What's the #Kaplanexperience all about?
Meet David Walser, a Kaplan student originally from Switzerland who studied English at our Australian Sydney Manly school. David enrolled at Kaplan for a 12-week Cambridge English course and not only worked hard to improve his English and climb the career ladder, but also had fun while Down Under in Sydney, making friends, and soaking up the Australian culture.
He also happens to be one of our #Kaplanexperience photo winners. This means at some stage while studying at Kaplan he uploaded a beautiful image of his time at Sydney Manly to his social media account with the #Kaplanexperience hashtag. Our social media gurus in the office pick a winner every Friday, and he was one of the lucky few.
This time we decided to delve deeper and find out more about the experience and the man behind the photo.
David and his #Kaplanexperience
David did what most students in all our locations do: make friends with people from all over the world, improve their English and partake in the social programs that highlight everything a city has to offer. It's not wonder he was inspired to take beautiful pictures, living in one of the most picturesque and inspiring countries in the world! One thing we must mention about Sydney Manly is that you can’t beat its beautiful location, right opposite the beach. If you’re lucky enough to grab a window seat in class you can learn English with the waves crashing and sun shining right outside your window. Check out Kaplan Sydney Manly for a true Australian experience in the heart of the surf and beach culture.
However, having fun is not only reserved for time outside the classroom; with engaging teachers, a relevant and exciting curriculum, and interactive white boards, lessons are fun! David gives special mention to his teacher Caitlin, whose positive energy kept all his lessons entertaining and engaging.
“The teachers at Kaplan were brilliant, especially a teacher called Caitlin. She was always full of energy and motivation and she always tried to make the lessons interesting. Caitlin’s happiness and energy was one thing that made my Kaplan Experience one of the best experiences of my life.”
Make friends and live abroad
Not only did David’s whole experience of learning English in a foreign country make him independent; it also far outweighed his expectations.
“My experience overtook my expectations. I was excited before coming to Australia and I hoped I would have a good time, but I had the time of my life. I met so many cool people, I saw so many beautiful places, and I enjoyed every second of my language stay. It was awesome and I really want to go back.”
Living abroad in an English-speaking country encourages students to speak English out of the classroom. This helps students quickly pick up conversational skills and builds confidence in speaking the language.
“When you are in an English-speaking country you are forced to speak English in order to communicate with people, and you end up starting to think and dream in English. Before I went to Australia and started studying with Kaplan, I was able to communicate with just a small range of vocabulary and poor grammar skills and even worse writing skills. Since living and studying English in Australia I have improved a lot, and am now able to communicate in English well. I can understand almost everything a native speaker is talking about and can also write well in English.”
Career-orientated
Aside from all the fun, David has serious career goals. He enrolled in a 12-week Cambridge course, which is most suited for students who want to progress towards a certificate that is accepted by top businesses around the world. And that’s exactly why David decided to study with Kaplan.
“Where I am from in Switzerland, most of the companies are international and require you to speak English. I had already worked for one of the big international companies, Hilti, where I learned how important it is to speak English, which inspired me to improve my language skills.”
He’s now back in Switzerland and has begun his university studies where is he learning to become an Engineer. Learning English has not only helped his career goals; it’s also helping him to understand his lectures, which are mostly in English.
If you’d like to join the Kaplan community, improve your English, benefit your career, travel and make friends while doing it, find out more about studying with Kaplan. You can also see what our other students are up to by checking out the #kaplanexperience. Submit your own photos, and maybe you'll be the next lucky winner!