신기하다!!

I have been studying with Lily for about a year and a half. We have had 106 lessons to date, which will give some perspective on how amazing she really is...

When we first met I was just beginning the final year of a Master's degree in Applied Linguistic which meant a couple of 4,000 word essays and then a 15,000 word thesis to write. Because of this, I apologetically but adamantly stated that I would have no time for homework outside of class and so everything we did would have to be done in the the two to three classes we had each week. Lily was very understanding of this and of my stress levels and changing schedule throughout the year.

I had two main goals, one was conversation, and the other was to eventually get into a language program run by the Korean government, in order to apply for a better visa. To have a student working full time, doing a Master's degree and who is terrified of speaking Korean can't have been easy but Lily was able to slowly draw me out of my shell and get me speaking more fluently and confidently. She also researched the government program I wanted to take and provided appropriate materials to help me study for the level test.

I had done little bits of Korean study over the years but my shyness and other commitments had always gotten in the way, and so there were many hurdles to get me over when I started classes with Lily. I had also taken the level test for the government program before, which is an hour long exam (reading and writing) followed by a ten minute speaking test. I was too terrified to take the speaking test the first time and so I didn't answer any questions in the interview. I scored 24 points out of a total of 75 on the written exam.

After just over a year of studying with Lily I took the test again and scored 57 points in total, including for the oral exam, which I was actually able to do this time (although still a bit nervous)! I was placed at level 3 in the program (the highest being level 5) which is amazing and has made me really happy. I'm getting closer to that visa!

Lily did an incredible job dealing with my schedule, my requirements and my huge fear of speaking. I couldn't have wished for a better teacher! To have more than doubled my points in that short space of time was astonishing. But the best thing is that now I'm able to go out and actually talk to people without so much fear. But the best best thing of all is having such a great teacher and friend to whom I will be eternally grateful.