Imelda Chong, 22 years old
About to join University of the West of England in Bristol, UK for final year
(on scholarship)
WHAT IMELDA SAYS…
“Hi, my name is Imelda! I am currently a student ambassador for Taylor’s University of the West of England, pursuing a degree in Business Management and Marketing.
Throughout high school, I was outstanding when it came to English and secured an A* for English-First Language for my IGCSE when I was 17. My love for reading, writing, and learning has helped me throughout my studies up to university. In addition, my writing skills have been commended by previous employers that I have worked for.
Things could have been very different if it wasn’t for my mom’s decision to send me to COSMOTOTS. When I enrolled with COSMOTOTS I couldn’t understand a word of English. Coming from a Mandarin-speaking family, I had minimal exposure to the English language and wasn’t able to read or speak it despite my family’s efforts to teach me.
Within a few years with COSMOTOTS, I went from being completely clueless in English classes to be one of the top students in the language when I was 10 years old. Not only was I able to fluent in English, but COSMOTOTS also helped me develop a love for reading.
This was not a coincidence, as our mentors whom we called ‘aunties’ or ‘uncles’ were highly qualified, patient, and experience in connecting with kids. With their kind words, passion for teaching, and love for children, I became more attentive and interested in the English language. During classes, we explored difference story genres, trained our creative writing skills, and hone our ability to express ourselves.
Attending COSMOTOTS allowed my English literacy to stay ahead of my peers throughout primary school until university. Most of my assignments are graded on grammatical efficiency and readability, which I believe is a trained skills from years of reading and a strong foundation in English developed from a young age.
Today, I no longer attend COSMOTOTS; however, my eight-year-old brother continues to attend COSMOTOTS weekly. During the Covid-19 pandemic where all classes are online, COSMOTOTS lesson time is the only time where he pays attention and it kept engaged. This shows how experienced the mentors are. He truly enjoys each session and now loves reading as well.
I would recommended COSMOTOTS to any parent who is struggling to teach their kids English, or just looking to make use of their kid’s free time. I promise, you won’t regret it and your children will thank you for it!”