Pupils sample Korean traditions at the University of York
Posted on 7 August 2012
A group of 30 teachers, supported by the Daejeon Metropolitan Office of Education in South Korea, will give about 60 youngsters from across York a taste of Korean culture.
It's a wonderful opportunity for the Korean teachers to be part of a community event and for the children to learn something first-hand about a different culture
Sally Jenkins
The teachers are on a four-week programme at the Centre to improve their English and their English language teaching skills. Maxine Squire, Principal Adviser (Secondary) at City of York Council, arranged a series of school visits for the teachers, and the group also visited summer club visits and took part in a series of workshops with Centre staff to develop their methodological background and practical teaching skills.
The programme is linked to the city’s events to mark the Playday – the United Nations-backed celebration of children’s right to play.
Event organiser, Senior Tutor Sally Jenkins, said: “It's a wonderful opportunity for the Korean teachers to be part of a community event and for the children to learn something first-hand about a different culture.”
One of the Korean teachers, Sue Young Kim, said: "We were very nervous but after talking about it we decided to do some traditional games. Visiting the summer clubs, we saw the children were so cute and kind so we have much more confidence. It’s a new and exciting experience for us. We are looking forward to meeting the schoolchildren and it is a great chance to introduce our culture to them.
“Overall, the course is very professional with theory and practice to encourage teachers to speak English and help them have better teaching. Thanks to CELT and the University of York for giving us this wonderful opportunity.”
Programme Director, Matt Smelt-Webb, added: “Overall, we hope that Koreans will gain an insight into educational practices in the UK so that they add some of this knowledge to their own teaching practices when they return home.”
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