" sign language) was added.
Short description of the event: 
In general ESN Jyväskylä's Café Lingua is a monthly organized language cafe where students can practise their language skills in an informal setting by talking to natives. Students can teach each other languages, play some of the language games we bring along or tell others about their home countries and cultures. The Cafe is open for everyone - there is no fee for entrance and free coffee, tea and snacks offered.
For this edition of our Café Lingua we not only had a Christmas theme with Glögi and gingerbread, but we also invited the local sign language students. They were not only participating in the event like all other students, but also gave a short presentation about sign language.
How did your event go?: 
The sign language students were a mixed group of hearing students, who's first language is Finnish and students with hearing impairments, who's first language is Finnish sign language. This mix might not be necessary, but it made communication easier. When the sign language students gave their presentation (in English), the international students seem to be very interested and everyone stopped with their ongoing activities and talks, to be able to listend to it.
A couple of international and Finnish students also came to learn some sign language afterwards. Personally I felt that some international students still felt a bit afraid of approaching the sign language students, as they were not asking about sign language or trying to learn it, but were observing what was going on at the sign language table. Maybe here some improvement could be made by some sign language activity which would involve the whole group.
In general my wish would be, that sign language gets established as a language present at all our Café Linguas.
Involvement
Name of the partners: 
Viito! ry (Student Organisation for Sign Language Students in Jyväskylä)
Number of international students: 
50
Number of "locals" involved: 
10
Number of ESNers involved: 
5
Persons with disabilities joining the event: 
Yes
How did they contribute to your event?: 
First of all I want to say that people who sign because of a hearing impairment don't always consider themselves as persons with disabilities, but as persons who speak another language and are part of a specific culture. Keeping this in mind is important when approaching someone who signs sign language.
As mentioned above, we invited the sign language students and gave them the option to take part in the Café Lingua as normal participants or to give a presentation as well. The first option was given to make them feel treated just as every other language speaker. In the end they were happy to give a short presentation as well, so their contribution was a 10-minutes presentation and then teaching sign language just like other students where teaching their mother tongues. They were also happy to share personal experiences about signing.
Café Lingua by ESN Jyväskylä
Date of the event: 
Mon, 05/12/2016
Duration of the event: 
2hours
Scope: 
Local