Studying English at Tauranga Intermediate School

I came to NZ to study English. The idea came from my mum. I was a little excited but my dad was sad and lonely because he was left alone in Korea. We planned to study in NZ for about 2 years, but my mum has now added 7 more months. The reason was my younger brother and I were learning so much English.

My first day at Tauranga Intermediate School was lonely, scary and embarrassing. I don’t know why I was scared and embarrassed but one thing I know for sure is why I was lonely. The reason was that I didn’t have any friends to play with. But now I have more than 20 friends. I even went to my best friend’s house and played with him and his brothers. Everyone at Tauranga intermediate is very friendly and helpful.

NZ school teachers are friendly and don’t usually get angry. In Korea, school teachers are really scary and they even hit us with sticks or rulers. NZ classmates are better than Korean classmates I think. They don’t fight each other and they are friendly. They share and help each other.

The learning in NZ is fun. The thing I appreciate the most is it is fun to go to school everyday. In my classroom, we learn about statistics, persuasive writing, basic facts and NZ history. There are lots of technology classrooms in which we can make something by ourselves like a wooden clock, a waterproof bag and some delicious food. If we don’t know how to do things, our teacher helps us to achieve it.

So come to Tauranga Intermediate School and learn English in a fun way. Studying hard at English Academy in Korea may improve writing, but not speaking. At Tauranga Intermediate School, we get to talk in English all the time with our best friends and teachers. Come to Tauranga Intermediate School to learn English.

Differences between Korean and NZ Education

I was in the classroom at 7am to pass the final test. We have two tests, a middle test and a final test every year for all our subjects Korean, Maths, Society, Science, Art, Music, Physical Education, and Morality.
It’s really hard. After school we go to an academy where we study until midnight so this means we study for 17 hours per day.I really don’t like tests. Homework and studying hard is the comparison of NZ with Korea. Coming from Korea to NZ gave me a refreshing change and my stress has disappeared. Now I have free time and a really good sleep.

I am happy to be staying for a while in NZ. However as you know I am going back to Korea. After 3 months back there my stress and my study nightmare will start all over again. I really want to stay in NZ longer.
"NZ has got more homework than Korea, but you don't have to study for hours, you don’t go to academy, you do not have to stay awake until 1am, you do not have to sit a middle test and a final test and more importantly you do not get stressed!

That is why it is a refreshing time for all Korean students in NZ. Also NZ students are free, they can play just about whenever they want, but Korean students don’t even have time to play. So they don’t do a lot of outdoor activities. However NZ students do a lot of outdoor activities. That is why they are taller, thinner and stronger than Korean students.

NZ students go home at 3pm but for a Korean Year 12 student it is their last year of school and they do not go home because they study to pass an academic aptitude test to go to a really good university. Almost all Korean students have had enough of studying; even I had when I was in Korea .They want to achieve their own dreams but they just study so they can enrol at a really good university.

Korean education ignores student’s own dreams and hobbies. That is really unfair because NZ students can achieve their own dreams. Like me, I want to be a singer but there is no time to practise for me. I hope you know the difference between Korean education and NZ education.

If you have a chance to visit South Korea, you will like South Korea because there are many fantastic things about our country, but you may not like its education system.

I liked playing handball during morning tea and lunch break. I also liked dodgeball and PE. The tennis tournament in Whakatane and the table tennis interschool tournament were a special experience for me. The Ngamuwahine Lodge (Camp) was also great.

My favourite place in Tauranga was Mount Manganui Beach and the Tennis club. I liked the Pizza at the Dixie Browns Restaurant.
I had a fantastic time at TIS and now I am looking forward to seeing my friends in Germany again.