I thought commuting to an English class would keep me motivated

Signing up at a local center in Hanam

I remember sitting in my living room back in March, looking at my schedule and thinking I finally had enough free time to actually do something about my English. It wasn’t like I had a specific goal, like moving abroad or passing a test. It was just one of those things that kept nagging at me. So, I looked up a few places nearby. I ended up calling a small center in the Hanam area because it seemed less intimidating than the massive corporate franchises. The person on the phone was polite, though they immediately pushed me toward their business English package. It cost about 250,000 KRW a month, which felt like a reasonable enough gamble to see if I could stick to a routine.

The reality of evening classes

The first two weeks were fine. I’d finish my work and drive over to the center, sitting through these hour-long sessions where we’d go over travel-themed phrases or common office interactions. It felt productive at the time. But then, the traffic on the way back started to really get to me. There’s something specifically draining about driving for forty minutes after a full day of staring at a computer, only to spend another hour trying to sound natural while repeating sentences like ‘Could you please forward the documents by Friday?’ It started to feel like a chore I was paying for, rather than a hobby I enjoyed. I found myself checking my watch every five minutes, wondering if I had enough gas to make it home without stopping.

Comparing with online alternatives

My friend kept telling me that I should just switch to one of those AI-powered apps or a virtual platform, mentioning things like the ‘Speaking Class’ platforms that seem to be popping up everywhere now. She insisted that it’s cheaper—sometimes even half the price if you don’t account for the subscription fatigue—and that I wouldn’t have to deal with the physical commute. I checked out a few demos. They had these pre-set scenarios, which were technically useful, I suppose. But there was something about the sterile, robotic feedback that felt just as unsatisfying as the repetitive classroom drills. You get a ‘Good job’ from a software program, and it just doesn’t feel like you’ve actually accomplished anything meaningful.

The temptation of short-term programs

There was an event at Starfield Hanam a while back where they were showcasing these educational tech booths. I walked past one and saw a bunch of people signing up for a four-day intensive workshop. It was tempting to just sign up for something short-term and ‘finish’ the learning experience quickly, just to get it out of the way. It’s funny how I keep looking for these ‘projects’ or ‘camps’ to jump into. I think I’m just trying to find a way to make English feel like a discrete task I can complete rather than a lifelong maintenance thing. The staff there were so enthusiastic, but I just kept walking. I wasn’t ready to commit to another ‘project’ when I wasn’t sure if I even liked the process itself.

Still lingering in the middle

I’ve since stopped attending the classes in person. I still have some of the workbooks sitting on my desk, collecting dust under a stack of mail. Sometimes I pick one up and read a few lines, just to feel like I’m still ‘in it’ somehow. I haven’t really solved the problem of my English skills, and I don’t feel particularly guilty about it anymore. Maybe the issue wasn’t the center in Hanam or the curriculum, but the fact that I was treating it like a chore on a to-do list. I’m not sure what I’ll do next month. Maybe I’ll look for a tutor who can come to my home, or maybe I’ll just leave the books on the desk for a few more months and see if the urge to study comes back on its own.