During the summer vacation, I made up my mind to learn English well. This is why I decided to take a two-month vacation. My first time studying English was in Thailand. I had classes for two hours a day and I didn’t usually talk much. I learned slowly and made no progress. Later, my friend said that Monol is a good school and that a lot of students have learned about IELTS here as well. That said, we came together to learn. Beginning my life here was unexpected.
We arrived in Monol on Sunday afternoon. When we arrived at the school gate, the security guards helped us carry our luggage. They were very enthusiastic to take us to the dormitory.
Our dormitory is for six persons and is located on the third floor of the campus. When I arrived, I was worried that it will be noisy inside the room because there are six people. But I found that my roommates loved to study. As soon as I went inside, I talked to my roommates and they were very good at speaking in English! I was the worst one but thankfully, they patiently listened to me.
Our room only has five people – two are from Japan and the other two are from Taiwan. After our short chat, they went back to studying. They all have self-discipline and with this kind of learning atmosphere, it’s hard not to feel guilty if you’re not studying.
MY DORMITORY
The equipment in the dormitory is very complete. Each student has a study table, a closet, and clothes hangers. There is also a refrigerator and dehumidifier. The floor of our room is covered in carpet and the beds are also large enough. There are regular cleaning staffs and I also don’t need to wash my clothes – thanks to Monol’s laundry service. This way, I can only focus on studying hard.
After settling my things in my room, I went to the dining hall for dinner. The dining hall is very large and the food is very rich. There are two meat dishes, three side dishes, three kinds of soup, noodles, bread, fruits, vegetable salads, juice, etc. Before coming here, I felt thin. Seeing all these foods make me feel like I’m getting fatter!
MY FIRST MONDAY
I officially started my student life on Monday. I went to the dining hall at 8 AM to take the level test. The test is composed of speaking, listening, writing and reading. After the level test, the manager will share the student handbook and introduce the school rules and policies. While this is happening, the head teacher arranged my classes, based on the result of my level test. There are also elective courses. These are Grammar Class, Yoga Class, Golf Class, etc.
SCHOOL RULES
There are also policies on going out. From Monday to Friday, I can go out for 30 minutes during the day, within 300 meters away from the school. I can go out for more than 30 minutes as well but I have to go back to the school before 9 PM. On weekends, I can freely go out but I have to make sure to come back at 9 PM on Sunday. Otherwise, I will get a penalty.
Also, there is an English Only Policy (EOP) in the school. English should only be the language in the school. If I use Mandarin to explain something to my friend, I will get a penalty as well.
I am already familiar with the school rules and courses. I will study ESL – seven class hours a day. There are five subjects: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, and Pronunciation. I have also chosen electives such as Grammar Class and Yoga Class. I will also have self-study every night. Every day is going to be fulfilling!
It’s only been a week since I came to Monol but there is clearly an improvement in my English skills. I didn’t dare to speak before. Now, I will learn more and get to know friends in this kind of learning atmosphere.
by DEMI HUANG
