Summer Korean Immersion Program at Seoul

I was somewhat nervous sending my daughter on a Langubridge program because we didn't know anything about the program other than what we found on the website. We eventually found their facebook page and were reassured that it was a legitimate program. I was impressed right from the start by how organized langubridge was, and generally my questions were answered before I had a chance to ask them. He pick up at the airport in Korea went seamlessly. She was set up with a wonderful family who welcomed her into their home, were eager to talk to her and help her out and show her many sides of Korea. Langubridge also had a wonderful, varied program that involved cooking, a fish farm, taekwondo, k-pop dancing and a theatre performance among others. My daughter also made a lot of great friends who shared her love of languages, travel and Korean culture (A year later and she is still in touch with these friends and with her Korean family). She found Seoul to be a safe city that was a lot of fun to explore. The language program was also excellent and my daughter's Korean language skills improved dramatically because of all the opportunities to practice. I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in Korea, and don't worry if you're not sure you have knack for languages. You'll be fine!

Since this is my first time traveling alone and going to a foreign country without my family, I was extremely nervous about going on this summer program. But in the end, I had nothing to worry about! And if I had the chance, I would do this all again. Once I stepped into Korea, I was immediately greeted by my host family. They were extremely nice and knew some English as well, which was helpful for me. Their home was very cozy and convenient to a lot of beautiful places around Seoul! Before language school started, the host family would bring my roommate and me to famous sightseeing places and take us out to eat delicious food! Fortunately, they also taught us how to ride the subway so that we knew how to go to school. I met very diverse and welcoming people of different ages and backgrounds in the program as well! As an international student who lives in China, it was refreshing to have people from various parts of the world coming together to experience this summer program. When everyone was divided into different classes (we took an orientation test to determine everyone's level of fluency in Korean), I bonded well with my classmates and our teacher, who was immensely patient and kind to us. Sometimes, our teacher would even give us Korean videos to watch to help us in our Korean! Lastly, what I found most eye-opening about this entire experience was the Korean culture and activities in the program and outside the program. If I listed out all the things I did in Seoul, it would probably be too overwhelming to read. Nonetheless, I am grateful that my experiences include a mix of Korean history and culture, food, shopping (which I don't usually do), and casual activities with friends (karaoke all the way!). I also find this program to be extremely flexible in allowing students to arrange their own time to do activities they want to do; in the 2019 schedule, we would have Sunday and another weekday to spend freely, whether that's by hanging out with our host family, friends from the program, going places by yourself (with safety as a priority), etc. Overall, if you're thinking about signing up for this program, I highly recommend you! Not only was this eye-opening for me in learning more about Korea, but also making new friends of different ages and nationalities as well as learning how to be independent in a foreign country with people who speak a different language! I can say that I have matured from this program and taken a different perspective of the world around me, so I hope you consider this program to be one way you can spend your summer!

This past summer, I studied abroad in Korea and it was a new experience that allowed me to grow as a person. Besides the academic and cultural parts of the trip, I had to adjust to living without my parents and the safety of my familiar surroundings. Being placed in a wonderful homestay family definitely helped me adjust to the country and made me feel welcomed. Learning the basics of the language, its subculture, as well as its culture broaden my views upon a country so new to me. I have learned that visiting historical sites and learning a part of a country's history while in that country makes the experience much more personal, one that you could never get from a textbook. Total cultural immersion really forced me to practice what I learned in class. This allowed me to retain information better than if I had taken courses in the States. The amount of freedom we had just to explore was such a treat. Being from New York where everyone is always rushing to places, it was so nice to walk without a destination and absorb all the scenery around me. The administration was very helpful and always willing to hear your concerns and help out where they could. I never once felt unsafe during my stay in Korea and enjoyed each and every moment. I made so many new friends from all over the world that I would have never had met otherwise and still keep in contact with today. Despite only being there for a short period of time, this opportunity had left me with memories and experiences I will never forget and the feeling of wanting to study abroad again.