English as a Second Language

**Social Mix @ Tanjong Pagar**— Learn, Chat & Connect 🍃 Ever wanted to practice Korean but didn’t know where to start — or who to speak with? Join us for a casual and welcoming Korean social night in Singapore, where native Korean speakers and learners come together to chat, learn, and make new friends 🤍 ✨ What to expect: • Small group conversations with a 1:3 ratio (1 native speaker : 3 learners) • Relaxed, guided discussions — no pressure, no judgment • Open mingling sessions to meet more people throughout the night • A safe space to practice Korean at your own pace Whether you’re just starting out or already learning, this is a space to build confidence, pick up real-life expressions, and connect with others who share the same interest. Come for the language, stay for the people 🇰🇷💬 Location: TBC! 싱가포르에서 한국어가 그리울 때, 혹은 새로운 인연을 만나고 싶을 때 어디로 가야 할지 고민하셨나요? 🤍 어색함 1도 없는 분위기에서 외국인 친구들에게 한국어도 알려주고, 현지 친구들과 찐한 인연을 쌓고 싶은 분들을 위한 'Social Mix'에 여러분을 초대합니다! 🇸🇬🇰🇷 ✨ 우리 모임은 이래요! • 황금 비율 소그룹 대화: 한국인 1명과 학습자 3명이 한 팀이 되어 깊이 있게 소통해요 (1:3 비율 사수! 🤝) • No Pressure, No Judgment: 정해진 정답은 없어요! 가벼운 가이드를 따라 편하게 수다 떨며 자신감을 북돋아 주는 힐링 타임 🍃 • 자유로운 네트워킹: 정해진 세션이 끝나면 더 많은 사람과 밍글링하며 인맥을 넓힐 수 있어요. • 언어 그 이상의 커넥션: 한국어를 매개로 모였지만, 결국 남는 건 좋은 사람들! 한국어 튜터가 되어주셔도 좋고, 그냥 새로운 친구가 필요해서 오셔도 좋아요. 가벼운 마음으로 오셔서 리얼한 표현도 공유하고, 싱가포르 생활 꿀팁도 나눠봐요! 🙌

Please be reminded that participants should already know at least all Hiragana, Katakana letters and basic grammar.
Important points to remember: 

(1) Participation for the purpose of dating or solicitation is also strictly prohibited. 

(2) We are usually seated somewhere in front of the fruit and juices store 

Q. Do I need to pay?
A. No! All the native Japanese participants are volunteers.
【日本語を教えるボランティア募集】
・このグループでは一緒に日本語を教えてくれるボランティアを募集しています。
・今のところは隔週１回、水曜日に開催していますが、ボランティアが増え次第、頻度を増やしていこうと考えています。
・今のところ中級、上級レベルの学習者がメインで、日本語を使い会話練習するだけなので、日本語を教えたご経験が無くても問題ありません。
・興味がある方は、気軽に参加下さい。

**Special topic for this week: TODO!** Have you ever wondered what happens after you write your program in any programming language and hit "Run"? Welcome to the new group dedicated to Compiler Engineering so we can discuss language design, static analysis, VMs, and code generation. Topics related to hardware architecture and FPGA are also welcomed! **Join us weekly and learn about:** * The vision for this group. * A crash course on how to start learning compiler dev (including top book recommendations). * An open networking session for showcasing projects and finding collaborators. * Weekly topic to learn about particular aspect of programming languages or hardware **Who is this for?** * Anyone building DSLs or new languages. * Anyone curious about low-level systems and programming * Anyone hiring for compiler/toolchain roles (come pitch your jobs!). * Anyone who wants to learn more about programming languages nature! This isn't a lecture—it's a conversation. Come share your projects and get motivated! This group is not super serious, so if you want to just yap about how bad is the new C++ standard you can find some listeners here. See you!

**Need a midweek reset with good conversations and great company?** ***Midweek coffee conversation*** is your chance to step away from the busy routine and step into a space where connections feel natural and effortless. Over coffee, we’ll share ideas, stories, and meaningful conversations in a relaxed, welcoming environment. Whether you're looking to meet like-minded people, grow your circle, or simply enjoy a laid-back afternoon, this gathering is designed for you. No pressure. No expectations. Just real conversations. Come as you are. Grab a coffee. Let the conversations flow. ☕ *** **Important: Please Read Before Registering** To maintain a quality connection, each host is limited to **10 guests only**. With such limited spots, we ask for your understanding to follow these conditions: **Stay Connected:** Meetup: [https://www.meetup.com/members/387832029/](https://www.meetup.com/members/387832029/Facebook:) Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/williaestate/](https://www.facebook.com/williaestate/Instagram:) Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/williaestate/](https://www.instagram.com/williaestate/Tiktok:) Tiktok: [https://www.tiktok.com/@willia.estate](https://www.tiktok.com/@willia.estate) **Respect the Seat:** If your plans change, please update your RSVP so others can join the session.

