Approximately 3,000 languages are spoken worldwide, and of those languages, about 200 can be found at Langxchange.org, a website designed to help University of Wisconsin students learn other languages.
Langxchange.org creates a profile for students, having them register by telling which languages they know and which languages they would like to learn. The website then finds other people in their database that know the same languages and displays their level of proficiency.
The site is a free tool for UW students and is meant to encourage interaction with other students who have interests in languages.
Langxchange.org was started by former UW student Bryant Smith, who was having a hard time finding other students with similar interests.
“One of the amazing things about the UW is its sheer size. If you speak a certain language, chances are someone else does as well,” Smith said. “But the difficulty on a large campus is finding that other person.”
In affiliation with the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience, an international organization located in over 83 countries, Langxchange.org helps students abroad make connections locally.
The International Association is an organization that offers exchange programs and coordinates on-the-job training for students in the technical field.
“When students abroad are notified of whether they have a job in March, they have very little time to take a course at UW,” Andrew Stevens, president of the International Association said. “Meeting someone through Langxhcange.org is a way that they can develop some speaking skills and learn about the culture before they go.”
The website, created in 2003, allows people to get together and develop a skill they may not normally use, such as Gaelic, a language offered at Langxchange.org. Besides traditional languages, such as French, Spanish and German, people can learn languages that were made up on television, such as the “Star Trek” languages.
“I’m amazed by the variety of languages. They’re from all over the world,” Smith said.
Langxchange.org is not only for those just wishing to learn another language, but it can help someone with the skills to teaching other people. It is a connection that benefits both parties and allows people to learn what they want to.
“Langxchange makes sense. We can all be teachers and learners,” Stevens said.
UW sophomore Kyle Marks is interested in the site but wonders how large the usage will be.
“I think Langxchange.org sounds like a great idea and I think it’s something I would definitely do, but I question about how many people will use the program,” Marks said. “People who are really into a language will use it, which I guess is what it is aimed for.”
Smith, however, doesn’t seem to think that the number of people visiting the site will be a problem.
“With very little promotion, we’ve already reached over 100 users,” Marks said.
Smith also believes that the students in Madison are a tremendous resource for one another.
UW junior Brian Katz agrees.
“I think it is very an interesting idea. There is a myriad of information on the World Wide Web, and the idea that someone can learn and develop a new language over the Internet is remarkable,” Katz said.
