was founded on 17th November 1956.  It is not a school but an association of people who already have some linguistic knowledge and wish to practise and develop it in a friendly, international atmosphere of the club.       
The system used relies to a great extent on the help and cooperation of club members of different mother tongues. A veritable Tower of Babel may be heard each Wednesday evening from 8 pm in the Sport Centre of Etterbeek - Entrance : 69 rue des Champs (La Chasse) 1040 Brussels, when the Cercle Royal Polyglotte de Bruxelles enjoys a weekly get-together.   

To make things easier, a separate table is set aside for each language (French, Dutch, English, German, Spanish, Italian and Russian, sometimes also Portuguese, Polish and Czech) so that nobody has to listen to five or six languages all at once.

It’s an informal way to practise languages which otherwise get rusty from disuse. It’s also a way to meet a nice bunch of people. The friendly, one might almost say family, spirit of the «Cercle» is one aspect which is very difficult to describe but is immediately apparent to anyone who participates in its activities. Members are encouraged to get an easy Christian-name terms.  Some new members quickly get used to the idea while others, perhaps more reserved, look with an air of astonishment and amusement.

The “Cercle” is directed by a committee of seven members elected at the Annual General Meeting (between the 15th and 25th April), plus a certain number of members co-opted on to the committee for specific tasks when need arises. All members are invited to assist the committee in drawing up a programme of outside activities either cultural (theatre, lectures, etc...) or recreational (dances, day- or weekend-trips, picnics, visits abroad, etc...).

Who can become a member of the Brussels “Cercle Royal Polyglotte” ?
Membership is open to any person over 18 years (16 and 17 year old may be admitted in exceptional circumstances) able to speak a language other than his or her own and interested in widening the scope of his or her linguistic knowledge.        
French is the administrative language, though English is widely spoken.

Bulletin:  Every member receives “Se Comprendre” 6 times a year containing articles in various languages and news of the “Cercle Royal Polyglotte de Bruxelles” and associated clubs. The bulletin also contains details relating to the programme of activities in which members are invited to take part.

How to become a member:
By turning up at one our meetings, filling in a membership form and paying the annual subscription amount in cash or by bank or postal transfer. By virtue of the constitution of the club, the board reserves the right to refuse membership without having to justify its refusal. In such a case any monies paid will be reimbursed.

Annual subscription (12 months calculated from date of membership):
Amount per person over 25 years old: 20 euro -
Two related persons living at the same address : 30 euro -
Single under 25 : 15 euro - couple: 25 euro.
The “Cercle” forms part of a “Polyglot Federation” which brings it in touch with other similar clubs in Belgium and elsewhere, including U.K. and USA.
In fact Brussels is not the only place in Belgium to boast a Cercle Polyglotte. They also exist in Antwerp (The Linguists’Club), Charleroi, Liège, Waterloo and Verviers, where the club is called the “Société Royale Polyglotte”, having been in existence for 135 years !  
Any additional information may be obtained by writing or telephoning to the club secretary : 130 rue Vondel, 1030 Brussels - Tel. + fax : (02) 216.47.63., by e-mail: polyglot.be@skynet.be  or looking at our website : http://users.swing.be/polyglot.be