A goal of studying art in the UK: Jang's story

Jang, a 26 year old from South Korea, tells us about why she has decided to study a semester of intensive English in the UK.

Why did you choose to study intensive English? How will it help you in the future?

When I was in my home country, I had already graduated from university in Seoul. I majored in painting and started working for a trading company straight out of college. While working there, I decided to go to graduate school in the UK to get an MA in Art. I came to study English at Kaplan International in order to prepare me for studying at a UK university.

What is the best thing about the teachers and teaching method?

The teachers listen carefully to the students reading aloud, and they help to improve pronunciation. Every Monday, the teachers get students to write about what they did last weekend. This means students practice and develop their skills.

What do you think about the learning materials?

I think one of the best ways to study is to listen to your teacher, but the K+ Notes textbook also helps to develop good study habits. This is because the book helps organize the students' English studies.

The Kaplan online program is very useful for learning English and also helps me to use the knowledge I've gained to pass the text for the next level of study. Studying alone takes  a bit of getting used to, but it's certainly worth it, and the online program helps me with solo study.

What do you like most about the school?

Structured study helps with learning about English culture. The teachers helped me learn about cultural events, for example, St. Patrick's Day. Because of the use of real world examples, it is more interesting.

What do you like most about Cambridge?

Cambridge is the most beautiful city in the UK. There are so many kinds of living things around the River Cam such as trees, flowers, birds and animals. My hobby is drawing and there are so many things and places to choose from here.

What are your favorite school social activities?

My favorite social activity is the pub evening, of course. In Cambridge, there are so many pubs. My Kaplan friends and I spent an evening in the pub swapping stories about life in Cambridge and discussed the difficulty of studying abroad, we also talked about some amusing stories from Kaplan.

How would you describe your Kaplan Experience?

I can say for sure that I am enjoying myself at Kaplan. I'm enjoying the studying abroad very much. I'm sure the Kaplan Experience will be an invaluable experience for me.

What do you like the most about your accommodation?

When I came here, I lived with a host family. I learned a lot about British culture. Sometimes me and my host mother sent text messages to each other in English and she fixed my English text messages. I was very thankful for her correcting me on my spelling, so I painted her baby's portrait and I gave her the painting. She loved the picture and she was deeply appreciative of my gift.

What is the best thing about studying with people from around the world?

Studying with other students who don't share a common native language forces us to practice our English more. Also, we get to learn about other cultures, not just about the UK.