PSU offers a free conversational English course for its Hat Yai Campus lecturers and staff. Held in the President’s Building, the PSU English Conversation Course has helped hundreds of university employees improve their English-speaking skills while having a good time, and its popularity has grown steadily.

Although the focus of the course is conversational English, grammar and technicalities of the language are sometimes taught—each class is tailored to the students in attendance, their abilities and personalities. However, typical classes involve role-playing, vocabulary, pronunciation, geography, anatomy, culinary arts, language games and, most important, building confidence. There are writing assignments, too, as knowing how to write properly helps to improve speech.

But learning English is only one aspect of the course; there is also laughter, fun, food, friendship, arts and crafts, and sometimes music and dancing. The instructor—Lance Terry from the USA—creates an informal class setting, and each class is not just a lecture, but a cultural exchange, with friendship often times the result. This occurs all the more frequently because each class is limited to 12 students.

Students come from a variety of faculties, centers, and divisions. Faculties represented so far include Nursing, Agro-Industry, Liberal Arts, Science, Traditional Thai Medicine, the International College, Management Science, Veterinary Science, Engineering, Environmental Management, and Dentistry. Among the centers are IMT-GT Studies, CORIN, Graduate School, Scientific Equipment Center, Computer Center, Central Library, and the Center of Arts and Culture. And many students come from divisions within the President’s Building, such as Registrar, Extension and Continuing, Educational Services, Student Affairs, Finance, Housing, Planning, Personnel, Security, and General.

 
All PSU Hat Yai staff and faculty are welcome to sign up for this free English course. Classes take place three days per week—two hours per day—for five weeks. If you or someone you know wants to study English with a native speaker in a relaxed setting, call Ms. Chongchit Ratyanot at the International Affairs Office: 074 442253; or email: chongchit.r@psu.ac.th.
Because learning English can be exciting. Sign up and see.