I really enjoyed every single day in Sheffield

Photograph of Nahyoung Seo in London
Nahyoung Seo
International student
MA Education: Language and Education
South Korean student Nahyoung Seo explains what she wanted to gain from her studies in Sheffield and how she plans to improve the state of English education when she returns home.

I was an English teacher in South Korea for 5 years. Through the Language and Education course at Sheffield, I wanted to establish a firm understanding of the theoretical framework of language education, because I’ve always believed that good theory makes good practice.

I also believed it is simply beneficial that I myself have more exposure to, and develop my knowledge of, English language and culture, both for my own use, and to apply in the classroom.


I really enjoyed every single day in Sheffield.

Nahyoung Seo

MA Education: Language and Education


I’ve been in education for almost a decade including as a learner in a university of education and I’ve never seriously thought about what education is.

Through module1, I was able to think about several issues that penetrated education from various perspectives away from the narrow classroom scene. Also, through module 2, I dealt with the foundations of language learning and second language acquisition.

It perfectly met my needs and expectations. I really enjoyed every single day in Sheffield.

To be honest, I spent most of my days studying in the Diamond. It might sound monotonous, but I really enjoyed reading various articles at my desk.

The numerous questions I had as a teacher appeared in these reading sessions and acquiring knowledge felt like a personal journey. I could understand what it is like to learn a new language from the perspective of learners.

Also, as a teacher, I considered a lot about what would be the best method or approach of teaching language and I realized a perfect method for all may never exist because every method has its own strengths and weaknesses and learners are all different.

Through this kind of broad reading, I could seek answers to the questions that I had as a teacher.

My immediate hope will be to return to my hometown of Daegu to teach in the “global center”, the city’s centre for English language education where the highest-level students and teachers are found.

In the longer term, I hope to eventually study for a PhD in the UK, with a focus on the psychological aspect of language learning, to help better the national English syllabus in Korea.

I have a belief that having a strong psychological foundation for the curriculum will help improve the state of English education in Korea.

Four students laughing while sat at a bench, outside the Students' Union

International Merit Scholarships

We offer a generous package of financial support for international students including 75 undergraduate scholarships worth £10,000 towards the annual tuition fee and 125 postgraduate taught scholarships worth £5,000 towards the tuition fee. Applications are now open for existing offer holders.