Teaching English in Korea's Hwacheon

Teaching English in Korea programs are being expanded in Hwacheon-gun, a beautiful county north of Chuncheon in South Korea’s Gangwon Province.

On April 18th, the county announced that it would double the English cultural experience for preschoolers participating in a local English academy this year and hold it six times.

The English cultural experience, which will be expanded this year, consists of an interest-based and experience-oriented program for children who are new to English.

In the first year of its introduction, Hwacheon-gun conducted three English cultural experience programs: Thanksgiving Day in September last year, Halloween Day in October, and Christmas in December.

This year, three additional events were added for the first half of this year: Saint Patrick’s Day in March, Easter in April, and Mother’s Day in May.

Participating children made ghost balloons with a native English teacher on Halloween Day, and listened to a story to find out the origins of Thanksgiving Day. During Christmas, they sang carols and the English teacher dressed up as Santa himself.

The support for teaching English in Korea to local preschoolers and adolescents promoted by Hwacheon-gun goes beyond simple special activities.

Hwacheon-gun has opened and is operating a local English academy offering Elementary English, Middle School English. All courses are tested and tailored for each level, from beginner to advanced.

Last year, through the foreign language academy, a total of 100 elementary school students took the YBM-hosted English language certification test (JET) and obtained grades.

Hwacheon-gun is continuously operating various cultural experience education for preschoolers as well as foreign languages. Hwacheon-gun has opened about 40 kids culture workshops on each day of the week, including kids cooking, healing art, and math, since last month, and most of the courses have filled up quickly.

Myeong-su Choi, Deputy Governor of Hwacheon, said, “We will continue to support Hwacheon’s children and youth with the highest level of foreign language learning programs that are comparable to language schools.”