Being and Having a Language Buddy

I was on the edge about joining the IES Vienna Language Buddy program during my semester abroad. I came to Vienna with absolutely no German experience, and I would be working digitally for my mentor back in college on top of my classes, lessons, and internship. I wanted to be sure that I would still have time to explore within and outside of my new city without falling behind on my work, and I wasn't sure just how much of a commitment being a Language Buddy might be. I wasn't sure just how much language practicing would happen, and I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of a native German speaker. To my absolute delight, and with absolutely zero regrets, being and having a Language Buddy ended up being my favorite experience as a student studying abroad in Vienna (though, I did, in fact, embarrass myself often with my German skills...)

What can you Expect from the Program?

Being and having a Language Buddy is actually very relaxed. You're paired with a local student who is a native speaker of the new language you're learning! You and your Buddy practice your native languages with each other (and sometimes any other languages you've picked up on!) at a pace and structure that works for the both of you. IES Vienna recommends meeting for an hour at least once a week, with the knowledge that, for beginners, more German practice would likely come with later meetings. IES Vienna also held some very fun Language Buddy meetup events, meant to get you speaking, meeting others in the program, and just having a lot of fun.

You're paired up with your Language Buddy before you depart for your program, so you can start talking and planning. This was great for me, as I got to shoot any questions I had about Vienna to my Buddy, and we got to know each other a bit before officially meeting.

As for what your meetings might look like, that's completely up to you and your Buddy! Though I do highly recommend going to the IES Language Buddy events if you can—the events were very fun, and meeting other Language Buddies (and their Buddies) was great! Some common (and surefire) meetings I partook in and heard about from others included café meetups, walking and talking, hiking (!), market-going, shopping, und so weiter (and so on)!

My Language Buddy Experience

I would be remiss not to reflect on the fantastic time I had with my Language Buddy. As I was very nervous about practicing my German, our first meeting was simple and straightforward. I met my Buddy at the library they study at, and they took me to a nearby café. My German practicing this day was kept pretty solely to ordering off the menu...but we conversed in English, got to know each other, and discussed our expectations from the programs and the meetings. We talked about our home life, our studies, and our travels (though my stories didn't hold a candle to theirs) before ending the day with a leisurely stroll around the city. After this, we had known each other a bit better, so we got to plan meetings around our interest. My Language Buddy ended up being big into hiking, which scared me as someone who's not as active (living in the suburbs certainly doesn't help). They were very accommodating, and were sure to plan hikes around and outside the city that were not as demanding. Our first hike ended up being at a beautiful viewpoint at the end of Hütteldorf, where I first got to see over the beautiful city of Vienna—an absolutely unforgettable moment and an amazingly memorable sight.

After our second meeting, things started to pick up—we (very often, and very much) broke our once-a-week meeting schedule. I had expressed interest in the Badner Bahn nach Baden—a sort of tram-like train that takes you to Baden, just outside of Vienna. We rode the Badner Bahn partway to an ice-skating rink my Language Buddy had grown up with (where I absolutely embarrassed myself as someone who had never ice-skated before, but they gave me many chances to say no!) before heading to Baden at night to grab some dinner. We practiced some common careers in German, how to describe levels of enjoyment of food, and, most importantly, I learned that only Germans refer to ice-skating as "Schlittshuhlaufen", and Austrians prefer to say "Eislaufen" (or, at least my Language Buddy does).

From here on, we went on quite a few (fairly easy) hikes together—hiking up the beautiful Kahlenberg, the easy hills of Schonbrünn, and the trail at the end of Ottakring showed me some of the best views of the city I thought I had already come to know in a completely new light (and we got lots of talking in, when I wasn't out of breath). I even started feeling as though I knew Vienna well enough to start planning some of our excursions! My Language Buddy, for instance, had never been to a cat café, so we went to Das House after my class, and I took them to an Easter Market afterwards, as they had never been to one of those either (this was truly shocking to me). I also planned a little picnic for us, where we ended up staying the whole day in the grasses of Volksgarten, under a clear blue sky with plenty of food, card games, and people-watching (und zwei Bier).

Of course, the IES Vienna Language Buddy events were fantastic together. While we couldn't make the first one—a Language Buddy trivia night—the second and third did not disappoint. The second one was a PowerPoint presentation night, on any topic we wanted, alone or with our Buddy. My Language Buddy has a particular vendetta against making and giving presentations, and luckily I have a particular skill and passion for creating and giving presentations on topics I enjoy. They opted out of the presentation aspect, while I naturally made my presentation on my love for Viennese public transportation. Seeing everyone's amazingly interesting presentations was a great way to spend the evening (especially with catered pizza)! The third and final IES Vienna Language Buddy event was particularly special. What was supposed to be a picnic turned into a game night in a friendly bar due to the weather, which was way more fun than I expected. We played Activity (German charades, with three categories—explaining, acting, and drawing) in Jo&Joe, a bar above the IKEA at Europaplatz (truly one of my favorite places to study, and has an amazing rooftop view)! We shared drinks, snacks, and teamed up with fellow Language Buddies to really go all-in on the competition (Not to brag, but my Language Buddy and I ended up being on the winning team both times we played...) Jo&Joe is also where we discovered my Language Buddy's passion for the very American bar sport of pinball, of which I gladly surrendered my one Euro coins so they could play more.

My Language Buddy ended up showing me some of the best food places, but I was sure to introduce them to some vegan joints I had come to know and love during my own excursions. From cafés like Das Lazy to restaurants like Secret Garden and Gaia Kitchen to Würstel stands, we were never out of new places to try (and we were never left hungry). Whenever we were feeling something simple and easy, we turned to long walks and planting ourselves in the grasses of the city's lovely parks. Augarten and Donaupark were two of my favorites, and I will hold dear the memories of sitting and talking with my Language Buddy, watching the children play and people pass us as we rested on benches, against trees, and within the grasses.

I ended up falling absolutely in love with Vienna; with the German language; with the experiences I got to have in my brief time here. I owe so much of this to the experiences I had with my (gracious and patient) Language Buddy.

Yes, You Want to Be and Have a Language Buddy!

Okay, I can't speak for you. But as you can see, being and having a Language Buddy can be really rewarding. You get to meet a local student who can not only help you with your language practice, but can also show you some of the coolest local (and popular) spots, allowing you to see and experience your city through a whole new lens. Your Language Buddy may very well be your first and one of the deepest friendships and connections you make in your new city (and, don't worry, I never fell behind on my work, and I had lots and lots of time to do all the exploration I wanted).

While everyone's experience will be different, I can say with absolute confidence that there is absolutely no way that you or your Language Buddy gain nothing new, helpful, or wonderful from your shared experiences and conversations (just be prepared to embarrass yourself, which is one of the quickest ways to learn!)