Visit to America helps inflate already big dreams
Christian academy hosts 13 Korean youths in new ESL program
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

UPPER FREEHOLD - The past three weeks at the local Christian academy have been filled with both culture shock and enlightenment.

The New Jersey United Christian Academy, located in the Cream Ridge section of Upper Freehold, hosted 13 students from Korea from Jan. 14 to Feb. 4 through its new English as a Second Language (ESL) program.

During their time in America, visiting students stayed with the families of Christian academy students. They also took chaperoned trips to Ivy League schools, the Empire State Building, and Washington, D.C. But most of all, they got to practice their use of the English language and experience American culture and customs.

"This is a group of special students from private schools in Korea chosen to come to America for a cultural experience and to learn English," said Donna Sanchez, the administrator of the ESL program.

The academy, which is in its fourth year, has previously offered yearlong study abroad programs for international students and is now offering the shorter ESL program. The ESL program incorporates phonics instruction and sign language that help students' articulation with the English language, according to Sanchez.

PHOTOSBYJENNIFER KOHLHEPP Hak Joon (Justin) Lee, a Korean student visiting the New Jersey United Christian Academy in the Cream Ridge section of Upper Freehold, begins demonstrating the difference between writing words in English and in his native language.

The group of Korean students in the first-ever ESL class at the school consisted of 11 high school-aged students and two elementary school students. The two elementary school-aged students took classes at Kings Academy in Wrightstown.

The visiting students chose American names and used them throughout their stay. In America, their ages were also considered different from what they were at home.

One of the visiting elementary school-aged students, Hee Jin, who's 13 years old in Korea but 12 years old in America, explained the age difference.

"Because in Korea when [we are] born, we are 1 year old," she said. "In America when born, we are zero."

JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Students visiting from Korea and taking classes at the New Jersey United Christian Academy in the Cream Ridge section of Upper Freehold spend some time with their chaperones before heading out on a ski trip.

Jin also pointed out a few other differences that she noted during her stay in America.

"In Korea we live in [an] apartment," she said. "Here we live in a house."

Jin said she has a desk in her room in Korea while in America the room she stayed in had a television.

Sanchez said her son Jon, 14, was surprised to find out from the two students staying with their family that Koreans attend school from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. while a typical American school day only lasts about eight hours. The Koreans also only have a one-week summer break compared to American students who typically enjoy a little more than two months off during the summer, she said.

"You can see [that] the differences in academic standards are tremendous," Sanchez said. "In Korea, the students are literally being prepared for college and work-related life."

Of the experience she had hosting two Korean boys in her home, Sanchez said, "They experienced a lot of enlightenment and culture shock, and I did too."

While living with the Sanchez family, Yeonjae (David) Cho was surprised to discover what Americans ate for breakfast. In America he ate cereal for breakfast, but in Korea there is no difference between breakfast and lunch foods and he usually eats rice and kimchee for both meals.

Cho also said he found American schools "freer" and said America in general is "so big."

"Without driving, you can't go anywhere," he said. "Back home, we walk everywhere or bicycle."

Cho also said he found that Americans were "talkative."

When asked to explain, he said the Sanchez family always made time to talk to each other after meals while in Korea there is less talking and more studying, according to Cho.

When asked what kind of career he is studying for, Cho said he wants to get into politics.

"[Ever] since I was young, I liked to read newspapers and I [wanted] to

study politics," he said. "I want to help my country. I want to change it and the Korean political culture."

Cho said he believes the Korean government is too detached from its people.

When asked what differences he sees between America and Korea, Geon (Frederick) Woo, 16, said, "In America, when you look around you can't find any mountain. In Korea, many mountains. You look north - mountain, south - mountain, east - mountain, west - mountain. Surrounded by mountains."

Besides the landscape, Woo also noted differences in character.

"American people are more fun," he said. "There's no restrictions or

punishments. Americans are open-minded. I'm impressed by their kindness. There is nothing you can't do here."

Woo said there are some things Americans can do that are not allowed in Korea. For instance, he said Americans can wear shoes in the house, which is not allowed in Korea.

He also said Americans have more free time to do the things they want and like to do.

Woo said the trip to America changed his perspective of the world.

"This is a big world," he said. "Used to be too small."

He also said the trip has reinforced his decision to become an international lawyer.

"When a child, I think be lawyer because of parents," Woo said. "Now, think become lawyer because I saw many poor people dying. They have rights but can't use rights. I [could] help them, help them fight against bad things in society."

Woo said he enjoys the New Jersey United Christian Academy because it was founded by Christians who express their religion in everything they do.

Whereas the academy incorporates the religious experience into school, Woo said some Korean schools do but others do not, and he believes that all schools should allow students to express their religious beliefs in school.

"I have a relationship with God," he said. "I always think about it. Here it is the same. Christian academy students have great joy and worship God. I am impressed [that] students have relationship with God and teachers teach students with Christian mind. This school is the greatest school in the world, I think."

Woo said he decided to take the ESL class at the academy because his pronunciation is not very good.

"Since it's his heart's desire to one day live in America and attend a university, he needs to be able to articulate," Sanchez said.

Four teachers worked with the students in their ESL classes. Sanchez taught phonics and sign language, Tiffany Joyner taught grammar, Eufemio Pagan taught conversation and dialogue, and Tanya Hassel taught writing.

In assisting the students with their English, Joyner said she learned to speak some Korean.

Joyner said that while she noted few differences between the Korean students and the students she regularly teaches, she did learn that Koreans seem to place a higher value on education than Americans do.

"They don't take it for granted," she said. "Some American students don't fully appreciate what they have here."

Joyner said she saw some improvements in the students' speaking over the three weeks she had them in class. She also offered her perspective on how the student population at the academy embraced its visitors.

"I found that the students here so easily embraced them into their community," she said. "I believe these students feel welcome, and I have seen positive interaction between our and the visiting students."

Chelsea Hlad, 15, and her family hosted two young ladies from Korea, Charlotte and Chloe. Hlad said that although the girls seemed shy at first, they easily started enjoying themselves and feeling comfortable.

"They really enjoy hanging out,"

Hlad said. "Back home, they go to school for a really long time."

Since one of their Korean visitors has aspirations of becoming a police officer, Hlad said her family took the girl to a police station where Hlad's grandfather works as a chief of police.

"We also went shopping a lot because they don't get to go in Korea," she said.

Jenny Yoo, 18, a student at the academy, went to Boston and New York City with the visiting students. Yoo, who sometimes helped translate between academy staff and the visiting students, came to America from Korea about 21/2 years ago.

Prior to coming to New Jersey, Yoo was an exchange student in Michigan. The visiting Koreans reminded her of what it was like when she first came to America.

"It was hard to speak English, and I was kind of shy speaking it in front of people," she said. "That's why I kept telling these students that I wanted them to speak English even if they thought they were speaking broken English."

She continued, "Americans understand that you're not going to speak perfect English," she said.

By the end of their stay, Yoo said the visiting students were speaking English "pretty good."

"It was a good experience for them to speak English and to hear English," Yoo added.