Three Months of Family Study at HANA Academy — A Couple and Their Second-Grader

My husband and I did a three-month family study stay at HANA Academy together with our child, who is in second grade.

It was our first family study trip abroad with our child, so I was worried right up until we left.

• Would it be safe?
• Would my child adapt well?
• Would our whole routine fall apart?

We chose HANA Academy on the recommendation of another mother from the community, and in the end we were reasonably satisfied on all three counts.

Our child before the stay

• Had never been to an English academy and barely knew the ABCs
• Only exposed to English through videos
• Wouldn’t speak in front of foreigners
• Below-average interest in English

Our child didn’t dislike English, but didn’t like it either.

What changed after three months

① The reluctance toward English has almost disappeared. This is the biggest change.

• Plays pranks on the foreign teachers and jokes with them in English
• Says everything they think, even in simple sentences
• No longer thinks of English as something you must not get wrong

② Listening and reaction speed changed.

• At first our child didn’t understand, but now follows the teacher’s instructions right away.
• Got used to the sound of English

There was definitely a feeling that their ears had opened.

③ Our child now seems to accept English comfortably as just another language. For an elementary school child, I felt this change matters even more.

Honestly, one thing I wished were different: the books are black and white, which strains the eyes. Ask about the books in advance and be sure to buy them in Korea.

To sum up our child’s English progress in one line: they are no longer afraid of English and can slowly read and write easy texts. For a child in the early grades of elementary school, I think that alone made it a meaningful three months.

From our child’s point of view:

• The ability to adapt to a new environment
• The courage to talk to foreigners
• The memory of living in the Philippines with their parents

I think these are what will stay with them.

Pros of family study with a child

① A child-friendly atmosphere

• There are always families with children, so there are always friends to play with. (Most are Korean, which is a bit of a shame, and you should expect the atmosphere to depend on which families arrive. Personally, it was a war against video games!)
• Parents are considerate of one another too

Children playing together

At the pool

Snack time

② Location and daily life (Angeles)

• Easy access to supermarkets, hospitals and restaurants
• Close to Clark airport, so getting around is easy
• The everyday infrastructure isn’t bad

It’s a perfectly fine place for a long stay with a child.

③ Class intensity and flexibility

• Not a Spartan school
• The activity classes aren’t specialized, but they work as a break
• A manageable class schedule and good teachers

For family study, that was actually a plus.

④ Korean staff: it was really convenient to be able to talk straight away in Korean with a manager who was genuinely kind and quick.

Cons of family study with a child

① You’ll be disappointed if you expect great facilities

• Not hotel standard
• People with high standards of tidiness may be a little disappointed

Think of it as a place to study and live.

Family room kitchen

Family room

Family room

Family room

② Mom’s stamina matters

• Looking after the child while taking your own classes
• There comes a physically tough stretch in the middle

In family study, more than half of it comes down to mom’s stamina. In the low season there is free pick-up and drop-off to the Running Man gym so you can work out, and a plus was that parents’ classes aren’t compulsory, so you can adjust the number of classes once you’re there.

My lessons (as a parent)

For three months I mainly took one-on-one lessons.

• It was easy to switch to the teacher I wanted
• They encouraged me to keep talking without pressure, even when I made mistakes
• They adjusted the lessons to my pace

Looking after my child meant some days I wasn’t at my best, and I was grateful that the teachers understood and adjusted the intensity of the lessons. Rather than “as hard as possible!”, it felt like a realistic way of running lessons that suits family study.

My husband memorized English Bible verses every evening, and his teacher praised him for improving a lot in a short time. I think you need some personal study alongside your lessons to get real input and see your skills jump.

Our three months of family study, in summary

• We parents became less afraid of English
• Our child naturally embraced a new environment
• The whole family seems to have gained the confidence that we can do it

We recommend it for families who

• Are thinking about their first family study trip
• Have young children, for whom the environment matters
• Want steady learning rather than a Spartan approach
• Want a fairly comfortable stay in the Angeles area

Because we came with our child, the environment and the people mattered even more. Everyone who comes to the school was lovely, and we are leaving with many good connections.

This post is a translation of a parent’s review on a Korean study-abroad community (Naver Cafe).