**Overview** Toa Payoh Central CC and Advanced Toastmasters Club Chapter Meeting Do you want to build confidence in public speaking and communicate effectively? Learn and Practice Public Speaking at **Toa Payoh Central CC Toastmasters Club** Toastmasters is a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which you and your fellow club members can learn, develop and build on those skills. At Toastmasters you benefit from: * Mentors * Experiential learning and * Educational workshops **How to join this event?** 1. Sign up this event 2. Visit the meeting location 10 minutes earlier for registration at 6:50pm 3. Enjoy the Toastmasters chapter meeting! Hope to see you soon!

**LEARN MANDARIN WITH US** **和我们一起学华语/普通话** Come and join us every Saturday afternoon and learn some useful Mandarin from proficient speakers in a friendly and casual atmosphere. Besides learning the language, you will also get to make new friends from all around the world. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate and advanced learner, we welcome you. The meetup starts at 4 pm. We will try our best to arrange seating at this time so that each group has expert Mandarin speakers. If you come later than 4.10 pm we cannot guarantee ideal seating. Seating priorities will be given to those who signed up. **欢迎会说华语/普通话的朋友** 我们非常欢迎会说华语/普通话的朋友来参加我们这个华语/普通话练习小组，帮助来自世界各地的朋友学习华语/普通话。 *** GETTING THERE Take Downtown (blue) Line or Circle (yellow) Line to Promenade MRT. Take Exit C at Promenade MRT, and go up to level 3. LOCATING US INSIDE THE FOOD COURT Look for a round tables section near the wall of the food court away from the stalls. You can drop the Event Host a message if you are lost. NO COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES We welcome anyone who is keen to learn a language or help others learn the language. However, this is NOT the platform for individuals who have other intentions, such as recruiting members for their business or organization or selling products or services. We will not hesitate to ask such individuals to stop attending our meetups.

Join us for an exciting language exchange meetup where you can practice both Japanese and English in a friendly and supportive environment. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced speaker, this event is perfect for honing your language skills while making new friends who share a passion for Japanese culture. Immerse yourself in conversations, games, and activities that will not only help you improve your language proficiency but also deepen your understanding of Japanese culture. Bring your enthusiasm and curiosity, and get ready to expand your language skills while connecting with like-minded individuals. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your language abilities and cultural awareness in a fun and interactive setting! Let's learn Japanese. にほんごをまなびましょう！ 日本語を学びましょう。

**🌏 Multilingual Singles Night @ Harbour Place** **Join us for our first language exchange meetup for singles! Practice languages in timed rotations, then unwind at our karaoke after party.** **The Flow:** **10 mins Mandarin/Cantonese → 10 mins Japanese → 10 mins English/Bahasa Melayu. Swap groups and repeat ×3 or x4.** **Details:** **📍 Harbour Place Tanjong Pagar** **🕰️ 7:30 PM-9:30PM** **💰 $20 ticket for gents ,$16 for ladies (includes in drink )** **GST +9% surcharge if paying on the day.** **To Attend:** **RSVP on Meetup** **Paynow to Kimi and text Kimi at 8796 4912 or Sebastian at 9199 1468 to confirm payment before attending** **🎤 Karaoke after party to follow!**

True Breakfast will shutter on 26 April thus we decided to pay them one last visit. We have been to True Breakfast outlets several times (this one and the one at Cuppage) so we are a bit sad that they are closing down as they serve authentic Taiwanese breakfast. Let's enjoy it one last time while they are still there. Reviews: [https://sethlui.com/true-breakfast-capitol-singapore/](https://sethlui.com/true-breakfast-capitol-singapore/) How to get there: Nearest MRT: City Hall Nearest bus stop: City Hall Stn Exit B (04167) If you have any questions or comments, please ask them in the Comments section. See you there! Cheers, KehHan & Jacky

