[2024-11] Jeonghyun(15)'s Parent

Our family is a homeschooling family in our 9th year with a Grade 9 boy.

Every homeschooling family may have different directions and methodologies, but what we’ve focused on is more about making self-study and exploration at home a regular habit than outdoor activities.

For English learning, we finished one Phonics book when my son was in Grade 1, and after that, we continued English learning through methods like ORT, focused listening, exposure to all videos in English, learning sight words, frequency words, and borrowing CD-based chapter books from the library. We kept up with English learning for six year elementary school period.

As my son’s accumulation of the English language gradually increased, I wished for some kind of breakthrough. This desire stemmed from the fact that we had been focused only on input, and the need for output — whether speaking or writing — became more urgent.

While we didn’t attend any English academies, I felt we needed a breakthrough, and as soon as we saw the announcement for the 12-week Canada Homestay program, the three of us — dad, mom, and son — agreed unanimously that it was an opportunity we should try.

However, even though we recognized the need for English, we never considered sending our child abroad for three months. The decisive reason for us to participate was the foundation of living in a homeschooling Christian family in Canada for 12 weeks. And the fact that the Korean coordinators, who live in Canada and are doing homeschooling as well, manage the program, interviewing the host families and matching them with the most suitable ones for students, reassured us as parents.

What I’m most grateful for is that, although this was planned and carried out by people, it felt like a feast that God had prepared for our child. As I mentioned before, our family had been focusing on daily academic routines, which made outdoor activities a bit lacking. But the family we were matched with had incredibly active outdoor activities. It felt like God had specifically prepared this family for our son, Jeonghyun.

Through different co-op activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays, he met many friends and parents, worshiped, socialized, and enjoyed activities like skating, skiing, hiking, swimming, and inline skating. In particular, the host father taught him how to ski, and by the time he returned, he was able to complete the advanced slopes.

On Wednesdays, through youth group meetings and worship services, he experienced the Canadian Christian youth community, engaging in discussions and activities under the guidance of missionaries.

One of the most touching moments was celebrating Christmas together, meeting the extended family of his host family, playing games, going on outings, and exchanging gifts while experiencing a Christmas season rooted in Christian values.

Another great benefit was that Jeonghyun had the opportunity to practice household chores, just like other Canadian children, as a member of the family. Caring for family pets, preparing firewood, shoveling snow around the house, and preparing lunch boxes for co-op days were not just small tasks to help the mother but responsibilities that contributed to the household. Watching these children, and sharing in the experience, taught Jeonghyeon invaluable life lessons that prepared him to live as an independent person. I am so grateful to hear him say that this was true learning that couldn’t be forced.

In addition, the incredibly beautiful natural surroundings, the kindness of the locals, the sophisticated manners of the people, the deep friendships he formed with the three children in just three months, and the thoughtfulness and love shown by the host parents are all experiences that made us feel the grace of God. Even though we were far away, we experienced the biblical truth that we are brothers and sisters, united by the Holy Spirit.

With all these experiences, English was simply a secondary result, not the main goal. The experience of engaging with the language, not as a study, but as a way to communicate! The benefit of learning that language is not just a subject, but a means to understand one another! My son came back with a genuine motivation to learn English — not just to improve his speaking and listening, but to enrich his vocabulary and engage in more advanced conversations. This motivation to study English was the greatest outcome.

This, I believe, is the most significant benefit of the Canada Homestay, something that cannot be experienced in Korea.

In a non-English-speaking country, creating an environment for English learning through listening practice, movies, and English CDs is limited. To truly expand English as a language, we thank God for leading us to the best opportunity at the right time with the most appropriate means — the Canada Homestay program.

We also pray that God’s love and grace fill the hearts of the 'I’m Homeschooler' team, the coordinators, the Angela family in Canada, and all the community members who treated Jeonghyun with love.

2025.2.14. Jeonghyun’s Mom, Hye-Young Lee

(Translated from Korean)

2025년 2월 14일

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