First week at an English school in the Philippines: why 'will I cope?' was answered in seven days (Thu Thảo, 12 weeks)
Before your first week at an English school in the Philippines, what holds you back usually isn't your English but one question: "Will I cope there?" Vietnamese student Thu Thảo Trần came to Talk Academy in Clark for 12 weeks of Talk 6 Hybrid plus a Business course. The first line she wrote after a week answers exactly that question.
My first week at Talk Academy in Clark flew by much faster than I expected!
First week at an English school in the Philippines — why it went fast: hardly any time alone
It wasn't a packed timetable. It was that the hardest part of week one — time alone — barely happened. Within days there was a group: going out together, eating together, exploring Clark together.
I made friends from several countries, went out with them and got a taste of life in Clark…
What made living away from home easier — the food
The school food suits me, with vegetables and fruit every day, so living away from home for the first time felt reassuring.
It's the item people skip when comparing schools. But for someone away from home for the first time, whether you can eat decides most of the feeling that "I'm OK." Three meals are served on weekdays (not at weekends or on public holidays). For more on food and rooms from a student who arrived at the same time, see English school dorm and meals in the Philippines — Hải Yến.
Cooking — and speaking English at the same time
…one day we cooked together, chatting in English the whole time, which was so much fun.
The key word is "while": English here isn't a lesson but something running alongside another activity — speaking time that costs nothing and takes no effort. How that kind of English builds from week one is shown in 8 weeks studying English in Clark — Ngọc Thảo.
The room — "honestly like a hotel"
The room is comfortable and clean, honestly like a hotel.
A comfortable room for twelve weeks protects your energy every day. Get that impression in week one and the next eleven are much easier.
Not just a place to study
A place to learn English and enjoy lots of new experiences: that's my first week studying English in the Philippines.
On a twelve-week course this matters more than it looks. Three months of only classroom and dorm feel long; three months with friends and plans outside pass very differently.
Worried about your first week at an English school in the Philippines? Things to know
- The first days are tiring. Listening to English all day takes energy — that's normal.
- Check the food and room. Half of adjusting is daily life.
- Say yes to invitations. One outing in week one can make friends for twelve weeks.
- Put English worries aside for now. Read study English in the Philippines as a beginner — Vân Anh, who couldn't say a word on day one.
A week can't measure your English. But for the question that keeps people hesitating before they book, a week is enough.
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