English village
Encyclopedia
English villages are language education
institutions which aim to create a language immersion
environment for students of English
in their own country.
The concept is run as a commercial venture in Spain
and Italy
, and is quasi-governmental in South Korea (see below).
, Soria
, Spain
.
Valdelavilla has been recreated in cyberspace in the Second Life
game, populated by English and Spanish avatars who all have English as a common language.
in 2005. The current village is in the Umbria
region, in the Tevere valley.
provide a short-term immersion
English experience in a live-in environment where only English is spoken. This is intended to promote English learning
and to build students' Anglo-American cultural awareness. The first English village was opened in August 2004 in Ansan
, Gyeonggi-do
province. Additional English villages have been opened in both Gyeonggi-do and Seoul
.
English villages employ a mixture of foreign native speakers of English and fluent
English-speaking Korean staff. They are intended to help students face the particular challenges of speaking English in the Korean context. Many families seek to improve their children's English ability by sending them to several expensive after-school programs and by sending them to study abroad
in English-speaking countries. Study abroad results in a substantial amount of money
leaving the country. The English villages are intended to reduce this loss, and make the immersion experience accessible to students from low-income families as well. However, many questions remain whether the English villages will be cost-effective
. In fact, most have been privatized due to operating losses.
. The original Ansan Camp was spun off in 2007, and is currently leased to a Christian organization.
The much larger Paju Camp opened in 2006. English Village Paju Camp employs over 100 foreign teachers and a similar number of Korean teachers. In addition to the week-long residential programs, the facility also hosts many day visitors. Day visitors may be individuals, families, or large groups. English Village Paju Camp offers many special programs including a month-long vacation program, Family Programs, Military Programs, teacher training, and the Civil Servants Program.
In addition to the current villages, the foundation plans to establish another in Yangpyeong County
in 2008. Thereafter, the foundation hopes to franchise
the English village concept to other cities.
Two week programs were combined to form the One Month Program, the first of its kind in Korea. It is presented twice a year as a summer camp during July and winter camp during January. It was highly successful with students returning. This was a result of highly motivated teachers.
on the coast of the Yellow Sea
. Built on the site of a former government complex, the campus covers an area of 184,800 m², including athletic facilities. It has approximately 50 full time
staff. It employs a content-based curriculum
, with English-medium courses on topics including world music
and dance
, global awareness, cooking
, and broadcasting
.
The village provides weekend
and weekday programs, with a month-long program planned for school vacations
. The weekend program works with families, training parents in how to encourage their children to speak English. The weekday program takes in about 200 middle school
students per week, drawn each week from a different school in Gyeonggi province. The village is currently run by Seventh Day Adventists although religion is not taught.
ed by the Seoul government to a consortium
of companies including Herald Media publisher of the Korea Herald
English newspaper. Herald Media manages the daily operations, curriculum development, and implementation of programs at SEV. It opened in late November 2004. The campus, located in Songpa-gu
in southeastern Seoul, has an area of 16,500 m².
and Gyeongsangnam-do
. Another English Village is set to open in Jeju-do
.
Language education
Language education is the teaching and learning of a foreign or second language. Language education is a branch of applied linguistics.- Need for language education :...
institutions which aim to create a language immersion
Language immersion
Language immersion is a method of teaching a second language in which the target language is used as the means of instruction. Unlike more traditional language courses, where the target language is simply the subject material, language immersion uses the target language as a teaching tool,...
environment for students of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in their own country.
The concept is run as a commercial venture in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and is quasi-governmental in South Korea (see below).
Spain
The first English Village experience was in July 2001 in ValdelavillaValdelavilla
Valdelavilla is a hamlet in the Soria region of Spain where English is the official language. It is the location of the first English Village. The English-language immersion programs are currently being run by Richard Vaughan under the name "VaughanTown" .-See also:...
