Blog Article: Breaking the Ice with Confidence: PSU Hosts Interactive English World Cafe Program
Lavanya S
It was a rainy afternoon on July 2nd when the sound of soft drizzle accompanied the buzz of anticipation at Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus. Inside the event hall, the grey skies outside were soon forgotten as students filed in with bright smiles and colored tickets in hand. The event, titled “Conversation in the Workplace – English World Cafe Program,” brought together a diverse group of 51 students, eager to strengthen their English communication skills in a real-world, professional context. This marked the first session of a two-part workshop series organized by the Corporate Communication and Global Affairs Center.
The event was led and supported by an exceptional team of organizers, facilitators, and volunteers. At the forefront were two vibrant emcees, Lavanya, known to the students as Ya Ya, a student intern from India currently with the Corporate Communication and Global Affairs Center, and Ms. Soleehah Kohing, International Affairs Officer at the Corporate Communication and Global Affairs Center. Together, they welcomed the participants with warmth, humor, and an infectious enthusiasm that instantly set the tone for the afternoon.
Representing the university’s leadership, Asst. Prof. Dr. Montira Leelakriangsak, Vice President for Academic Affairs, officially opened the event, while Asst. Prof. Dr. Warapark Maitreephun, Assistant President for Research and Social Mission, addressed the students with words of encouragement and a strong message about the value of intercultural communication. Their presence signified the institutional support behind this initiative and the importance the university places on preparing students for global engagement.
Each student was given a colored ticket red, yellow, green, blue, or purple and a handout booklet that would guide them through the day. These colors grouped the students into rotating teams for the core activity of the day: a World Café-style workshop. As the rain gently persisted outside, inside the room there was a vibrant flow of movement and conversation. Students rotated between five interactive learning stations, each dedicated to a specific communication skill essential in professional environments.
Dr. Tanchanok Prombut facilitated the session on Professional Etiquette, where students explored appropriate behaviors, manners, and unspoken rules of the workplace. In the Networking and Small Talk station, Ms. Nurham Hahsa encouraged students to overcome shyness and build authentic, professional relationships through light, strategic conversation. Meanwhile, Asst. Prof. Dr. Samsoo Sa-u led a deeply insightful session on Cultural Sensitivity, prompting students to reflect on their own biases and cultural assumptions while learning how to better collaborate across differences.
The fourth station, Persuasive Communication, was guided by Lavanya, who not only co-hosted the event but brought her own international experience into the lesson. Her engaging session invited students to consider how language, emotion, and tone come together to influence decisions and inspire action. Rounding off the learning stations, Dr. Meechai Wongdaeng helped students refine their Presentation Skills, from posture and voice projection to structuring impactful messages.
The atmosphere remained lively throughout, with students showing increasing confidence as they moved from one station to the next. In the middle of the sessions, a refreshment break provided a chance to relax and recharge, and even that moment became a space for casual conversation practice and cross-cultural connection.
As the sessions wrapped up, students were invited to reflect on their experience. Several stood up to share how the event had not only taught them about communication but had also challenged them to think beyond language to listen better, to speak with purpose, and to embrace differences. Their reflections were heartfelt and genuine, capturing the very goals the program set out to achieve.
The event ended on a high note with a lucky draw, and the room erupted in cheers as nine students won tickets to participate in an upcoming international visit to Malaysia. The smiles on their faces said it all this was more than a workshop; it was a gateway to future possibilities.
Behind the scenes, the success of the event owed much to the seamless collaboration between departments, the commitment of facilitators, and the supportive university leadership. But most of all, it was the students themselves open, curious, and willing to learn who brought the heart to the event.
Though the next session is scheduled to take place on July 9th, the memory of this first gathering lingers like the scent of rain on warm pavement. “English World Cafe Program” proved that when learners are placed in real, thoughtful, and human-centered environments, language becomes more than grammar it becomes a connection.
