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#Increased confidence and improvement in English skills. #Valuable English teaching experience and deep connections. #I was personally very satisfied.
©Korea gapyear
The Thai people I lived with were generally very friendly, so I felt a strong sense of attachment. Above all, I taught English, which was a very significant experience for me.
-Bangkok, a warm city where NGOs from around the world gather / 4-week gap year |
Those five weeks were truly precious to me.
Before I first applied for this program, I was half-doubting it. But while volunteering in Thailand, those thoughts gradually changed. I could manage basic English conversation but lacked confidence in teaching, when the principal of the local school where I was to work spoke with me for a few words and suggested I try teaching English.
I was surprised by the unexpected suggestion, but I thought teaching English would be much more enjoyable than simply doing other work, so I gladly accepted. The place I was dispatched to was Rayong, about two hours from Bangkok. In Thailand, tourist areas outside of Bangkok are well developed, but other towns are so underdeveloped they''re almost unrecognizable; the place I stayed was even more rural than areas like Haenam or Chungcheong in Korea. However, that was not a problem at all.
The people I stayed with were so kind that if I said I wanted to travel to another area on the weekend they would arrange it for me. A difference from nearby schools was that other schools taught classes together with Germans and other Europeans, but since I taught alone there was a bit of a lack of conversation partners. In any case, I returned with no complaints and rather feeling grateful—largely because I became close with those Europeans and had such a valuable experience.
©Korea gapyear
My personal advice for future volunteers regarding accommodation
In my case, I was assigned to a different school than the other volunteers, and since there was no place to stay there, I stayed at the local principal''s house.
Overall impressions of the gap year program I participated in
I was personally very satisfied. Staying at the principal''s house allowed me to live without much inconvenience, and the Thai people I lived with were generally friendly, so I felt a strong sense of attachment. Above all, teaching English was a very valuable experience for me.
©Korea gapyear
People I met while participating in the programOr people who were with me
They were overseas volunteers from Europe. I didn''t see participants from other countries, but I met students from places like Germany, Luxembourg, and Switzerland; we communicated and traveled together on weekends.
If there were changes in you when comparing before and after participating in the gap year program
Communicating in English in daily life increased my confidence in English and improved my English skills.
©Korea gapyear
If there were any regrets or things you wish had been done differently while participating in the gap year program
This is something I discussed with the person in charge during the program: there were difficulties during pickup, and it took a long time to find each other. Originally I had said I wanted to do management-related work, but that was changed and I ended up teaching English. Although I was much more satisfied teaching English, to prevent this situation from happening again, it would be good to check the English level of people who will be dispatched next time.
Capturing the growth journeys
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