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 I
bet all the readers of The Kids Times are eager to learn English. I am sure
everyone wants to write and speak well in English. Some
of us only dream of being so good in
English. Well, how would you like to go to a school where all the
subjects are taught in English?
Yes, I know you guys are saying, “That’s nice, but to go to such schools,
we have to go abroad.” What if I told
you guys that you are wrong? Believe it or not, there
is a special elementary school in Seoul
that teaches everything in English. You have to write your diary in English. You have
to do your tests in English. And you even have to speak English to
your teachers and fellow friends! Yup, everything
is done in English. It’s almost like studying abroad!
Just last week, Julia, the editor of The Kids Times, and I were invited
on a tour of this special school. Boy oh boy, we were so amazed! Let me tell you what we saw,
felt and learned at Young Hoon Elementary School! Trust me. This is one school
you want to know about!
 Young
Hoon Elementary School was started in 1965. As early as 1986, teachers at
the school believed English will become very important in the future. They were
right. Since then, the school has
created many programs so
that young kids can freely learn and use English.
The school wanted to create a learning environment that is similar to those in western countries. After
many years of study and effort, Young Hoon Elementary
School is now using an English Immersion Program.
Just what is an English Immersion Program? Simple! It’s a program where
students study, interact and learn in English.
Of course, studying in a
Western-like school environment is part of the program!
We were given a tour of the whole school. From classrooms and science labs to the superb music room, the school
was unlike any we were used to.
For a second, I thought I
was in a school in the U.S. Some kids were lying down on a carpeted floor, reading their favorite stories. A foreign teacher was painting with her students.
The science lab was filled with excitement. We couldn’t see
one kid idling or not knowing what to do.
 From grade 1 to 6, every student
we bumped into had a big smile. To check how good their English
was, we overheard the conversation between a teacher and some
students. Wow! The students spoke nearly perfect English! English
was not a second language to them! They all
looked confident and comfortable. How was their
writing? We checked out the short stories posted on the walls. Kids
were creative and good in grammar.
We couldn’t stop wondering how such young
students could be so good in English. The vice principal Sim Ok-ryung
told us that the school is teaching kids to learn English through their daily lives.
The foreign teachers seem like big brothers or
sisters. The school feels like a home. Instead of a typical school with strict teachers, Young Hoon
Elementary School is a place where kids can feel
and breathe English culture. If there were a
time machine, I would like
to go back and study at Young Hoon Elementary School! |
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