Taewan Kim from Korea shares his experience while taking the General English Course (Upper-Intermediate) in Vancouver.
When I first entered EC Vancouver, they assigned me to “Intermediate”. I was a little bit disappointed because I have always been proud of my English abilities. But, when I met my classmates, I couldn’t introduce myself fluently and lack of confidence made me quiet. I was so embarrassed and surprised. Maybe these shocks made me humble and modest which are such important elements when it comes to learning languages.
After a few days, I made my English name because most of my friends said that Korean names are difficult to pronounce and I think it helps me to make friends much faster.
In my spare time, I watched American dramas and listened to English music. I tried to follow the actor’s words and search unknown vocabulary. These activities improved my pronunciation rapidly.
Every time I roamed several places, I always observed Canadian’s speaking styles. For instance, when I went to English Bay, I stood in front of a store almost 15 minutes to catch the way how to order food and how to pay. And I prepared some stories for tomorrow, because every teacher always asks us “How was your weekend?” like this way. I stayed with my cousins in Surrey and it took almost an hour to commute. So, I could read newspapers in the Skytrain every day. Maybe it looks weird but these constant efforts gradually increased my English abilities.
Anyway, In “high-intermediate” class, I met “Asaly” the best teacher ever. She always makes the class funny and energetic. Also, her teaching method was so awesome. She gave me lots of opportunities to speak and it doesn’t matter whether my opinion is right or wrong. Everyday, I pretended to be outgoing and it raised my confidence. After 3 weeks, I passed mid-term test and moved up to “Upper-intermediate”.
Many students think that it’s meaningless to come to EC for short periods. But, it’s not true. It depends on your will and passion. I moved up 2 levels in 7 weeks and my English skill has dramatically advanced especially in “speaking”.
EC has many helpful extra lectures and activities which also increased my abilities. On every Monday, new students come and on Friday some students leave. So, I could meet lots of foreign students and also they were so friendly. I think this is a really great system.
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Find out more about EC Vancouver’s English Courses.