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#Increased confidence and self-esteem, understanding of other cultures #Canadian demi-pair, life with a host family #Moved, learning
Thanksgiving parties, Halloween, Christmas, etc. I enjoyed experiencing many cultures that are quite different from Korea. At Christmas I received a gift from the language school and also a gift from the host mom, and I hadn''t really received a gift that was given with the giver thinking about me,so I was touched.
Studying English affordably in Toronto by receiving room and board as a Canadian demi-pair Kim Ji-soo, gap-year participant (gapper, 21, university student) / a 12-week gap year |
I thought it was killing two birds with one stone because accommodation and meals would be covered.
Hello, I''m a student who took a gap year after finishing my first year of university because I wanted to rest. I''ve traveled quite often and I like English, so I used to listen to pop songs and watch American dramas a lot, which has made my listening skills quite good. But due to the way we study in Korea, my speaking is a bit lacking, so I don''t think I''ve really had the chance to converse with foreigners.
The reason I joined the project is that I studied so hard since high school that I hardly had any time for myself. It had been my dream to go abroad and live there, so when I saw a Canada-related program on the Korean gap year website,
I chose it. The filming location of a drama I liked long ago was Toronto, so I wanted to visit,and I thought it was killing two birds with one stone because accommodation and meals would be covered.
* For Kim Ji-soo, who wanted to build confidence and self-esteem, daily personalized one-on-one missions for self-reflection and new experiences and challenges were provided, and a gap-year notebook to reflect on oneself and make plans was also provided.
I also wanted to learn the mindset of keeping appropriate boundaries.
Before leaving I worried a lot about how to pack for three months, but I prepared by following the gap-year checklist.More than half the volume of my luggage was clothes, so I had to pay attention to the weight. I was going in late autumn and returning in winter, so I had to pack both fall and winter clothes.I also think I studied English a little, but since I can''t really remember it, it might have only been an attempt haha.
I''m somewhat shy and lack a lot of confidence, so I wanted to overcome that through this gap year.I knew my English skills were relatively strong, but since I hardly ever used them, I wanted to practice.Among Western cultures, I wanted to learn the mindset of not being overbearing and of keeping boundaries.
A typical day in Toronto
In the morning I go to the language school to study, and classes finish at 1. After that I eat the sandwich I brought from home at the school, then go home to get ready to pick up the host child. I bring them back and play with them until dinner; after eating and cleaning the kitchen, that''s it for the day.
About once every one or two weeks I folded the children''s laundry and sometimes cleaned the living room. On weekends, when the family went out, I sometimes went along.
I was touched because I had rarely received a gift that was given with the giver thinking about me.
Through this project I learned about and was able to participate in Canadian life, which I liked. I enjoyed experiencing many cultural events that are quite different from Korea, like Thanksgiving parties, Halloween, and Christmas.I received gifts at the academy for Christmas and also from my host mom, and because I hadn''t often received gifts given with that kind of thoughtfulness toward the recipient,I was moved.
And I realized parents sacrifice a lot for their children, and I felt I should always remember this and be dutiful to my parents.
# People I met locally
First, the host family who took me in as family; an older sister in the same program I met at the academy who gave me lots of advice and helped me; a younger student from Taiwan who was always cheerful and the mood-maker among the academy students; the academy director who liked my work so much that I gave her a present; an older sister from Japan with whom I often went to lunch and went around here and there; and other sisters who came from Korea.
# My Toronto spots
I liked Harbourfront and Toronto Island. They seem like places where you can enjoy a relaxed atmosphere without many people. They say Toronto Island is especially great in the summer; I''d like to go too. Oh, and I also liked that there are many parks.
My gap year
Experience★★★★☆
It was my first time leaving my home and living in someone else''s house, so it was a good experience.
Learning★★★☆☆
It was the perfect environment to focus on studying and improve my English! There were no Korean students around me, and because I stayed alone in my room, I think I always used English except when talking to my family.
Environment★★★★☆
Being constantly exposed to English is good for practicing it.
Safety★★★★☆
Compared to the U.S., the residential neighborhoods are relatively well-lit and safer than I expected.
Capturing the growth journeys
of our participants.
