Institute Review
I want to explain how excellent the School is and how nice the Wonjangnim and the head theacher are. I cannot express enough how much I thank God and my friend who introduced me to this school.
I have 4 sons and they all have gone to International English School. Two of them are still studying there. I have known the school for almost 15 years. Because my home is quite far from the school, I waited for my kids at the school, while they were studying. I watched American TV shows at the video rooms I watched every episode of Little House on the Prairie and The Waltons. (They have 20 or more terabytes of TV shows, movies and documentaries). I was there at least 3 days a week, and stayed longer than 2 hours each time I went, so I know how the School treats its own pupils and co-workers, because I witnessed all of it with my own eyes.
The Wonjangnim loves the students as if they were her own children, and treats co-workers like her family. The atmosphere is warm and the teachers are gentle, kind and ready to teach the kids. I enjoyed every second I spent there.
When my youngest son started to attend the school, he cried and refused to be in the classroom so the Wonjangnim allowed me to stay with him. I was able to see how the classes were run. I was amazed by the quality of classes, since even I was able to tell that teachers were well-trained and the classes well-organized. Not even a minute was wasted. The head teacher trained them so well. It was impressive.
One day, I heard a student talking to her friend that her school’s native English teacher thought that she was from an English speaking country. She laughed because she had never been to one. Now I can believe that really happened, because my oldest son who is a junior in a US college told me that his professors never thought that he came from outside of the country since his English was excellent. They all thought that he was born and raised in the States, until he told them that he was from South Korea.
The School is so clean that you cannot even find a speck of dust. They only have 5 students a class, because if there are more, it is harder to care for each student. Other schools, to make money, have at least 12 students a class. The head teacher NEVER puts students in the wrong level to fill up classes, especially when their ability to speak English is different (While this may seem like the right thing to do, almost every other school in Korea does this).
I remember that my oldest son stopped going to the school for 2 years, because of his middle school policy. When he started to go to the school again, he was behind his peers, so the head teacher set up an extra class just for him for 18 months. He did not accept money because that is NOT what he is after. He did it because he cares.
I always tell my kids that I have a great respect for the head teacher and Wonjangnim and I admire them as human beings for their attitude and his passion towards students. I am a Sunday school teacher, but I don’t think I can love my students like he does.
Also they accepted a boy from my church to study at the school without any kind of tuition, since the boy’s family cannot afford it. I did not even ask them to do it. I just told them about him wanting to study and his family’s economic situation. After checking his English level, the head teacher organized a private lesson for the boy to catch up with his class.
My youngest son says that he sometimes wonders that “Does the school make its students excellent or is it the other way around?” because all of the higher level students at the school go to or can go to famous schools anywhere in the world and get scholarships.” Being the mother of 4 sons who have gone to this school, I firmly believe the former is right.
I feel so blessed that I was able to send my kids to this school. I hope that God blesses the head teacher and Wonjangnim with good health so they can also teach our grandkids. May the good LORD bless them for years to come!
Institution Location
Musil-ro 181, Wonju-si, Gangwon-do, 220-040, South Kore