Online English Classes Catching On

Kim Ju-myung(13), a first grader of Okjong Junior High School in a country town surrounded by Mount Jiri in Hadong, Gyeongnam Province, is looking forward to having the second round of online English education through the screen which starts from September 12.

Kim and 22 first and second graders of this school became very confident in speaking English after having online screen English education from Amy, a teacher of Griffith University, Australia for two months beginning in May. They had twelfth times of education for two hours every week.

Kim, who has never been to an English institution, said, “I’ve never talked to a foreigner before. I’m really glad to learn and talk to my native speaker teachers even if it’s through a screen image.”

Under a Korean circumstance where wage gaps among parents lead to education gaps among children, “Online native speakers’ English education through the screen” run by the Gyeongsangnamdo Office of Education, a first try in the country, is drawing attention. The Screen English education program has become a seed of hope which can address the education gap.

Education offices in provinces have run a pilot online screen English education as one of the after-school activities in five schools such as Samdong Elementary School in Namhae, Okjong Junior High School and Geumnam High School in Hadong. They will expand it to 21 elementary, junior high and high schools in farming and fishing villages beginning September 11. Reactions from parents as well as students are explosive.

In Australia, Korean aide teachers assist classes in Korea and in Korean classes, English teachers teach students whenever they are needed. There is not much inconvenience as a time-difference with Australia is just one hour.

Kim Song-ja, a principal of Okjong Junior High School, said, “This program is working really well, so our alumni association will pay for English tuition beginning the second semester.”

Currently, there are 38 native instructors in Gyeongnam Province, still they are not enough to take charge of English education in all schools within the province. Moreover, most of native teachers are in Changwon and Gimhae, so students in farming and fishing areas don’t have a chance to even meet native teachers.