Gavin is a high school student from Connecticut, the United States, and plans to stay in the U.S. to pursue undergraduate studies after his graduation. His cousins, who immigrated to Canada, all studied at Franklin and went to the University of Toronto after passing TOEFL iBT with high scores.
Although Gavin tried different language institutes, under his cousins’ strong recommendation, he took a leap of faith and flew to Vancouver. He had no important requirements and deadlines to meet, as he only wanted to further improve his English and prepare for university. Given his special circumstance, Frank Miao, the head of the school, customized his curriculum and adopted a more concentrated teaching approach.
After a short period of studying, Gavin found Franklin’s teaching method friendly and effective. What he appreciated the most was the scientific arrangement of courses, which proved to be useful for both long-term and short-term learning. Course time was flexible and plenty of online materials ensured that students could learn English in their spare time.
Furthermore, he believed that Franklin’s teaching philosophy of combining Chinese and English lecturing styles was more ideal. His view is that lectures taught by Canadian teachers help students improve their verbal skills; Chinese teachers are more experienced in dissecting complicated English grammar and explaining it in simpler ways. For him, this is the most ideal way to teach English. He said that the western style of teaching didn’t help him much and Franklin’s grammar courses made learning grammar interesting and almost effortless.
What surprised him the most was Mr. Miao’s writing course. Mr. Miao analyzes common and individual mistakes so that students avoid the mistakes of their peers and learn from each other.
Although Gavin only studied at Franklin for 20 days, this learning experience laid a solid foundation for his future English study. Compared to his high school in the U.S, he found it easier to absorb new knowledge at Franklin, which is why his English improved dramatically. He plans to come to Vancouver this summer, and continue to improve his writing at Franklin.
