Student Voice

The level of this class was just right, but if I were able to stay longer, I would like to challenge myself with a higher level. Since I
was here for only one week this time, I was still able to have a great time because both my classmates and the teacher were wonderful. Next time, I would like to come and stay a little longer.

It was great that I could book classes online according to my schedule with the Elective ticket classes that allowed me to freely choose my classes. In addition, I took hula lessons at the school and also attended a yoga class that was introduced by the school. I became
friends with PALMS students I met through school activities, and we even went to a café together. I’ve decided that I want to study English properly, so I will obtain a visa and come back to Hawaii again!

When my child first joined the Summer Kids Program for one week, they came with absolutely no English ability at all. Since the summer program had many participants, my child felt a bit scared at first. However, little by little, they began to say on their own that they wanted to try ordering pizza in English.　After that, my child participated in the Autumn Cultural Exchange Program, followed by five weeks in the Winter Kids Program. During the autumn program, my child admired an older boy from Korea and even became interested in learning the Korean language.
Because the autumn and winter programs had relatively small class sizes, there were more opportunities to speak English. The teachers also took the time to have meaningful conversations with the children, and I feel that my child’s English ability improved dramatically. At the same time, my child continues to study Japanese, and with a naturally sociable personality, their interest in English has grown even more. We would love for our child to participate again if given the opportunity.

This was my second time taking the intensive English course. I was the only student in the class this time, which allowed me to ask many questions at my own pace and spend a lot of time practicing conversation. As a result, I became able to understand English much better, even outside of school.　I visit Hawaii several times a year, so next time I am considering taking private lessons as well. Because the teachers also explain natural English expressions used by native speakers, I was able to learn very practical, real-life English.

The week went by very quickly, and I really enjoyed my homestay, which offered a comfortable balance of privacy and time together. On Friday, I even went to see the Hilton fireworks with my host family.
I was able to walk to school every day, and I had many fun and meaningful experiences there as well. It was a very memorable and enjoyable time overall.

I really enjoyed studying at Palms. I came three times over the past year, and every time was a great experience. I liked the classes mainly focused on conversation, so there were many opportunities to speak and use the expressions I learned. The class style was similar to my university classes, which made it easy to follow. The content and level were appropriate for me—maybe slightly easy at times, but I was still able to learn new things. Overall, it was a really great and rewarding experience.

Thank you so much for the past week. I feel truly lucky to have met such wonderful teachers and lovely students. This was my first time studying abroad, and for my son, his very first time overseas. Because of that, I was a little tense both before and after we arrived. But the moment we stepped onto the Palms floor, all my worries turned into excitement, and
everything suddenly felt fun. Every day my son said, “I want to go to school early! I want to see my teacher!” Hearing that made me so happy, and I was deeply moved to see how much he was growing. My English is still not perfect, and I can’t fully express everything I want to say yet, but Principal Javier and Tomoko always waited patiently for my words to come out and tried to understand me. I was truly grateful for that. It reminded me how important it is to keep practicing and speaking. We definitely want to come back again—just the two of us! Our days at Palms were without a doubt the best school life we could have imagined.

We took the opportunity for me and my son to attend the 3-4 days program. My son who loves to learn new things had a great time going to the Hawaii mission house and experiencing an American birthday party at his Summer Kids Program. Other hand for me, I felt my English skills are dropping despite need English at my work.

Tristynn is a brilliant teacher. She is very kind, very easy to talk to.
I sincerely enjoyed the course. Even though the classes are long, I
never got bored. I’m so grateful that I could take this Intensive
Course, even if it was just 1 week.

Every time I attend Hawaii Palms, I am impressed by the quality of the teachers and how motivated the students are. The supportive and encouraging learning environment really helps me stay focused and inspired. Studying at Hawaii Palms is a wonderful experience for seniors.