Where does genuinely new stuff come from, and what does the answer obligate us to do? We are primates, evolved for the African Savana, with meat machines in our heads. These meat machines can do something curious: they can imagine. Even further, they can be “creative”; that is, they can imagine something “novel”. At first glance, imagination seems like a cute quirk. We can imagine fantasies, tell fun stories, paint pictures, make gadgets. Some of these stories we deem “creative” or “novel”. But what actually counts as “new/creative”? The commonly used notion for “creative” in various domains of study is the creation of something “novel” and “useful/appropriate”. “Novel” ensures the new idea/invention is not just a basic recombination of old things. “Useful/appropriate” ensures that the idea is meaningful, reveals something interesting, and is not just a random mess. Both of these terms are broad and contentious (intentionally so). Who defines what is “novel” or useful/appropriate”? Should it be defined by the individual who originated the idea, or by the social judgment of peers, or specifically by experts, or by history/those who come later? The **Systems Model** recognizes that “creativity” is not a property determined by individuals, but through an interaction between the domain/field of innovation, the social ecosystem (gatekeepers, institutions, etc.), and the innovation itself. Other views emphasize the **cognitive mechanisms** of creativity. New ideas do not emerge “de novo”, they emerge from a recombination of past ideas, with a novel “transformation of the problem space”. Hence, an individual needs to make the creative leap with regards to themselves (their past experiences, cultural knowledge, etc.); it is a mental operation. Even if their new idea might already be known to someone else/the public, if they themselves did not know it, it is still a novel creation for them. Thus the question: Is there a rigorous notion that can tell whether something is “truly novel”, or even quantify how much? And who decides? Beyond the domain of fiction and art, our meat sack brains can also imagine things like multiple dimensions, 4D space, invisible forces, and other notions that at the time were heavily criticized as fanciful thinking (imaginary numbers, non-euclidian geometry, microscopic germs). Our minds were shaped by natural selection to solve savanna-scale problems — predators, social hierarchies, thrown objects. There's no selection pressure for imagining or grasping 11-dimensional string theory or quantum field theory. Feynman himself suspected we might not be able to understand wavefunction collapse or superposition. And human working memory is sorely limited. It is surprising that these ideas turn out to be “*real”*. They explain the physical world and give us tremendous power over it. Sometimes, increasing our power over the physical world depends on creating ever more “novel” ideas/absurdities (e.g. Infinite dimensional vector spaces. Subatomic particles. Quantum phenomena. etc.) Outlandishness is not sufficient for scientific success, but those ideas that yielded the greatest increase in understanding/power were often the most outlandish. In other words, the degree of “creative novelty” in science is proportional to the degree of increased physical power we gain. Is there a limit to what our brains can conceive? Science and art are very different domains. But therein lies the puzzle: the process of creativity deployed in science seems no different from the process of creativity deployed in art; so perhaps the same process is generating novelty in both. This suggests a tantalizing unity of what it means to be “novel”. If the same process generates “novelty” in 2 (seemingly) different branches: art and science, and one branch leaves physical traces, then “novelty” might not be mere arbitrary social judgment. Discussion Questions: * What counts as “creative”/”novel”? Who judges this? Is it an individual or social or objective judgment? How do we know whether something is “new” or not? Are we just “doing whatever we do?” * Operationally, how does creativity work? How does creativity “create new things”? Where does the newness come from? * Is the process of creativity in art, social science, natural science, engineering, technology, all the same underlying process? * If it is the same underlying process, how does “novelty”/creativity in science relate to creativity in art? * What’s the difference between imagination, creativity, and knowledge? * Is society obligated to create the conditions necessary for people to engage their creativity? If we disable people’s creativity, is that a form of mind control?

**Whether you're an expat living in Singapore, or a Singaporean who speaks a foreign language (intermediate level and above) — join us for an evening of real conversations and meaningful connections!** **Meet new people, speak in that language, and experience something beyond the usual language exchange!** **$10 for native speakers / $25 for language learners** See what our events are like: @riley.language [https://riley.figma.site/](https://riley.figma.site/)

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who want to discuss international travel and culture, and anyone who enjoys getting together for good conversations."

Inspired by our successful events like "Saturday Mornings @ East Market" and other "Pot Luck in the Park" lunches, this gathering promises to be a blend of fun conversations, language exchange, and cultural insights, all while sharing wonderful foods with each other. **Please bring a dish to share and anything you would like to drink.** We will provide plates, plastic silverware and napkins. So, come hungry and ready to chat!

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who enjoy talking to people from other countries, and those who would like to discuss international travel and culture, and who enjoy getting together for good conversations."

Let's grab some coffee/food and share a morning chat! The East Market has an ample parking lot and outdoor and indoor seating. Grab a cup of coffee from Winston's Coffee & Waffles or on your way to East Market and meet us on the second floor - table behind or east of the elevator. Per what this group is about: "Everyone is welcome! International transplants to Columbus who want to improve language skills, Columbus residents who enjoy talking to people from other countries, and those who would like to discuss international travel and culture, and who enjoy getting together for good conversations."

We meet to learn and practice American Sign Language and to grow our familiarity with Deaf culture. Facilitated by hearing folks (with a connection to a professional interpreter) using Deaf-created content. People of all ASL skill levels are welcome! As we learn, we hope to connect more with the Deaf community in Central Ohio. Join us as you're able! Come regularly or just once - whatever you're looking for! Each meetup will explore different topics related to ASL/Deaf culture, and will feature time to practice conversation with one another. Just bring yourself and a willingness to learn!

Hey Everyone! Let's meet at Belle's Bread Bakery and Cafe. There is lots of free parking and easy access to the cafe and many shops and restaurants as well. This is a great way to meet new and old friends while chatting about life and practicing English language speaking skills. All are welcome and encouraged to join us anytime between 11am and 1pm. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Hey Everyone! Let's meet at Belle's Bread Bakery and Cafe. There is lots of free parking and easy access to the cafe and many shops and restaurants as well. This is a great way to meet new and old friends while chatting about life and practicing English language speaking skills. All are welcome and encouraged to join us anytime between 11am and 1pm. Looking forward to seeing you soon.