Five teams of The Sangseung English make for the 30 finalists of the 1st Hankyung-Sogang Business English Presentation

▲ The Sangseung English / Director Cha Byeong-jo

Five teams of The Sangseung English made for the 30 finalists of the 1st Hankyung-Sogang Business English Presentation. Unlike many other similar contests in South Korea, the hosting bodies Hankyung and Sogang University made it different with contestants consisted of only elementary and middle school students. 

And it is remarkable that a local language school The Sangseung English in Baebang-eup, Asan, pushed up 5 out of 6 teams into the 30 finalists who beat the 170 teams nationwide. 

Behind this splendid achievement lies a philosophy of Cha Byeong-jo, Director of The Sangseung English. "No matter how you are good at reading, writing and listening, you are likely to lose it if you don't sound it." 

His expertise in vocal training covering pronunciation, accent and linking sound is well recognized and praised among the students. In addition, his analysis and insight in sentence-based speaking and writing have leveled up student's competency to near natives.  

All classes at The Sangseung English are filmed for video review and self-directed learning while one on one consulting finds pros and cons of each student for improvement. 

Team Save The Earth 
(Na Yoon-young, Jeon Yea-hyung and Lee Gyeong-eun)
We felt confident from the very beginning though we were rookies. We worked hard on PPT and we enjoyed the preparation a lot. So winning or losing didn't really matter like Cha said. We just did our best and were happy to be among the finalists.

Team Scarce Children
(Kim So-woon, Jo Young-rim and Nam Gun-woo)
We presented on importance, meanings and social roles of companies. We were really proud of ourselves when we heard to be in the finalists. We practiced a lot about the pose, tone, pronunciation, breathing and fluency. Since being in the finalists, we are very encouraged to go for more contests.

Team Good Company
Kang Yoon-ji : I had studied at a different English school for 5 years before moving to The Sangseung. Those five years were like a hell as I became more hopeless because no matter how hard I worked I couldn't see improvements at all. But The Sangseung made me habitual of the study-and-review cycle and I was surprised myself to understand the grammars I couldn't understand for the last 5 years within 6 months. I found motivation and also built confidence while I practiced day and night for the contest. As it drew near, I said to myself "I can do this. Yes, I can do this" and I actually did it. 

Lee Min-ji : Before The Sangseung, I had this tendency to limit my ability. But The Sangseung broke that limit and pushed me to challenge for more. I did and now I have this dream of becoming a diplomat. If it weren't for The Sangseung, I wouldn't have been who I'm today and not even dreamed of becoming a diplomat nor had interest in English at all. I like students here help each other and encourage each other. It rocks!

Yeon Seo-young : The Sangseung's 'blank paper review test' is great. I didn't even make a simple sentence like 'I met my friend on the way home' before but the repetition of the test made it easy as pie. In a month I was able to write short sentences and in two months longer sentences as well. Cha also has this associate-vocabulary-method with which I memorized many words easily. Above all, I found myself being more extrovert than introvert thanks to the speech practice and presentation.

Team Challenging Trio
Yang Hyun-seo : Cha checked in detail whether I really understood and whether I had done the review. So I had to work hard coz I didn't wanna be embarrassed. It WAS hard at first but I found it fun to know and understand more and more. It was such a great feeling to master grammars I didn't understand before and it motivated me to challenge speech also. Reviewing my speech on video helped me a lot and it improved my weakness and built confidence. 

Choi Si-won : I learned from a native but without much progress before. So I enrolled to The Sangseung when I was 5th grade. Cha's unique grammar and vocabulary programs changed the way I learn English and sometime during the course I became able to speak what I thought in my head. Joining a speech competition was not easy but The Sangseung's reading and vocal training equipped me with confidence.

Kim Ji-yoo : If you are a Sangseung student, you must remain seated ever after the class until you fully understand what you learned on the day. That is the rule of The Sangseung and that is the good thing about The Sangseung. Speaking in front of the audience, however, is a nerve breaking. I was so scared at first but grew my confidence through writing a script with my team and it helped me tremendously. And I remember Cha saying "practice makes perfect" and I found it actually worked at the contest. 

Team Great Strategy
Lee Eun-seo : I thought I outstripped my friends before but the level test at The Sangseung tole me different. I was so disappointed and at the point of near give-up. Then Cha made me understand structure and sound within 5 to 6 months and I was even able to speak the sentence wandering around in my head. When I was offered to go for the contest, I was rather doubtful whether I could do that. But I knew I could as the practice went on. Now, I feel confident not only in speaking but also in myself. 

Yeon Yea-eun : I was sort of like a babe in the woods before I met The Sangseung. It taught me and showed me that there was a bigger world to roam and try. So I decided to join a team for the contest. I really practiced hard almost all day like as soon as I woke up, eating breakfast and on the way to school and back home. And I feel so proud of myself that I think I did better at the contest in Seoul than at the practice. So I must thank The Sangseung which made it all possible. 

Yoon Bo-hyun : The blank paper review test and vocal training are the two best programs of The Sangseung. Of course I got wrong answers at first but the more I got wrong answers the more it built my understanding and confidence. I've studied here for 2 years now and I can tell that I'm surprised myself to have progressed so much.