TABLEtalk - what do students say ...

Hi, I'm Lynne Martin, I'm the Medway Campus Chaplain. I have been running TABLEtalk on a weekly basis since 2004 but this year, having to facilitate the event remotely, was definitely a first.

It was great to partner with my colleague and friend, Kirsten Wynn (Associate Chaplain UoG) and I believe, this term, we have managed to deliver a useful and interactive TABLEtalk programme.

Together, Kirsten and I have had years of experience of working in cross-cultural settings.

A total of 33 unique participants took part in TABLEtalk this term, though some only came a few times.  TEN of those students were awarded a certificate of participation for completing at least 70% of the programme. 

This is what students said in response to the question 'What did you like about TABLEtalk?':

Arman (Italy)

        It is like a community; we can get   to know each other and could gain   knowledge in many areas.

Nefeli (Greece)

The diversity of the group.

Having a group of people to talk to every Thursday night.

I like the opportunity to meet new people, this was the only opportunity to meet new people and get to know them better.

Dominika
(Poland)

It was a very good environment for people to socialise and be in touch with people from different countries and discover about their culture.

I liked that we had a chance to talk in smaller groups, because it allowed us to get to know each other better.

To have stress free social chat and to meet new people.

Veron
(Sri Lanka)

Meeting people from different countries and learning a little about their cultures.

I can practice my English.

TABLEtalk is a place where we can express ourselves freely and everybody listens to us with patience. Liked it a lot because it’s an interactive event and also includes games.

Lina (Colombia)

I like seeing people at TABLEtalk, we are all international students so can practice our English.

I really liked that it was a regular weekly meeting and I liked that we had a chance to talk in smaller groups, because it allowed us to get to know each other better.

When asked which their favourite themed evening was, students said:

I think I liked [Culture Shock!] the best because I was struggling with culture shock at the time and it helped me to realise it was normal and that I was not alone.

[During the English Night] I learned new things about British culture.

[The Art of Public Speaking] was exciting to test my abilities.

[Studying in the UK] was very useful for new students.

[International Night] was like a mini holiday seeing all the amazing places and getting to know other countries.

17.5% student said TABLEtalk was ‘very beneficial’ and 65% said ‘supremely beneficial’.

Whilst all of the students would like to meet face-to-face, one of the positives of facilitating this event remotely has been that students have joined us from all over London and Kent, and recent alumni from as far afield as Edinburgh, Spain and Colombia.

If you would like to join us for our spring term, starting Jan 14th 2021, please email Lynne & Kirsten at: 

welcome2tabletalk@gmail.com