“C’est chouette.” The phrase doesn’t translate directly to English but is similar to the American phrase “this is nice” or “this is great.”

The French Club, or Café Francophile, c’est chouette, according to Keara Lake, the club’s co-chair and board member of the United Languages and Cultures Association (ULCA).

Café Francophile meets weekly to engage with French language and culture. Those wishing to be involved in the meetings do not have to be able to speak French.

“The first 15 to 20 minutes, we speak in French – the rest of the meeting is in English,” said Lake of the weekly gatherings.

“If we play games or watch movies in French, we will always help those that might not be of a high level in the language.”

“If you want to speak in French, just keep it clean,” Lake said. “It’s a really respectful environment,” she added, saying that a simple interest in French culture or the language is more than enough to come and benefit from the meetings.

“We have small meetings but a ton of people,” Lake said of the current club membership, which is around 60 members.

Lake is relatively new to the co-chair position, having taken over the post in January, but she feels confident in the club.

“It’s what I think French Club should be – we encourage French speakers as well as Francophiles (French culture enthusiasts) to exercise their knowledge of the language as well as culture in an open and comfortable environment,” she said.

See: The Scribe