Korean Job Discussion Forums

[wylies99]

Tucson school a learning stop for Korean kids
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/01/10/20090110korean0110.html
by Rhonda Bodfield - Jan. 10, 2009 12:00 AM
Arizona Daily Star
TUCSON - Fourteen-year-old Da Som Lee hasn't adjusted to American food yet.

Jae Hwang Lee, also 14, can't get over the austere brown mountains surrounding Tucson - those on his home island of Ulleungdo in South Korea are so green they've been described as a lush, floating forest.

English teacher Chang Hun Lee, 38, was surprised to see that students here travel to different classes in middle school, because back home, it's the teachers who rotate.

And so it is that 17 middle-school students from a small island in South Korea, spending the next two weeks at Townsend Middle School to improve their English, are learning far more.

Townsend Principal Barbara Kohl said she was honored that her school was chosen to host the students, who were selected for the program based on high test scores in English. Although the trip is sponsored by the South Korean government, the local Korean community also is supporting them financially, including providing host families.

A sign welcoming students in Korean hangs on the front door at Townsend. And to make sure each student has individual support, they've been assigned peer ambassadors who can help them find their classes and serve as lunch buddies.

Ambassadors had to collect parent and teacher recommendations and write personal essays explaining their interests.

Brittany Holm, a 13-year-old eighth-grader, was intrigued to find that South Korean students ate a lot of squid.

Zachary Brooner, also 13, said he found out the boys all love soccer.


Brittany said she was a little anxious because "I was worried I would say something wrong. I didn't want to offend someone on accident," she said. Instead, "We got along pretty well."

Meanwhile, her partner, Da Som, said she was afraid her English skills weren't good enough to help her communicate.

"For Korean students, speaking and hearing English is very hard, but writing and reading is good. I wanted to upgrade, no, improve my understanding," she said.

The students, who had a chance to visit Disneyland and Universal Studios while Townsend was on winter break, spent the first few days easing into academics by taking long blocks of classes in English as a second language. The students are doing so well that they are expected to spend two hours on language and then attend classes with their buddies.


Type Size: A A A Print Email Most Popular Buzz up!

[Xuanzang]

I guess they arent affected by the economic downturn at all.

[wylies99]

[Xuanzang]

[browneyedgirl]

That's a weird place for an English school since most people prefer to speak Spanish over English out there. A better place would have been Albuquerque, N.M., because it also has a Korean population and English is the main language you hear when you go out.

[Yesterday]

The picture explains everything..

(16 y.o. spoilt Korean boy studying with 13/14 y.o. "Arizona boys")

their school obviously needs the money...

http://www.azcentral.com/i/sized/8/7/F/e298/j350/PHP4968504919F78.jpg

[chris_J2]

I thought Albuquerque had just as strong a Spanish influence, as Tucson, when I was there in November.

Tucson:

The racial makeup of the city was 70.15% White, 4.33% Black or African-American, 2.27% Native American, 2.46% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 16.85% from other races, and 3.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 35.72% of the population.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucson,_Arizona#Demographics

Albuquerque:

The racial makeup of the MSA was 69.74% White, 2.47% African American, 5.53% Native American, 1.64% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 16.37% from other races, and 4.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 41.48% of the population.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque_metropolitan_area#Demographics

[moosehead]

[Jati]