It’s precisely what I need, at the right time and the right place! I’m going to Berlin, and I want to get to know language learning enthusiasts. Right now I don’t know anyone, because I’ve done all my studies in private. Thanks lovelanguagesIII for the information!
ad Portstrom (…) Thanks lovelanguagesIII for the information! (…)
You are welcome and I’m sure you’ll meet many like-minded people there.
Just out of the curiosity. Will there be any kind of meet-up for lingq users as well? It would be interesting to say hello personally 
I don’t know my schedule yet, and I don’t consider myself as a polyglot of any kind either. However, if there will be a meet-up and probably I can squeeze out some time in Berlin together with my private visiting.
ad kigoik: I have no idea how many lingq users will be there, but there is a list of the people who have already registered (I know of some other people who will definitely be there but have not yet registered, like Luca Lampariello for example).
http://polyglotberlin.com/members.php
Will you be in Berlin at that time or do you live there?
@Robert
Do you have any information for the Montreal gathering? I’ve been googling and I can’t find any information other than the fact that it will be in October.
I’ll most likely be living in Burlington, Vermont in October, so a trip up to Montreal won’t be a big deal.
@Robert
I think I’ll be in the city nearby Berlin then. That’s the reason I said I probably can squeeze out some time.
ad David: Unfortunately not. It seems as if there was not much information available, for whatever reason. Have you tried to check out their facebook site (I don’t use FB anymore)?
I probably won’t make it to the two conferences in NA because I’m normally very busy at that time of the year. But we’ll see what happens.
The next time you come to Europe we really ought to try to meet in person.
ad kigoik: It would be great to meet you in person. It is always exciting to get to know other language enthusiasts.
I’m afraid I’m going to be a giant wet blanket here - but it strikes me that there have been really rather a lot of these polyglot conferences over the last couple of years!
Is there very much point to this, I wonder? Isn’t there a danger that the whole thing can become a bit self-congratulatory?
Essentially lots of people get together for a couple of days, spend 95% of the time speaking and listening to English, while telling themselves how jolly good it is to learn lots of languages…
now you sound old …
Well maybe it’d seem more compelling if all of the presentations and discussions were to take place in different languages!?
And yes, of course I realise that there are very good reasons for having it in a common language, and for this language to be English - but the result is still the (for me) faintly bizarre spectacle of a monoglot festival for polyglots! :-0
ad Jay: There has only been one polyglot conference so far 
I think the major benefit of such conferences is to meet other people. When I was in Budapest I spoke in all the languages I have studied so far, not just in English.
It is more like a nice and friendly get-together with lots of like-minded people. I don’t consider it anything similar to an academic meeting or so.
(…) And yes, of course I know there are very good reasons for having it in a common language, and for this language to be English - but the result is still the (for me) faintly bizarre spectacle of a monoglot festival for polyglots! :- (…)
The organizers of the Berlin event seem to have a different approach.
@Robert: “…It is more like a nice and friendly get-together with lots of like-minded people…”
Well, yeah, I guess I can see the attraction for real “hardcore” polyglots to get together with other similar folks.
On the other hand, if one is just a hobbyist who dabbles (like me) it would be kind of uncomfortable, I think
(…) On the other hand, if one is just a hobbyist who dabbles (like me) it would be kind of uncomfortable, I think (…)
You and dabbling? Dein Deutsch ist erste Klasse. Und ich bin sicher, dass du auch in den anderen Sprachen sehr gut bist. Ich kann mich an deine Forumsbeiträge im italienischen Forum erinnern und die waren alle sehr gut.
P.S. If languages are your hobby, what is your line of business so to speak?
@Easy_Rider
“On the other hand, if one is just a hobbyist who dabbles (like me) it would be kind of uncomfortable, I think ;-)”
That’s the reason I only mentioned about the meet-up, and would like to “say hello” only
@Robert:“…Dein Deutsch ist erste Klasse. Und ich bin sicher, dass du auch in den anderen Sprachen sehr gut bist. Ich kann mich an deine Forumsbeiträge im italienischen Forum erinnern und die waren alle sehr gut…”
Das ist sehr nett von dir - danke ! Aber nach meiner Ansicht wäre mein Italienisch kaum als “sehr gut” einzustufen…
“…P.S. If languages are your hobby, what is your line of business so to speak?..”
Bitte nimm es mir nicht übel, aber ich möchte dazu nichts sagen. Ich versuche immer, so wenig Information wie möglich über mich selbst im Internet zu veröffentlichen. Dies hat natürlich nichts direkt mit dir zu tun, sondern ich fliege immer unter dem Radar - sozusagen
@Eazy_E
Aaaaahhhhhhhh, du bist Spion!
Yes,for myself as language-lightweight compared to most people here, or potentially at the conference, a LingQ, or slightly more casual meet up alongside the Berlin conference would suit me too.
@Easy
I’m guessing that you’re hiding some kind of modest fame.
@All
I’d imagine that at the North American conference I’ll be among the less multilingual. Being that the thing’s in Montreal, bilingualism is a bit of a default. My English and French will be at best normal. This does not bother me really. I think such an environment would encourage me.
@ColinJohnstone
Sch… Die NSA überwacht uns jetzt …