A global education experience in Cambodia - a Korean parent’s perspective of Northbridge

She highlights the unique opportunity for her daughter to study Korean, a testament to our commitment to cultural diversity and language development. She also values our expansive green campus, a rare oasis in Phnom Penh, which creates a safe and stimulating space for her children to play and explore.

Join us as Yewon Heo discusses what makes Northbridge International School Cambodia an exceptional place for her daughter’s education.

아래 한국어 번역을 읽어주세요.

Please introduce yourself.

Hello, my name is Yewon Heo. I have two daughters. One is in year 4 and the other is almost two years old.

How long have you been a parent at Northbridge International School Cambodia?

It has been three years.

How is your child supported at Northbridge?

Firstly, she likes the school very much. She is the youngest in year 4, so her social skills and emotional development may be a little slower than others, but the teachers take good care of those areas and give feedback on how to support her at home.

Since my daughter comes from a mixed-race family, I feel that the teachers care greatly for her in establishing her own identity.

Do you think it’s important for a child to be surrounded by nature?

Of course. Especially in Phnom Penh, where there is not a lot of green space, the green space (on campus) is very precious. When children see it, they feel the desire to run and play. I also appreciate that it is a safe and clean area.

Do you feel Northbridge International School Cambodia offers a safe and secure environment?

Yes, the school's system makes you feel safe when you leave your child in the morning. Nobody can enter without a school pass, and if a child doesn’t feel comfortable, saying goodbye would be difficult. The teachers and teaching assistants are well-trained in educating children safely, which makes me feel relieved.

Did you enjoy the Family Picnic and International Day?

I think the school provides a lot of events that encourage families to participate. The one that I liked the most was International Day. I thought it was a very important event for my daughter to establish her identity as she comes from a mixed-race family and has grown up in a third country.

Wearing a hanbok, she put a Korean flag here and a Canadian flag there [in the hanbok]. She sang in Korean, visited the Canadian booth, and said, ‘This is Daddy’s country!’ It was a very important event for her to establish her identity.

Why is it important for children to learn other languages?

The most important thing I care about is developing her mother tongue. I think she may lack proficiency in Korean because she grew up in a foreign country. Originally, there were Korean and Chinese mother tongue classes starting in G1, and I was so happy to hear that it was expanding to KG. 

Learning the Korean language is very important to me, and I think it plays a significant role in establishing one’s identity, so I am grateful to the school.

What changes have you seen in your child since they joined Northbridge?

She has gained a lot of confidence and improved greatly in her social skills. One thing I noticed is that she has become interested in various cultures.

‘Mommy, that teacher is from Brazil. What language do they speak in Brazil?’

And,‘My homeroom teacher is from Ukraine. What kind of food do they eat there?’ Like this, her interest and curiosity about other countries grow naturally.

What are your dreams for your daughter’s future?

Just like the school’s mission, 'Caring hearts and ambitious minds,' I hope she becomes a person with a caring heart, able to empathise and live with people from different cultures and backgrounds. 

Regarding 'ambitious minds,' I think my husband will appreciate this a lot. Our goal is for her to first find out what she likes and what she's good at, and then to obtain all the critical thinking and problem-solving skills she needs at school. 

Finally, we wish for her to grow up to be a global citizen who can contribute positively to society.

자기 소개 부탁드립니다

안녕하세요, 제이름은허예원이고요.

저는두딸이있는데하나는 Y4에재학중이고, 하나는이제돌이되가는아기입니다.

당신은 부모가 된 지 얼마나 되었나요?

3년된것같아요.

귀하의 자녀는 어떻게 지원됩니까?

일단아이가학교를너무좋아하고.

EL4 반에서제일어리거든요, 아이가. 그래서사회성이나정서발달이다른친구들보다조금느릴수있어요.

그런데그런부분들을선생님들이너무잘케어해주시고 가정에서어떻게서포트해야하는지피드백도계속주시고.

그리고아이가혼혈아이라서정체성도확립해갈수있도록굉장히신경을많이써주시고있다는생각이들었어요.

아이가 자연에 둘러싸여 있는 것이 중요하다고 생각하시나요?

그럼요. 특히나이런 green space가부족한프놈펜에서는이런 green space가되게귀중하죠.

일단보면아이가뛰고싶게하는욕구가있게하죠.

그리고안전하고깨끗하고놀수있는공간이니까좋은것같아요.

학교가 안전하고 안심할 수 있는 환경을 제공한다고 생각하시나요?

네, 일단아침에 “잘갔다와” 하고놓고가도안심이되는그런시스템이잖아요.

Pass가없으면들어갈수없고.

그리고아이도편하지않으면 “엄마잘가” 하고쉽게떨어질것같지않은데요.

선생님들도교육을잘받았고. TA까지도어떻게아이들을안전하게교육시킬수있는지교육도잘받으신것같고.

그래서마음이놓이죠.

가족소풍과 세계의 날을 잘 보내셨나요?

학교에서굉장히가족을많이참여시키기위한이벤트들을엄청나게많이제공을하고있다는생각이들어요.

그중에하나가제가제일좋았던게 International Day인데특히제딸이기때문에, 그리고제3국에서자라는혼혈아이기때문에정체성을확립해가는데굉장히중요한이벤트라고생각했거든요.

한복입고, 여기하나는한국국기 , 하나는캐나다국기하면서한국어로노래도하면서 Canada booth 가서여기가아빠 country라고도하고되게아이한테  정체성을확립하는데굉장히중요한이벤트였고네, 그랬던것같아요.

아이들이 다른 언어를 배우는 것이 왜 중요한가요?

그리고가장좋은거는... (Korean으로지금말할까요?)

제가가장신경쓰는게아이의모국어발달인데외국에서자라왔기때문에한국어가많이부족할수있다고생각하는데학교에서모국어프로그램을 KG까지, 원래 G1부터 Korean이랑 Chinese mother tongue이있었는데 KG로확장을한다는소리를듣고제가너무기뻤거든요.

왜냐하면저한테는한국어교육이굉장히중요하고아이의정체성확립에도너무중요한역할을한다고생각해서그걸학교에고마워하는점입니다.

귀하의 자녀가 우리 학교에 입학한 후 어떤 변화를 보았습니까?

자신감이많이늘었고그리고사회성도정말많이늘었고 그리고하나제가 notice한게, 다양한문화에대해서관심을갖게됐다는거“엄마, 저선생님을브라질에서오셨대. 브라질은어떤언어써?”이렇게자연스럽게다른나라에대한관심이나호기심이커지더라구요.

그리고, “담임선생님도우크라이나에서오셨는데거기는무슨음식먹어?”이렇게해서 diversity, 다양한배경과국적과문화를가진사람들, 선생님들과학생들이공존하는그런환경에있다는게굉장히만족스럽거든요.

그래서그런점을많이발견하게됐어요.

딸의 미래에 대한 당신의 꿈은 무엇입니까?

학교미션, “Caring hearts and ambitious minds”처럼일단 caring hearts한사람이됐으면좋겠고공감하는능력이랑다른문화, 다른배경을가진사람들과같이더불어살수있는능력을첫번째로갖췄으면좋겠고Ambitious mind는우리아빠가많이좋아할것같은데 ...

자신이일단좋아하는걸찾고잘하는걸찾은다음에학교에서가장필요한비판적사고능력이라던가문제해결능력, 그런걸다갖춘다음에사회에긍정적으로공헌할수있는그런세계시민으로컸으면하는게저희부부의바램입니다.

Thank you.