ELC BLOG

Hyeon-Jeong Kim, who goes by Debbie, is from Suwon City, South Korea. She has been studying at English Language Center Santa Barbara for five months. She is a great student and always in a good mood and we love having her at ELC!

Why did you want to come study English at ELC?

My agency in Korea recommended ELC to me because the weather is really nice here and because there is a low percentage of Koreans so it would be easier for me to practice speaking English.  I wanted to learn English because I thought it would be cool to be able to watch American movies without the subtitles.

Have you been able to travel while in California? What is your favorite place that you’ve been?

I loved going to San Diego! The beach and atmosphere is really calm and peaceful and I loved the beach in San Diego. I also went to San Francisco with friends which was much more urban than San Diego.

What are you studying in Korea?

I am studying tour management at the University of Kyungi in Korea. When I return to Korea I will go back to studying at the University. I hope to be a tour guide one day! I chose this major because I would like to be able to travel for my job.  Before that I was studying hotel management but then I switched to tour management.

What do you miss most about Korea?

I miss my mother’s food! She makes the best Kimchi soup. This weekend I am going to Los Angeles to have Korean BBQ and I am really excited about it.

What is a fun memory from one of your classes at ELC?

I loved making and decorating gingerbread houses around Christmas time in my conversation class. It was really fun to build them with my classmates.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Santa Barbara?

I love to go to the beach in Santa Barbara and play in the sand and in the ocean on sunny days.

What is one piece of advice you would give to new students coming at ELC?

I would recommend them to make a lot of friends and hang out with them to enjoy their time here and explore together!

What is your favorite type of music?

My favorite type of music is pop and dance music! Maroon 5 and Avicci are two of my favorite artists.

How is California different from Korea?

California culture is much more laidback and people are very friendly here, even with strangers.

If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?

I really want to go to Egypt. I have wanted to go there since I was a kid to see the pyramids and the mummies.