All languages welcome.
Credit: Livia Chen
Your language app can keep its streak, y’all. Fort Lauderdale has actual humans, happy-hour cocktails and a name tag that might introduce you to someone who speaks Icelandic.
The Language Meetup returns Friday, October 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Rhythm & Vine, 401 NE Fifth Terrace in Fort Lauderdale. Admission is free, and founder Emily Chen says the gathering coincides with the venue’s $5 happy-hour cocktails.
Since launching locally in April, the monthly gathering has tripled its attendance, growing from roughly 50 people to regularly drawing 150, according to Chen. She estimates 15 to 20 languages have surfaced across the events, including Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Hindi, French Creole and the occasional Icelandic surprise.
“They’re so hungry for connection and to learn,” Chen tells Browardist.
The idea grew out of her own nerves around speaking other languages. Chen comes from a Taiwanese background, her parents were raised in Brazil, and she learned Portuguese while also encountering Spanish growing up in Florida. Finding people with similar abilities offered a way to practice without the intimidation she sometimes experienced around fluent speakers.
After organizing meetups while living in New York City, she returned to South Florida last year and spotted an opening.
“I haven’t seen any in Fort Lauderdale. Let me start one,” she recalls thinking.
The setup is wonderfully simple. Write your name and the languages you speak or are learning on a name tag, then start chatting. Groups form organically, with Italian conversations here, a Spanish table there and Portuguese learners finding people willing to help.
Chen experimented with language-specific table signs, but guests preferred circulating and striking up conversations themselves. Beginners and multilingual regulars share the same space, with no single language dictating the evening.
The conversations continue between gatherings, too. Language-specific WhatsApp chats help members find courses, teachers and even assistance preparing for interviews. Donations support the initiative, though admission remains free.
“So, people can support us by showing up and also keeping the communication going,” Chen says.
Looking ahead, she hopes to organize a culture fest in early 2027 featuring vendors and performers; a date has yet to be set. For now, the monthly meetups happen on a Friday toward the end of each month, with the exact date varying. Those looking to get in on the action are encouraged to keep an eye on its Instagram page.
