How to Run a Language Exchange Meetup for Beginners: Table Topics, Signup to Recap

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How to Run a Language Exchange Meetup for Beginners: Table Topics, Signup to Recap

People running their first language exchange or international meetup at a community group, university, or cafe use this beginner-friendly template to plan the event from scratch. Page 1 sets the ground rules, goal, audience, date, languages, and budget; page 2 fills out language tables and topic ideas; page 3 picks topic cards by ease and excitement and sets day-of rules; page 4 plans the signup flow and roles, then logs what to improve next time. The task board has three columns - not started, in review, and done - with four parent tasks matching the four pages, each split into three subtasks for the venue, topic cards, recruiting, and the day plus retrospective. Every task starts blank for your team to split up. Edit the e.g. sticky notes to shape your event even if unsure how. The board stays private for co-editing; guides for participants are a separate public board per language. Keep names and contacts off the board, and send visa questions to the right support desk.

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① How to Use This Board (write ② then ③) ② Ground Rules (confirm and add as a ... ③ Framework Table (fill from the top ... ④ Japanese-Speaking Table ⑤ English-Speaking Table ⑥ Easy Japanese Table ⑦ Free-Talk Table ⑨ Topic Card Format (keep one shape) ⑩ Sorting Topic Cards (place the ⑧⑨ c... Easy to talk about x Low excitement Easy to talk about x High excitement Hard to talk about x Low excitement Hard to talk about x High excitement ⑪ Use ⑫ Revise and Use ⑬ Skip This Time ⑭ Day-Of Talking Rules (read aloud at... ⑮ Flow from Signup to the Day (e.g. 4... ⑯ Day-Of Roles (decide by the day bef... ⑰ Went Well ⑱ Struggled ⑲ Try Next Language Exchange... How to use (4 pag... Goal / what we de... Rules / how we pr... Watch out / stuck... Insight / try next 1/4 Set the goal and ... Ctrl+F / ⌘F : 2/4... → 2/4 2/4 Expand tables and... ↙ 3/4 Writing orderConfirm the rules in ② first, then fill in ③'s table from the top row down. Fixing the examplesRewrite the sticky notes marked 'e.g.' to match your own event. Who writes thisCo-edit with organizers only. Make a separate board for participant guides. Don't write personal infoDon't put participants' names, contact details, or photos on the board. Send personal questions to a deskIf someone asks about visas or residency, don't answer - point them to the right support desk. A rule to adde.g. ask before taking anyone's photo Decision Example Check Goal ____ e.g. local residents and foreign residents get to know each other What counts as success the first time Target participants ____ e.g. people learning Japanese and people learning English Is it easy for first-timers to join Date and venue ____ e.g. second Saturday, 2-4 p.m., community center Booking and cancellation deadline Languages used ____ e.g. Japanese, English, easy Japanese Are there speakers for each language Capacity and fee ____ e.g. 20 people, $5 fee (covers drinks) How you'll collect the fee Made from the languages chosen in ③ e.g. mostly people learning Japanese e.g. 80% of talking in Japanese e.g. each person speaks for 2 minutes in turn Made from the languages chosen in ③ e.g. mostly people learning English e.g. 80% of talking in English e.g. facilitator asks the first question Speak slowly in short sentences e.g. for people just starting Japanese e.g. rephrase hard words e.g. use pictures or photos while talking No fixed language e.g. split evenly between 2 languages e.g. fine to move from another table e.g. no need to use topic cards ⑧ Topic Ideas (ad... Things to talk about Introductions e.g. what to call you, your neighborhood Local tips e.g. cheap supermarkets, walking routes Hobbies e.g. what you do on a day off Travel e.g. a place you want to visit Food e.g. breakfast back home, favorite dish Seasonal events e.g. how you spend New Year's Work and study e.g. what you're learning now Language differences e.g. words that sound different but mean the same Sample topic Sample question Helper phrase Beginner e.g. favorite food e.g. What did you eat for breakfast? e.g. Could you say that again? Intermediate e.g. local tips e.g. Where do you go on your days off? e.g. What does that mean? Advanced e.g. language differences e.g. Do you have this custom in your country? e.g. Like what, for example? 3/4 Select the topic ... → 4/4 4/4 Run signup throug... 縦軸: Ease of talki... e.g. introductions. Use for the first 5 minutes, then move to the next topic. e.g. food, local tips. Pick your main topics from here first. A candidate to skip this time. Drop it if it's still hard even when rephrased. e.g. language differences. Simplify the question and it works as an advanced card. Pick from ⑩'s 'easy to talk about x high excitement' e.g. favorite food (beginner) e.g. local tips (intermediate) e.g. seasonal events (intermediate) Simplify the question's wording e.g. language differences → ask from a familiar example e.g. work and study → ask about today's tasks Also write down the revised question Also note why you're skipping it e.g. religion or politics e.g. topics that dig into family matters e.g. hard-to-answer income topics Speaking timee.g. at mixed-language tables, split time evenly and switch every 10 minutes. Japanese and English tables speak at the ④⑤ ratios. When you don't understande.g. it's fine to ask someone to repeat. Don't laugh at rephrasing. Things you don't have to saye.g. it's fine to say 'pass' on a question you'd rather not answer. 4 weeks outMake the inviteMake a separate board per language with the date, venue, and fee. 3-1 weeks outRecruitShare the public link and check the signup count once a week. Day beforePrint topic cardsPrint the ⑪⑫ topics, one set per table. Day ofRun the eventRead the ⑭ rules aloud at check-in, then split into tables. Who What to do Before the day Check-in and badges Who: ____ e.g. hand out badges and guide people to tables e.g. prepare badges and pens Table facilitator Who: ____ e.g. ask the first question and bring everyone into the conversation e.g. read through the topic cards Timekeeper Who: ____ e.g. signal a switch every 10 minutes e.g. prepare a timer Cleanup Who: ____ e.g. put tables back and check for lost items e.g. check how to return the venue Write this together after the event e.g. the food topic kept going at every table e.g. the easy Japanese table filled up e.g. the check-in read-aloud broke the ice Write about events, not people e.g. not enough speakers at the English table e.g. the advanced questions were too hard e.g. not enough time for cleanup Write it as an action e.g. invite 3 English speakers ahead of time e.g. simplify advanced questions in ⑫ before using them e.g. start cleanup 15 minutes before the end → 2/4 Expand tables and... ↙ 3/4 Select the topic ... → 4/4 Run signup throug...
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Task board contents

Not started 16 items

Set goal & language
Set tables & topics
Pick topic cards
Run signup to event
Check ground rules
Book venue & date
Set languages & cost
Write table flow
Gather topic ideas
Set card template
Plot topics in grid
Sort topics 3 ways
Set talking rules
Publish and recruit
Assign day roles
Write retrospective

In review 0 items

Done 0 items

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