Special Programs -- Teachers from Goyang Province, South Korea

Teachers from Goyang Province, South Korea

In a first for the ELI’s teacher training program, the Institute welcomed a group that consisted entirely, not of English teachers, but of general classroom teachers. In keeping with the South Korean government’s vision of raising that country’s status as an economic hub in Asia, the province of Goyang sent 24 elementary school teachers, accompanied by Supervisor Hee Lee, to raise their multicultural awareness and enhance their English skills.

From July 21 to August 15, the teachers participated in the morning classes of the ELI’s intensive English program. Afternoons were devoted to a demanding schedule of workshops, visits to the local library and three elementary schools, and individual tutoring. Weekends and certain afternoons were given over to larger-scale excursions to places of historical and cultural significance, such as New York and Washington, D.C. “I believe the Goyang teachers will be remembered at ELI not only for their passion to see the United States but also — and especially — for their love of outlet shopping,” said program coordinator Sarah Petersen, adding, “Well, shopping outlets are a part of American culture, after all!”