Fulbright U.S. Education Center

There is an interesting report by Reuters today on the rapidly growing use of internet-based services that allow Korean students to talk with native-speakers of English.  The article notes that on any given day, students ranging from kids learning their alphabet to adults preparing for job interviews sign in on their Internet messengers, fire up their webcams and wait for English teachers to appear — from faraway continents.

Web English is one of the fastest growing segments in South Korea’s private English education industry, which is estimated at 15 trillion won ($13 billion) a year — almost half of the country’s annual education budget. About 150 to 200 companies are in the market offering phone and Web English tutoring.  KT Corp, South Korea’s dominant fixed-line and broadband operator, provides a service called “Hello ET” cooperating with a South Korean English education company. Internet portal SK Communications runs “Spicus” which includes a job interview drill on a video-chat platform. Applicants hand out their completed English resume before the drill. An interviewer stages a simulation interview through webcam, looking through resumes, and later provides feedback on logical speaking and communication skills.  In terms of cost, a three-times-a-week Web English course can be covered for about 100,000 won a month. ($1=1151.0 Won)

Dokdo is in the news again. (Click on the image at the left to see a more panoramic, full-size image.) References to the island as Japanese territory in newly published guidelines for middle school teachers in Japan provoked widespread anger and demonstrations in Korea. In fact, last night some of the participants in a candlelight vigil against the import of American beef apparently moved over in front of the Japanese Embassy to join the protest against Japan’s latest actions. Others took the message about Dokdo to international media and into cyberspace. According to the Korea Times, vocalist Kim Jang-hoon, 41, teamed up with a freelance Korean public relations expert Seo Kyoung-duk to publish a full-page ad in The New York Times. Headlined “Do You Know?” the ad stated that“For the last 2,000 years, the body of water between Korean and Japan has been called the `East Sea.’ Dokdo (two islands) located in the East Sea is a part of Korean territory. The Japanese government must acknowledge this fact.” The ad also prominently featured the address of a website devoted to Dokdo and related issues. http://www.forthenextgeneration.com/ There is a great deal of information about Dokdo on the internet and this site provides a good starting point for anyone interested in more information about the issue. The official web site of the Korean government, Korea.net, also carries a great deal of information on the Dokdo issue. Korea.net also includes a Cyber Dokdo History Hall.

It is now reasonably well-known around the world that South Korea is one of the most, if not THE most networked countries in the world.  It leads the world in broadband internet infrastructure.  That fact, together with a deep seated cultural respect for education, led to the establishment of Cyber-universities here.  Initially there were twelve such universities approved by the Ministry of Education, and at present count there are seventeen such institutions.  As with the other categories in this blog, we will provide basic information about Korea’s cyber-universities and invite your questions regarding them.