Language Exchanges Foster Cultural Connection In Somerville

WBZ NewsRadio's Chaiel Schaffel reports. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
In a packed bow market. A couple of tables sound
like the Tower of Babbel after the incident.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
So people could come just to make friends. People could
come to practice a language that they're already fluent in
a language that they're trying to learn. They could sit
and listen.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
Languages are flying, from Spanish to hebren A, Mandarin and others.
It's part of the language Exchange hosted here by Bradley Berman,
who tutors people in a few different languages. Part of
the point is to learn the languages from each other,
but Bradley says, when you learn someone's language, it's a
window into all sorts of other things.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
In every language, there's vocabulary expressions, cultural references, literary references
that are unique to the circumstances under which that language developed.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
I caught up with a group brushing up on Spanish
Ablo en Espanoli, gone katya ibn gatya.

Speaker 4 (00:42):
Yeah. I used to be much better at it. I
used to be able to talk with people in Mexico.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
Bradley says this was inspired by experiences abroad, where this
kind of thing is more common. Kyle Scheffel b Busy,
Boston's news radio