Build Your Voice With Community

Friendly places to meet people and practise your English at your own pace.

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Find your people

Rubric campus events app

Rubric

  • Australia-wide campus events app — find on-campus events at UTAS and other unis
  • Browse Tasmania / UTAS listings for clubs, societies and one-off campus events
  • Free to browse — campus.hellorubric.com
Students signing up for clubs at a campus fair

TUSA Clubs & Societies

  • 100+ clubs and societies — sports, games, culture, photography
  • 20+ international student societies that host regular events
  • Free membership for UTAS students — tusa.org.au
Multicultural community group warmly welcoming a newcomer

Migrant Resource Centre Tasmania

  • Community programs and social groups for migrants — eligibility rules differ, so just ask
  • Hobart office: Glenorchy · Launceston office: 53 Elizabeth Street
  • (03) 6221 0999 — mrctas.org.au
Regional public library building with readers inside

Launceston & regional libraries

  • Launceston Library — English conversation classes, call (03) 6777 2446
  • Kingston Library — friendly beginner group, Thursdays
  • Rosny Library — drop-in conversation group, Tuesdays

Tips from someone who has been there

Habits that helped a Chinese international student — who started at the UTAS Language Centre — make English feel normal.

Your English is better than you think

Exams train reading and listening, so speaking lags behind — that is normal for almost everyone. Speaking improves through repetition, not more grammar study.

Practise in tiny moments

Say one extra sentence to the barista, the bus driver or the cashier each day. After a month, small talk stops being scary.

One regular group beats random chats

Pick a weekly group and keep going back. Familiar faces and repeated topics make talking much easier than meeting strangers every time.

Keep your circle, expand your voice

It's fine to find activities through Chinese-speaking friends — just agree to speak English once you're there. And don't worry about your accent: Hobart locals are patient and used to many accents.

Ready to connect with your industry?

Once you feel more confident speaking, it's time to meet people in ICT.

Next: Volunteering →