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#Gained confidence; the courage to break self-imposed molds #Friends from various nationalities, cultural exchange, confidence in English #Pride, gratitude, insight
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# Taking time for myself, realizing the dream of living abroad
Hello. I''m Lee Sujin, a 23-year-old ordinary university student who took a leave of absence and went to Malta.
I was an ordinary student who attended school diligently like any other college student, and also,Like other college students, while worrying about my future, I wanted to know what I truly wanted and to find myself.I decided to take a gap year to have time just for myself.
A few years ago I traveled around Europe with friends, and I was the only one who couldn''t speak English well. Because of that I experienced a few instances of discrimination, which made me feel the need to improve my conversational English. Also, I wanted to hear the diverse stories of people from other countries as well as Koreans, and living abroad was a dream of mine, so I chose this project.
A typical day usually starts with going to school. Classes start at 9, so you just need to arrive by 9, and since you often meet friends on the ferry or bus, you open the day by asking about their day in English.
When you arrive at school, you have two classes of 1 hour 30 minutes each starting at 9, with about a 30-minute break in between. During breaks, students mainly gather in front of the school and chat a lot, and if there is a conversation class you finish around 2:30 PM; otherwise you finish at 12:30 PM.
At first, I didn''t know any Korean friends, soI became friends with Spanish students, and through them I met many Japanese friends and numerous others from Romania, Libya, Germany, Peru, and Italy.Of course, later I also met Korean friends and had fun times cooking Korean food for friends from other countries.
By participating in the project, I was able to set aside many practical problems I had in Korea and had plenty of time to fully focus on myself,It was wonderful to exchange thoughts and cultures with various friends through the common language of English, travel, and enjoy ourselves.
While making friends we also had times to open up about our worries; since everyone had diverse experiences, we heard many stories that could help one another. I realized that even though language and culture differ, as human beings we all live similar lives, and I also realized that I needed to be a bit bolder. Also, because everyone was in an unfamiliar environment, we lived by helping each other, so I felt a lot of gratitude and great satisfaction when giving help.
# What I needed was confidence — just do it and get the experience!
In fact, until I joined the project I had no confidence in conversational English. I worried a lot about what if I couldn''t adapt in Malta, but when I actually went, my English wasn''t as bad as I thought, and I realized what I needed was confidence.
Now that the project is over, I try not to confine myself to the box I had put myself in. I realized that the thing preventing me from growing more inside the box I made was myself.
If anyone participates in a language study abroad in Malta afterwards, it''s not strange to feel afraid because they haven''t experienced it, but I recommend just taking the plunge and trying it. By doing so, you''ll realize that you are stronger than you thought, have more talents, and are a wonderful person, and I''m confident you''ll gain a broader perspective and the confidence to step into a bigger world.
# My Gap Year Tip
(Pickup)
The person picking us up was waiting right in front of the gate holding a sign with my name on it, so it wasn''t difficult to find them.
(Language)
If you meet new friends and start talking, rather than worrying about making mistakes or being wrong, once you begin talking you''ll realize that you don''t need as difficult English as you think to have a conversation. As that happens, your confidence naturally grows and your skills improve rapidly. And If you try to use the expressions you learned in class in everyday life, you''ll find that at some point they become your own.
(Accommodation)
At first I was a little surprised because I didn''t know the flat was mixed-gender, but after living there it was no problem and, on the contrary, I was able to enjoy life more. Sometimes I saw people complain about things like this, but I hope they won''t worry about it and will just get on with living.
|
# Taking time for myself, realizing the dream of living abroad
Hello. I''m Lee Sujin, a 23-year-old ordinary university student who took a leave of absence and went to Malta.
I was an ordinary student who attended school diligently like any other college student, and also,Like other college students, while worrying about my future, I wanted to know what I truly wanted and to find myself.I decided to take a gap year to have time just for myself.
A few years ago I traveled around Europe with friends, and I was the only one who couldn''t speak English well. Because of that I experienced a few instances of discrimination, which made me feel the need to improve my conversational English. Also, I wanted to hear the diverse stories of people from other countries as well as Koreans, and living abroad was a dream of mine, so I chose this project.
A typical day usually starts with going to school. Classes start at 9, so you just need to arrive by 9, and since you often meet friends on the ferry or bus, you open the day by asking about their day in English.
When you arrive at school, you have two classes of 1 hour 30 minutes each starting at 9, with about a 30-minute break in between. During breaks, students mainly gather in front of the school and chat a lot, and if there is a conversation class you finish around 2:30 PM; otherwise you finish at 12:30 PM.
At first, I didn''t know any Korean friends, soI became friends with Spanish students, and through them I met many Japanese friends and numerous others from Romania, Libya, Germany, Peru, and Italy.Of course, later I also met Korean friends and had fun times cooking Korean food for friends from other countries.
By participating in the project, I was able to set aside many practical problems I had in Korea and had plenty of time to fully focus on myself,It was wonderful to exchange thoughts and cultures with various friends through the common language of English, travel, and enjoy ourselves.
While making friends we also had times to open up about our worries; since everyone had diverse experiences, we heard many stories that could help one another. I realized that even though language and culture differ, as human beings we all live similar lives, and I also realized that I needed to be a bit bolder. Also, because everyone was in an unfamiliar environment, we lived by helping each other, so I felt a lot of gratitude and great satisfaction when giving help.
# What I needed was confidence — just do it and get the experience!
In fact, until I joined the project I had no confidence in conversational English. I worried a lot about what if I couldn''t adapt in Malta, but when I actually went, my English wasn''t as bad as I thought, and I realized what I needed was confidence.
Now that the project is over, I try not to confine myself to the box I had put myself in. I realized that the thing preventing me from growing more inside the box I made was myself.
If anyone participates in a language study abroad in Malta afterwards, it''s not strange to feel afraid because they haven''t experienced it, but I recommend just taking the plunge and trying it. By doing so, you''ll realize that you are stronger than you thought, have more talents, and are a wonderful person, and I''m confident you''ll gain a broader perspective and the confidence to step into a bigger world.
# My Gap Year Tip
(Pickup)
The person picking us up was waiting right in front of the gate holding a sign with my name on it, so it wasn''t difficult to find them.
(Language)
If you meet new friends and start talking, rather than worrying about making mistakes or being wrong, once you begin talking you''ll realize that you don''t need as difficult English as you think to have a conversation. As that happens, your confidence naturally grows and your skills improve rapidly. And If you try to use the expressions you learned in class in everyday life, you''ll find that at some point they become your own.
(Accommodation)
At first I was a little surprised because I didn''t know the flat was mixed-gender, but after living there it was no problem and, on the contrary, I was able to enjoy life more. Sometimes I saw people complain about things like this, but I hope they won''t worry about it and will just get on with living.
What makes this project special
