euskalkultura.eus

Donostia-San Sebastian.  The Mintzanet.net platform, a meeting place for students learning Basque and for native speakers who help them practice through online conversations, has registered nearly 1,000 conversations since it began last December.  Thanks to the internet and Skype, people from all over the world can participate, at any time of day.

So far the network has numerous participants from the Basque Country as well as the Diaspora.  Users have been very happy, according to Cristina Tapia from Mintzanet.  “The majority of users are from Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa, but there are also some from Araba, Nafarroa and Iparralde.  Additionally there are also participants from places like Argentina, Colombia, the US, Chile, Australia and England, for example,” she says.

They are looking for “bidelagunak”

According to Tapia, on Mintzanet.net there are many “bidelaris” (or people who want to practice Euskera), but there is a need for more “bidelagunak” (those who help them practice).  For this reason, they are inviting anyone interested in conversing and spending an interesting time speaking Euskera via Skype to sign up. 

All you have to do to use the system is register here and Mintzanet.net will put you in touch with users. 

Buenos Aires, Boston, Houston...

We have received some comments from users that are already registered in Minzanet:

-Javi Martinez (Donostia):  “I have a friend in Buenos Aires that was afraid that he’d lose his Basque while he was there.  I thought that it would be a good idea for him and so I passed on the Mintzanet address to him. 

-Iñigo Ruiz de Gordejuela (Boston): "I was helping a girl that wanted to learn Basque through Mintzanet.  Very good.”

-Ibon Lizarraga (Houston): “I live in Houston and it is difficult for me to coordinate schedules with the Basque Country, but I will try and free up my schedule.”