Terms and conditions at Online Språkcafé

Online Språkcafé is a platform where participation in the språkcafé sessions is free of charge, and everyone who finds it useful and respects our terms and conditions is welcome regardless of where they live or come from. By participating in our språkcafé sessions, you agree to the following terms and conditions.

1. One can participate in the språkcafé sessions if one is 18 years of age or older.

2. At our Swedish språkcafé we speak Swedish, and at our English språkcafé we speak English. One can use a few words from another language to explain something if other participants can understand it, but in general the above should be respected.

3. The conversation groups are adjusted according to levels, so when one is accepted to the språkcafé session, one should write their language level next to their name according to the CEFR scale (A1, A2, B1 etc.). One can read more about the levels on our SPRÅKCAFÉ-page under the question WHAT LEVEL OF SWEDISH (ENGLISH) DO I HAVE?

4. The camera should be on at all times when one is in a conversation group, and it should be positioned so that the other participants can see one's entire face. This makes communication open and easier for all participants. It is not allowed to turn off the camera during group sessions.

   
   

   The exception is a short break in case of an urgent need, which one should inform the other participants about. If one needs to be away for more than a few minutes, one should politely inform the others and then disconnect. One can connect later when possible.

5. One should find a quiet place when attending a språkcafé so that the noise does not disturb the other participants. One should not attend from work or public transport. One should come when one has time to focus on the conversation. Our språkcafé is organized in small groups so that everyone has time to speak and it requires active participation.

   
   

   It is allowed to bring a friend or family member to the språkcafé if they speak the language, but one should politely introduce them to other participants in the group and include them in the conversation, making sure that their participation contributes to the quality and does not disrupt the healthy dynamic of the språkcafé.

6. Participants are responsible for the information they share with others during a språkcafé session, via camera, verbally, in writing, or through screen sharing.

7. It is not permitted to record any part of the språkcafé session. This requires specific permission from both the organizer and the participants.

8. It is not permitted to visit the språkcafé under the influence of alcohol or other substances that visibly affect one's behavior.

9. At Online Språkcafé we discuss various topics. The discussion questions published on the website are a suggestion to broaden the participants' vocabulary and make the conversations smoother and more interesting, but what the conversations are going be about is decided within the groups.

   
   

   Our goal is for participants to have a place to exchange ideas and experiences, and freedom of expression is one of our highest values ​​at Online Språkcafé, so it's okay to have different opinions, but one should make sure to treat others respectfully.

10. The placement in the groups is determined partly by Zoom's random mechanism and partly by the organizer (the criterion for this is the language level of the participants). One cannot be moved to another conversation group outside the schedule as this creates organizational problems. Therefore, such requirements cannot be met.

    
    

    If for any reason one does not wish to participate in the group one is placed in, one can politely inform the other participants that one needs to leave and disconnect so that another person can be placed in the group. It is not permitted to turn off the camera during the group session and remain in the group.

    
    

    One can join later or come next time (each språkcafé session has three 40 minutes long parts; the språkcafé schedule is on our SPRÅKCAFÉ-page under the question WHAT IS THE SPRÅKCAFÉ SCHEDULE?, and remaining session time is displayed in the group). However, it cannot be guaranteed that one will not meet the same participants again, depending on the number of participants present and their language skills.

    
    

11. If for some reason one no longer wishes to be subscribed to Online Språkcafé, there is a link to unsubscribe at the end of each invitation email. After one has unsubscribed, one will no longer receive our weekly invitations. One needs to unsubscribe separately for Swedish and English Språkcafé, if one is registered for both. One can always subscribe again.

Not respecting the above may result in the organizer suspending the participant from the språkcafé session, and if this is repeated, the subscription may be terminated.

The above rules are in place to create a comfortable and motivating atmosphere for anyone who wants to practice speaking Swedish/English, improve their communication skills, and learn new things in conversations with others.

Ivana

the owner of Online Språkcafé