Ganghwa-gun (Mayor Park Yong-cheol) announced that 40 middle and high school students from the county departed for Australia and New Zealand on July 14 for a three-week overseas cultural experience and language program. This year, the county expanded the destination of its youth language program from Southeast Asia to English-speaking countries for the first time and completely revamped the program.
 [코리안투데이] Ganghwa-gun youth overseas language program delegation departs © 장형임 기자 |
Ganghwa-gun broadened this year’s program destination to English-speaking countries so that students can directly experience local education and culture while developing a global perspective. By shifting the program from Southeast Asia, where it had previously been held, to Australia and New Zealand, the county also changed the learning approach from tourism-style experiences to an immersive format in which students take part in local school life.
The participating students first explore major landmarks and cultural facilities in Sydney, Australia, including the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, and the Blue Mountains, experiencing the country’s history and culture. They then travel to Auckland, New Zealand, where they formally attend local public schools for about two weeks and take part in regular classes alongside New Zealand students.
The students are paired with local peers through a Buddy program, sharing in actual school life together. After regular classes, they take part in customized ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) instruction led directly by school teachers to strengthen each student’s ability to communicate in English. All students stay with New Zealand host families through homestays, sharing everyday life together so that they naturally use English and become familiar with the local culture not only in class but also in daily life.
This initiative is significant in that it was designed to help students settle into local life on both the school and home fronts, going beyond simple language education. It allows them to build up hands-on communication experience and an understanding of a different culture that would be difficult to gain from classroom lessons alone.
Ganghwa-gun has continuously carried out its youth overseas cultural experience and language program since 2019, providing global educational opportunities to a total of some 330 students through this year. In particular, the county covers 90 percent of the total program cost each year with county funds, easing the financial burden on parents, and fully covers the program cost for low-income students. This year as well, the county has invested 350 million won to maintain a public support system that ranks among the best in the greater Seoul metropolitan area. The core of this program is ensuring that students can enjoy overseas educational opportunities regardless of their family circumstances.
The county is also putting considerable effort into safety management. It dispatches accompanying public officials qualified as safety personnel along with nursing officials to the sites to support students’ health care and prevent safety accidents. The county also plans to regularly inspect the operation of local schools and homestays so that students can take part in the program with peace of mind.
Ganghwa-gun Mayor Park Yong-cheol said, “This language program goes beyond simply learning English; it is living education in which students experience the world firsthand while living together at local schools and homes.” He added, “I hope that through this experience, students will grow into future talents equipped not only with confidence in English but also with a broader view of the world and a global sensibility.”
Inquiries can be made to the Education Support Team of the Autonomous Education Division of Ganghwa-gun (032-930-3395).
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