Viewer Mail

Here are a few e-mails I've received recently:

I am taking an ESL course here (in Canada) at a private school.

the funny thing is, there are lots of Koreans in my school.

in my class, for instance, there are 5 more Koreans!!!!

they always talk to each other in Korean when the teachers are not with them.

also, they don't show up when the presentation days come.

isn't it ridiculous? why are they here?

Studying English abroad is not a magic pill. In my opinion, if you can't learn the language in your home country, going abroad will not help. Most students that do well abroad are diligent students at home. The problem is not your geographical location, it depends on the individual. Honestly, some of my best students have never been abroad and some of the worst have studied abroad.

I feel English is harder and harder because I know the meaning of a word I use but I don't know the connotation of it so I worry that I may have made a mistake or upset someone when saying something. Learning English is not only about the language but also about the culture. I think.

Right. If you really want to jump start your language acquisition, then learn some culture as well. How can you learn any language quickly if you dislike and do not want to learn about the culture?

Thank you very much for your passionate and kind teaching and what you have done for me...

Sometimes I receive "thank you" e-mails. It's nice. However, the best way to thank me is by improving and learning. =)

Hello Andy,

Today I was selected as an Interpol officer by the Korean National Police Agency. Thank you very much for you remarks and kind advice. It was really helpful for me.

No need for thanks. =) This particular student did extra practice and studying outside of class. One of his hobbies is reading English versions of Time and Newsweek magazine.