Learning English in Korea
[one_second]As an online English Language school that helps students from almost 150 countries from around the world, we have a unique perspective on the different challenges of both ESL students and teachers from different parts of the world. Everyday we hear stories of interesting language learning experiences shared by our students. Our goal is to understand these different perspectives and use that to enrich our conversational English sessions.
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Today, we got the opportunity to speak with Min one of our students from Seoul, Korea. Min has been with our English Speaking program for more than a year and has made significant progress in his oral English. She is a Molecular Biologist by profession and spends her free time traveling, listening to music and watching movies.
Here’s our interview with Min.
Q – How long have you been studying English in general?
A – I have studying English for more than 8 years now. I have taken English courses both in Korea as well as online. However, most of the English tutors I have met focus more on teaching basic grammar. So in most classes, you sit and take notes, rather than actually have conversations in English. I feel this approach has not allowed me to practice speaking English.
Q – What areas of English did you feel you wanted most help?
A – I think it was mostly in speaking. I do a lot of self studying and I have found free websites where I can learn new words. I don’t really think I should pay a English school to improve my vocabulary. My grammar is ok. Not perfect but I can speak at a level most native speakers understand. However, when I spoke in English, I was not fluent. I really needed to spend a lot of time having real conversations with native English speakers and that why I picked Spoken English Practice.
Q – How would you describe your classes at Spoken English Practice?
A – It is definitely very different from other English classes. I would almost say it is an untraditional English course. In a typical class, I would log on to Skype with the native English tutor and we would just have a real conversation. We will talk of how our days went, about cooking, politics, about our jobs and our cultures. The teacher will correct me when I make mistakes without interrupting the conversation all the time. With this method, I think I improve English the same way I would if I lived in the US. I don’t waste time just learning theory – I actually speak English.
Q – How many classes do you have a week?
A – I have 3 lessons every week. Since all classes are 1 on 1 the times are very flexible for me.
Q – Do you practice English on your own too?
A – Yes, I have not stopped doing this. I still learn 1 or 2 new words every day. May be an English idiom. I try to watch TED videos.
Q – How much have you improve your English speaking?
A – I have improved my English speaking more than 100%. Now I can confidently speak with my international clients. My accent has improved a lot too and I speak clearer. I also think I understand native English speakers better now. So overall, I’m very happy with my progress. If I can do it anyone can do it!
Thank you Min for your kind words of encouragement to other ESL students and for your time today, Your English has certainly improved a lot. Great job!
