We are excited to offer a new language event for AY25-26, which is open to all members of the Northwestern community, our Just Thinking Out Loud Livestream Listening event. This event is designed to help students with their English listening skills while focusing on a topic of interest and importance. Anyone the Northwestern community is welcome to join and participate.
- Free and open to all members of the Northwestern community
- Events are held online throughout the academic year (fall, winter, and spring quarters only)
- Advanced registration is required to access the session.
- Each event highlights a specific aspect of US English and/or American culture
- Participants are encouraged to engage with each other after the listening task of the event is finished
- Events are designed to focus on listening skills at any level of English proficiency
Spring Quarter 2026 - Just Thinking Out Loud Livestream Listening Event
- One sign-up form (click here)
- If you sign up for an event but your availability changes, resubmit the form. We will contact you based on your most recent availability provided in the online form
- ELP will contact you with ZOOM meeting information for events that you have registered for
- Format for livestream listening event for Spring Quarter 2026 -> 1 remote event (via Northwestern ZOOM)
- Note - This schedule is subject to change
- Livestream Listening Event Schedule for Spring Quarter 2026
| Date | Time | Event Name (format) | Event Description | Hosted by |
| 5/1/26 | 12:00-1:00 PM | Just Thinking Out Loud - Tools & Techniques for Language Learning (remote) |
Join ELP Speech Language Pathologist, Autumn Bryant, for ELP's Just Thinking Out Loud event for Spring Quarter 2026. Participants can leave their cameras and mics off as they join the Zoom meeting to listen in as Autumn shares her thoughts on Tools & Techniques for Language Learning.
Unlike other language table events, this will be a listen-in event as Autumn does the talking. You can drop a question or comment in the chat, including privately just to Autumn if you want, but you don’t have to, and you do not have to speak out loud yourself. This will be like listening in to a podcast, a livestream, or even the radio. Instead of the usual language table format, for this livestream listening event, Autumn will just think out loud by sharing anecdotes and opinions about the topic, so you can hear word choices, grammar usage, phrasing, and other facets of English speech and language. This is a great way to passively take in how native speakers express ideas, while also hearing some new vocabulary related to language learning tools & techniques that you can use in future small talk and extended conversations with others.
Here is the event description:
Join me for “Just Thinking Out Loud – Autumn’s Language Learning Toolkit”, a practical livestream where I share the exact apps, tools, and techniques that actually worked in my own second language learning—and how you can use them too.
I’ll walk you through how I actually used tools like Duolingo, Rosetta Stone, Language Transfer, Language Reactor, LingQ, Google Translate, and ChatGPT—what I used each one for, how I combined them, and what made the biggest difference. I’ll also show the small things that added up, like using transcripts, Chrome extensions, and adjusting video speed to make native content more accessible. I'll even demo how to get started with some of the ones I think are most impactful or that you express the most interest in. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by apps, unsure how to structure your study time, or stuck between beginner lessons and real-world content, this session will give you a clear, practical roadmap. You’ll walk away with techniques you can apply immediately to build vocabulary, improve listening, and start understanding real language faster. All are welcome! Hope to see you there!
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Autumn Bryant (ELP Speech Language Pathologist) |
Our Language Table series, Something to Talk About, offers a chance to meet other people for fun, informal activities and casual conversation. Anyone in the Northwestern community is welcome to join and participate.
- Free and open to all members of the Northwestern community
- Events are mostly held online throughout the academic year (fall, winter, and spring quarters only)
- Advanced registration is required to access the session.
- Each event highlights a specific aspect of US English and/or American culture
- Ask questions, share experiences and opinions with peers and ELP staff
- A supportive environment for speakers at any level of English proficiency
Spring Quarter 2026 - Something to Talk About Language Table Events Series
- One sign-up form (click here)
- Register for one, two, or all of the language table events for this quarter
- If you sign up for an event but your availability changes, resubmit the form. We will contact you based on your most recent availability provided in the online form
- Please check event format (remote vs. in-person) in the Event Name column in the table below
- ELP will contact you with ZOOM meeting information for remote events that you have registered for
- ELP will contact you with location information for in-person events that you have registered for
- Format for language table events for Spring Quarter 2026 -> 4 events (all remote)
- Note - This schedule is subject to change
- Language Table Event Schedule for Spring Quarter 2026
| Date | Time | Event Name (format) | Event Description | Hosted by |
| 4/24/26 | 12:00-1:00 PM | American Music (remote) |
Join ELP's Speech Language Pathologist, Mark Temenak, for a discussion about American Music.
Music is considered a universal language, and it is part of communication with others. In this language table, I will talk about a variety of music genres that started in the USA. We can talk further about world music genres, common vocabulary, and the cultural importance of music.
Feel free to share any of your favorite music!!!
All are welcome!
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Mark Temenak (ELP Speech Language Pathologist) |
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5/8/26
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12:00-1:00 PM
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Let's Talk: Keeping the Conversation Going in English (remote)
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Join ELP's Language Pedagogy Specialist, Tamra Wysocki, for a focused discussion about how to keep conversations going in English.
Want to feel more comfortable in everyday conversations? In this informal, interactive session, we’ll practice how to keep conversations going in English using simple strategies and real-life topics. Come ready to talk, share, connect—and have fun with others!!!
All are welcome to join!
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Tamra Wysocki (ELP Language Pedagogy Specialist) |
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5/15/26
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12:15-1:15 PM
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Do I need a car? - Car Buying Experience & Advice (remote) |
Join ELP's Assistant Director, Brian Hampson, for a discussion about the pros and cons of buying and owning your own car.
Buying a car can be both an exciting and an exhausting experience. The first step in the process may be to consider whether or not you need to own a car. This language table session will discuss why many people feel that having a car is necessary. We will also discuss the major aspects of the car buying experience. If you have experience buying a car in the United States, please join us and share your thoughts and stories!
Please join us! |
Brian Hampson (ELP Assistant Director) |
| 5/22/26 | 12:15-1:15 PM | Working with 'Busy' Slides (remote) |
Join ELP's Assistant Director, Brian Hampson, for a topic about 'busy' presentation slides.
Giving academic and research presentations is part of academic and scholarly work at Northwestern. However, in many cases, the presentation slides are overcrowded with text, data, and other visual representations. This session will focus on strategies to reduce how 'busy' your slides are and help the audience stay focused on you as the speaker rather than on your slidedeck.
Please join us! |
Brian Hampson (ELP Assistant Director) |