After moving from South Korea to Ohio, Jinsuk began building confidence in English through everyday challenges, classroom learning, and a community that reminded her she didn't have to move forward alone.
“I started to focus on what I could do instead of what I couldn’t.”
— Jinsuk
When Jinsuk moved from South Korea to Ohio in late 2025, she quickly discovered how much English was woven into everyday life.
She had studied English in middle and high school, but years had passed since she had used it regularly. Now, English was needed for everything from appointments and errands to navigating life with her family in a new country.
"I knew that English was essential for living in the United States, and I wanted to become confident in using it," Jinsuk said. "I also wanted to go back to the basics and learn English in a more structured and systematic way."
With that goal in mind, she began putting herself in situations where she would have to use English.
Jinsuk started with small, everyday moments.
At a café, she ordered her own coffee in English.
At the grocery store, she found the words to ask for the specific cut of meat she needed.
Then she joined a group Pilates class. When she couldn’t understand every instruction, she watched the people around her and followed along.
With each experience, Jinsuk became more comfortable handling daily life on her own instead of depending on her husband.
But she also came to an important realization:
“Just being in America doesn’t mean English automatically becomes my second language.”
Jinsuk had been learning through online lectures, YouTube, and an English-learning app, but she wanted something different: a place where she could learn face-to-face with other people.
Her search eventually brought her to Project Learn.
The beginning wasn’t easy.
“When I took the English test and went to my first class, I felt a lot of frustration,” she said.
At times, it seemed as though everyone around her understood what was happening while she struggled to follow along. She found herself comparing her English with theirs.
Over time, Jinsuk began handling those moments differently.
Instead of pretending she understood, she learned to tell people that she was still learning English and ask them to repeat themselves. When she didn’t understand something, she looked it up and worked through it. “It is slow, but I am moving forward at my own pace.”
Five months after beginning classes, Jinsuk doesn’t describe her progress as sudden or dramatic. She sees it happening “little by little.”
“But after five months of taking classes, I feel that I am getting better little by little, and I now have hope.”
Part of that hope has come from the people she has met at Project Learn.
When English feels difficult, her teachers, volunteers, and classmates encourage her to keep going. Through those relationships, Jinsuk found something she hadn’t expected when she first began searching for an English class.
“Whenever I fall into despair, the teachers, volunteers, and my classmates encourage me and lead me forward. I am learning more than just English; I’ve rediscovered the precious value of community and togetherness.”
What began as a search for an English class has also given Jinsuk a community—one that continues to support her as she moves forward at her own pace.
Before coming to the United States, Jinsuk had spent more than 15 years working for the same company in South Korea. She is proud of the commitment she brought to her work and, most importantly, of always doing her best for her family.
Now she is thinking about what comes next.
In Korea, Jinsuk writes, turning 40 is often considered a turning point in life. For her, that turning point has arrived alongside a new country, new people, a new culture, and the opportunity to begin again.
"At this turning point in my life, I have been given a chance to start everything fresh from the beginning."
Her next goal is both practical and personal: she wants a job where she can communicate in English every day.
"My goal is to have a job where I can communicate in English every day," she said. "I want to continue improving my English skills and use them confidently in both my work and daily life."
For now, Jinsuk isn't measuring her journey by how quickly she gets there.
She's continuing to learn, speak, ask questions, and move forward—at her own pace.
In Her Own Words
Bucket List
By Jinsuk
When I welcomed the New Year of 2025, I had made a new bucket list. One of the items was "Living abroad someday." The opportunity to try it came much sooner than I expected because my husband started working in the United States.
However, I only had a dream about living abroad; I was not prepared. As soon as I arrived in the U.S., I got sick and had to visit the hospital, and I also had to send my children to daycare. I needed English for everything in my daily life. Out of necessity, I relied on translators and interpreters. One day, while sitting at home watching TV, I realized something: just being in America doesn't mean English automatically becomes my second language. I began to change myself.
First, I decided to leave the house and face the environment directly. I went to cafes to order coffee and to the grocery store to ask for specific cuts of meat. I registered for group Pilates and followed other people's movements by watching them closely. Most importantly, I handled most things on my own without depending on my husband.
Second, I had been studying through online lectures, YouTube, and the Speak app, but I felt it wasn't enough. So, I looked for a place where I could learn English in person. Since I had no one to ask, I asked AI and registered for "Project Learn." It is a place where people from various nationalities study with the same goal. Since it is a face-to-face class, it was perfect for me because I sometimes lack self-discipline. Now, I am doing my best to attend classes three times a week.
Third, I decided not to be impatient. When I started comparing myself to others, I felt very small. It felt like everyone knew everything except me. Even during class, I would sit blankly because I didn't understand, and my head was full of distracting thoughts. When I snapped back to reality, I felt so hateful toward myself and miserable. Now, things are a little different. I tell people first that I am not good at English and ask them to say it one more time. If I don't know something, I try to understand it by looking it up in Korean. It is slow, but I am moving forward at my own pace.
In Korea, people say that forty (40) is a turning point in life. In 2026, I am experiencing a new environment, new people, and a new culture. At this turning point in my life, I have been given a chance to start everything fresh from the beginning. Until the day I can say I have fulfilled my bucket list, I will continue to refine this "second life" bit by bit.
I am Jinsuk from Korea. I have been living in Ohio, USA, since late 2025. While my family is my top priority, I am also working hard every day to achieve my own dreams.
This essay is published with permission from the author.
