April Changwon
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Number of current instructors: 6
Number of current students: 188
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Changwon is a smaller city close to Busan which is generally acknowledged to have a relaxing lifestyle but with modern conveniences. It is only one hour drive from Busan and close to the mountains with a lot of fresh air. It is highly recommended for those who enjoy a more relaxed pace of life.
My name is Matthew Grandmason and I am the head instructor for Changwon’s campus of April English. I am from Lansing, Michigan and received my BA from Western Michigan University in Secondary Education, History and Political Science. Before coming to Korea I taught outdoor education and public history and worked for United States Peace Corps teaching conversational English and American Studies in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan.
At April Changwon we work with students ranging from the first to the sixth grade. Currently, our average class size is about 8 students, which allows teachers to interact more with students and give them more one-on-one attention than in comparable academies. Our Branch Manager, Irene Lee, is an excellent administrator who, along with her assistant, Jerry Kim, teaches supplementary classes. Her hands-on approach allows her to effectively work with teachers in creating schedules and making student placement decisions.
Changwon is a beautiful city of around 550,000 people. Though smaller than Busan it has most of the same food and shopping, merely on a smaller scale. Because it was a planned city it’s easy to get around and has many parks and sports areas placed throughout the city. It’s also a very new city (founded in 1972) and most of the apartment complexes are quite new and modern with many of the amenities one would expect to find in Canada or America.
Matthew Grandmason
Head Instructor
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The layout in central Changwon city has been very well planned
(click to enlarge)
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Meet our instructors!
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Name: Matthew Grandmason, Head Instructor
From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA
Qualifications: B.A. Ed. Western Michigan University. Peace corps, Kyrgyzstan.
Joined: March 2008
Interests: Athletics
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Name: Martina Gilmartin
From: Ireland
Qualifications: Institute of Technology Sligo
Joined: June 2009
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Name: Thomas Severson
From: MA, USA
Qualifications: B.S. Economics, Boston College
Joined: October 2009
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Name: Sae-Jin (Shelley) Bae, Head Instructor
From: Busan, South Korea
Qualifications: B.A. Portuguese, Pusan University of Foreign Studies
Joined: March 2009
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Name: Hyun-Sun (Kate) Park
From: Busan, South Korea
Qualifications: B.A. Korean Literature, Pusan University of Foreign Studies
Joined: June 2009
Name: Yae-Hee (Lily) Gu
From: Busan, South Korea
