Mum and Daughter at Lewis School, 29 Years Apart!

The Lewis School of English shared a heart-warming story of a student from Japan who followed in her mother’s footsteps by studying at her former school 29 years later. She even had the same teacher! Her verdict: the school’s warm atmosphere and excellent teaching remain the same.

Mum Tomoko came to Lewis in 1993, staying a whole year. Her daughter, Sayaka, recalled how her mum had shared her memories, saying the staff were very kind – “they love their school and their students” – and that the school had its “own way of teaching,” one that was communicative, interactive and fun. She had also told her about a teacher called Andrew, who had been a “great teacher in her whole life.”

Sayaka had been learning English in Japan and had received a conditional offer for a postgraduate course in Australia. All she needed was a high score in IELTS. Unfortunately, while on a family holiday in Switzerland, she received a disappointing IELTS result, meaning she would have to retake the exam. Her mum’s reaction was quick and decisive. She Googled her old school, found Andrew was still teaching there, and persuaded her daughter to cut her holiday short and start a course at Lewis the very next week!

Andrew and owner/director Alistair both remembered Tomoko vividly, even after all these years! Tomoko emailed them some photos from 1993, and they recreated one with Sayaka (shown above).

So did the reality match Sayaka’s expectations?
“Completely!” Sayaka said. “It’s fun to learn English here.” She liked the size of the school and the small classes that allow for lots of individual attention. She most enjoyed the class discussions (“a great way to improve”) and found the IELTS exam strategies she learnt with Andrew particularly useful. Within a few weeks, she had retaken IELTS and achieved her desired score.

“Mum is always right!” she said, with a smile.