Chat Mates provides opportunities for international students to enhance their English conversation skills and for domestic students to gain a deeper understanding of other cultures, improve their communication skills and gain leadership experience.

How Does It Work?

All UQ students can participate in the program and there are absolutely no costs involved in doing so. For 7 weeks (weeks 7-13 in Sem1, 2013) culturally diverse groups of 8-10 students meet for 1-2 hours per week. In these group sessions you will get to have interesting discussions about cultural differences, global issues and other topics surrounding the engaging backgrounds of your group. Each group consists of two Group Leaders who are native English speakers to help stimulate and drive the conversation with the remaining non-native English speaking students.

Chat Mates may be especially suited to students studying:

• Business
• Education
• Journalism & Communications
• Social Work/Human Services
• Political Science
• Development Studies
• Any fields where building diverse customer/client/patient relationships are important

Why be involved?

Group Leaders (Native Speaking English Students)

• Develop a deeper understanding of other cultures.
• Expand your range of social contacts and global networks.
• Improve your communication skills with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Gain leadership and group facilitation experience.
• Automatically become a UQ Student Leader including receiving access to all the training, personal development opportunities and awards which that entails.
• Understand the issues and difficulties facing international students while they adjust to new cultures and in particular Australia.
• Assist international students in improving their verbal communication skills and therefore have a more interactive and enjoyable experience in Australia.
• Undergraduate students can also use Chat Mates as a verified secondary (1 semester) or primary (2 semesters) activity in the UQ Advantage Award.

Group Participants (Non-Native English Speaking Students)

• Build your social networks through friendly interaction with other students.
• Improve your verbal English communication skills and receive feedback from native speakers.
• Increase your confidence while you work to improve your pronunciation and fluency.
• Develop a deeper understanding of other cultures while you share your culture and experiences with others.
• Learn everyday Australian terms and phrases so you can understand the funny things we say.
• Learn more about the Australian culture.
• Undergraduate students can also use Chat Mates as a verified secondary activity in the UQ Advantage Award.

How Do I Register?

Group Leader (Native English) registrations are now closed for semester 1, 2013.

Students who are interested in becoming Leaders are invited to complete an Expression of Interest form by Clicking Here. An Expression of Interest is not a registration; however, providing us with your contact details will ensure we are able to update you on any developments and send you a registration link when Chat Mates goes live for semester 2, 2013.

Group Participant (Non-Native English) registrations are officially closed however you can join a waitlist to be grouped this semester in case groups are in need of additional participants. Register for semester 1, 2013 by clicking here

Current Group Leader Links

Semeser 1, 2013 Online Group Leader's Report: Click Here

Semeser 1, 2013 Group Codes: Click Here