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#Overcame fear of speaking English #Deep cross-cultural communication experience #Elation and dreamlike moments
Because everyone spoke English, I—who wasn''t fluent in conversation—felt pressured.
Howeverthey approached me first, and when I couldn''t speak well they actually helped me continue the conversation, and they were considerate so I could assert myself while speaking. My self-esteem grew and I was able to overcome my fears. A special volunteer trip in Lisbon, Portugal — one of the most beautiful places in the world! Oh Su-jeong, Gap Year family gapper (22, university student) / 1-week gap year |
# For me, it was an extremely interesting and appealing project.
After deciding to travel to Europe for the first time with a fluttering heart, I chose not only to travel but to try a more special experience — the gap year project. A gap year is a temporary break from studies to find one''s career path through volunteering, travel, and various activities,Since I had decided to take a leave of absence for the same reason, it was an especially interesting and engaging project for me.
Volunteering abroad alone was such a novel experience and a rare opportunity, so I began this volunteer project in Portugal without hesitation.
Although the flight to Lisbon was delayed by two hours and I arrived later than expected, a representative from the local organization was waiting as soon as I exited the airport, and I was able to get into a car and go to the accommodation without any problems.
When I arrived at the accommodation, I was assigned a single room — it was so comfortable and clean that I was able to sleep peacefully in Lisbon, feeling excited.The meals provided there were so delicious that I was satisfied with the living conditions in Lisbon.
* For Oh Su-jeong, who had a strong desire to change herself, daily customized one-on-one personal missions related to confidence and new challenges were provided, and a Gap Year notebook to reflect and make plans was also given.
# I still can''t forget the sense of pride.
The volunteer work there involved collecting leftover food from restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and supermarkets and sharing those ingredients with impoverished families, the homeless, and elderly people living alone.
I felt incredibly proud simply to be volunteering in the unfamiliar environment of Europe,and each time we collected ingredients from supermarkets or cafes and saw people looking grateful, my spirits lifted and I worked even harder.
Seeing how organized and well-run the local organization was — more than I had expected — I thought it would be wonderful if there were similarly structured volunteer organizations in our country. The food was very fresh and abundant in variety: all kinds of breads and drinks, cakes, vegetables, fruits, etc.I still can''t forget the sense of fulfillment I felt whenever we packed whatever they wanted into bags and handed them out.
# As a result, my self-esteem increased, and my confidence in speaking English also grew greatly.
I gained many insights from this gap year project. First, the most memorable — and also the thing I worried about most — was living with foreigners. I didn''t have much experience traveling abroad,and I gained many things from this project that you can''t easily get from ordinary travel.
Because people from many language backgrounds — English, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, etc. — were present, we used English as the common language, and I, who felt burdened by that, had low confidence before the project.
Afterward, gathering togetherI was very afraid to speak in English, but they helped me speak when I stumbled, cheered me on whenever I seemed to lack confidence, and were very considerate.As a result, my self-esteem increased and my confidence in English conversation improved greatly.
# It was a joyful and ecstatic time — everything felt like a dream, from going out together to sharing a meal and drinks.
By the end of the trip I noticed that the person who at first stuttered and could only say a few English words was now talking at length with them, joking around and living together.
Because the cultures were different, I could hear about many countries'' cultures firsthand, and I was able to tell them about Asians and Koreans and teach them Korean—which they found especially fascinating—while having a fun time with them.Through this experience, my fear and anxiety about speaking with foreigners disappeared,I met truly wonderful people.
There was Leo from Germany who kindly guided and helped me, Jessy from the U.S. and Basak from Vietnam with whom I did the most volunteer work and had many conversations, and the cheerful, bright ''mom'' Sara who always made delicious meals—everyday conversations and activities with them,going out together, and even the dinner gatherings—everything felt like a dream; it was a joyful and ecstatic time.
# It was a memorable experience where I was able to build confidence and self-esteem.
I think that the very idea of a gap year—going to another country to learn its culture while doing volunteer work—is a very valuable activity.Even if you travel abroad, spending several days living closely with foreigners is never easy, so this was a precious and valuable experience that will be rare in the future.Because people came from many countries to volunteer, I could experience firsthand by talking about and respecting each country''s and city''s different cultures that everyone really does have different ways of thinking.
Sitting around at the accommodation, eating together and talking for hours with people from various countries, learning each other''s cultures and manners, traveling together and having fun—it was really enjoyable. Living for an extended time with people from different countries in an unfamiliar place also helped me become more independent,It was a memorable experience where I was able to build confidence and self-esteem.
# Changes after returning from the gap year
The biggest change is that my fear of speaking English disappeared. In fact, when I went there and talked with many foreigners—from French, German, English, to Chinese speakers—they all used English to communicate, so as someone who wasn''t fluent in conversation it felt burdensome.
However,they approached me first and when I couldn''t speak well they made allowances so I could continue speaking and express myself, which increased my self-esteem and removed my fear.
# For prospective participants
There was actually more free time than I expected, so it might not be a bad idea to plan a lot of trips from here. Maybe because it''s volunteer work, they allowed flexible living.
One day, it rained all day contrary to the plan so we had to change the entire schedule and couldn''t do volunteer work, but they gladly told us to go have fun. I regretted not researching more places that could be visited as day trips beforehand; if I had, I might have seen more.
For nearby places, it''s good to do day trips or quickly book one-night stays in advance to look around.
# My gap year tips
- Meeting point
As soon as I arrived at Lisbon airport by plane, a staff member was waiting so I could arrive at the accommodation without any problems. He drove me there himself, so I comfortably reached the meeting point. Maybe because I had submitted my e-ticket in advance, even though the flight was delayed and I arrived about two hours later than the meeting time, we met right away without any trouble as soon as I got off.
- Language
I''m an ordinary student without strong English skills and with little experience in everyday conversation with foreigners, but while doing this project I had no difficulties; foreign friends encouraged and helped me, so my conversational skills improved somewhat.
- Accommodation
When applying I thought it would be a shared dormitory, but when I arrived I was given a single private room. It was a very large room about the size of the whole dormitory, with a bathroom right next to it, so it was very comfortable and satisfying. The men''s and women''s rooms were on different floors, so there were no inconveniences, and I was satisfied.
- Meals
Like in some European countries, breakfast consisted of bread, various cereals, jam and butter, and other provided foods. After about a month I got used to eating bread for breakfast abroad, and it was actually really tasty. Lunch and dinner were cooked by a volunteer the organization called ''mom'' (I also called her ''mom''), and if you asked in advance she even packed meals to-go. The food was so delicious that I always had seconds!!
- What to bring and insurance
I brought comfortable work clothes to wear while working, so it was convenient.
And although it’s the kind of insurance you get just in case, because pickpocketing is so common in Europe, it’s a good idea to have travel insurance. In fact, a friend who traveled with me was pickpocketed and had to file an insurance claim, and in Lisbon the problem tends to be even worse in crowded places, so it’s definitely wise to have it.
My personal Lisbon travel spots
While in Lisbon, I think I went most often to Praça Camões, which is good for sightseeing in the city center. There’s a shopping street so you can shop and eat delicious food, and there were beautiful lights and street performances, so I went often to enjoy the atmosphere.
Because I had plenty of time, I took a day trip to nearby Cascais and saw a really pretty beach, and I also did a day trip to Porto. Personally, Porto is truly beautiful and has lovely night views, so it might be nice to spend one night there to see the night scenery.
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
