Three months of “parent-and-child study abroad” chosen by Emily, an IT professional, during parental leave | Commuting from an external condominium and sharpening IELTS in 1:1 classes

Emily currently works at an IT company. She joined this study abroad program by making use of her parental leave. “It isn’t easy to create opportunities to study English while balancing work and raising children, so I decided to use this period to study English intensively.”

She wanted to properly study the English she had long hoped to master, and that was what led her to study abroad. “Precisely because the time was limited, I wanted to put myself in an environment different from my usual one and create time to concentrate on English.” Work, raising children, and studying again for herself. As a way to balance those three, Emily chose to study abroad in Cebu Island.

Emily found the Philippines attractive as a destination because language schools there offer many 1:1 classes, and she felt the cost was relatively easy to keep down compared with studying in other countries.

“Because of my child’s daycare, I needed to rent an external condominium and live there instead of in the school dorm.” For that reason, she says, being allowed to commute to school and being able to study IELTS were both important conditions when choosing a school.

Given those conditions, she felt that 3D ACADEMY, which is easy to get to and also lets her study IELTS, suited her situation, and so she chose it. Because she was studying abroad while raising children, the school’s location and flexibility were the deciding factors.

Emily took the IELTS course. For about 3 months, she attended 5 classes a day, all of them 1:1. “I especially wanted to strengthen my speaking, so I took 2 speaking classes and 1 class each of reading, listening and writing.”

“I was also very grateful that there were free casual group classes that anyone could join.” She tried to join whenever she had no class scheduled, and says this gave her more chances to use English in a different way from her regular 1:1 classes.

In the group classes she could naturally interact with other students, so they were not only English practice but also a chance to get to know all kinds of students.

“This time, for the first time, I was able to study IELTS within a solid curriculum,” says Emily. Among the skills, she feels she has become stronger than before in listening and reading, which she had not been able to study enough on her own until now.

On the other hand, Emily says that this is not yet fully reflected in the score she is aiming for. “Studying abroad is not the end; I think it’s important to keep studying on my own even after I graduate. Through this study abroad I was able to acquire the fundamentals and study methods, and I want to connect them to my self-study from now on.”

Because she had to pick up her child from daycare on weekdays, Emily would basically go straight home once classes ended. “Even while studying abroad, the rhythm of life with children doesn’t change, so on weekdays I spent my time mostly at school and at home.”

On weekends, she spent time playing in the condominium pool with her 2 children and going out to shopping malls. “I think I was able to value not only studying but also the time of living in Cebu together with my children.” A way of life that balanced both studying abroad and raising children without strain was Emily’s everyday life in Cebu.

Emily met students of many different nationalities, including Brazil, Russia, the Czech Republic, China, Saudi Arabia, Italy and France. “Studying at the same school as people from countries I would rarely have a chance to meet in my daily life, and communicating with them in English, was also an experience unique to studying abroad.”

Emily’s immediate goal is to first achieve the score she is aiming for in IELTS. Beyond that, in the future she hopes to be able to work in an international environment using English.

As advice for those who will study abroad, she says: “I think Japanese people often study abroad for a relatively short period, so if you review junior-high-school-level basic English to some extent before you leave, you’ll be able to make better use of your classes once you arrive. Even having just a little of the basics in place makes it easier to feel your progress in a short study abroad period.”

“Looking at the people whose English improves quickly, I feel that many of them aren’t afraid of making mistakes and actively talk to teachers and students from different countries. Rather than worrying only about speaking correctly, it’s important to first actually try using English. You’re in a multinational environment, so I hope you’ll make the most of that opportunity.”

The course Emily took at 3D ACADEMY is the IELTS Preparation Course.

This course builds all 4 skills (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) in a balanced way through teaching centered on 1:1 classes and exam-format mock tests. We operate as an official IDP authorized agent, and the course can be taken for anywhere from 1 week to more than half a year, with a curriculum that can be designed flexibly to fit your target score and schedule.

As Emily said in her testimonial, because all classes are held 1:1, you can allocate more of your class slots to the skills you want to strengthen, such as speaking. It is also possible to commute from external accommodation next to the school, so the course also supports a style like Emily’s: studying while living in Cebu Island with your family.

It supports a wide range of levels, from those who need a score for career advancement to those taking on IELTS for the first time.

Recommended for those who...

• need an IELTS score for career advancement or their future
• want to focus on English within a limited period
• want to strengthen their weak areas intensively in 1:1 classes
• want to study while commuting from external accommodation
• want to study IELTS while interacting with students from around the world

Why not make the most of your limited time and take a step forward, like Emily?