, Soria
Soria
Soria is a city in north-central Spain, the capital of the province of Soria in the autonomous community of Castile and León. , the municipality has a population of c. 39,500 inhabitants, nearly 40% of the population of the province...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Valdelavilla has been recreated in cyberspace in the Second Life
Second Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
game, populated by English and Spanish avatars who all have English as a common language.
Italy
The first Italian English Village was in UmbriaUmbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
in 2005. The current village is in the Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
region, in the Tevere valley.
South Korea
English villages in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
provide a short-term immersion
Language immersion
Language immersion is a method of teaching a second language in which the target language is used as the means of instruction. Unlike more traditional language courses, where the target language is simply the subject material, language immersion uses the target language as a teaching tool,...
English experience in a live-in environment where only English is spoken. This is intended to promote English learning
English language learning and teaching
English as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
and to build students' Anglo-American cultural awareness. The first English village was opened in August 2004 in Ansan
Ansan
Ansan is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies south of Seoul, and is part of the Seoul National Capital Area. It is connected to Seoul by rail via Seoul Subway Line 4....
, Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
province. Additional English villages have been opened in both Gyeonggi-do and Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
.
English villages employ a mixture of foreign native speakers of English and fluent
Fluency
Fluency is the property of a person or of a system that delivers information quickly and with expertise.-Speech:...
English-speaking Korean staff. They are intended to help students face the particular challenges of speaking English in the Korean context. Many families seek to improve their children's English ability by sending them to several expensive after-school programs and by sending them to study abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
in English-speaking countries. Study abroad results in a substantial amount of money
Money
Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...
leaving the country. The English villages are intended to reduce this loss, and make the immersion experience accessible to students from low-income families as well. However, many questions remain whether the English villages will be cost-effective
Cost-effectiveness
Cost-effectiveness analysis is a form of economic analysis that compares the relative costs and outcomes of two or more courses of action. Cost-effectiveness analysis is distinct from cost-benefit analysis, which assigns a monetary value to the measure of effect...
. In fact, most have been privatized due to operating losses.
Gyeonggi-do
The English villages of Gyeonggi province are overseen by the Gyeonggi English Culture Foundation, a quasi-governmental body established on the initiative of provincial governor Son Hak-GyuSon Hak-Gyu
Son Hak-Gyu is a South Korean politician and the former governor of Gyeonggi-do, the most populous province in Korea. He became a politician in 1996 as a congressman of Grand National Party, and became a governor of Gyeonggi-do in 2002...
. The original Ansan Camp was spun off in 2007, and is currently leased to a Christian organization.
The much larger Paju Camp opened in 2006. English Village Paju Camp employs over 100 foreign teachers and a similar number of Korean teachers. In addition to the week-long residential programs, the facility also hosts many day visitors. Day visitors may be individuals, families, or large groups. English Village Paju Camp offers many special programs including a month-long vacation program, Family Programs, Military Programs, teacher training, and the Civil Servants Program.
In addition to the current villages, the foundation plans to establish another in Yangpyeong County
Yangpyeong County
Yangpyeong County is a county in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.- Korean War :Yangpyeong includes the village of Jipyeong, which was a Korean War battle site.-External links:*...
in 2008. Thereafter, the foundation hopes to franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
the English village concept to other cities.
Current Developments (OWP)
One Month Program (Vacation Intensive Program)Two week programs were combined to form the One Month Program, the first of its kind in Korea. It is presented twice a year as a summer camp during July and winter camp during January. It was highly successful with students returning. This was a result of highly motivated teachers.
Ansan
Ansan English Village was established in 2004 on Daebu IslandDaebu Island
Daebu Island is an island in the Yellow Sea, within the municipal borders of Ansan city, Gyeonggi province. It has a population of roughly 7,114 people and an area of 41.98 km². Due to rising mudflats, the island has merged with neighbouring Seongam-do and Tan-do...
on the coast of the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
. Built on the site of a former government complex, the campus covers an area of 184,800 m², including athletic facilities. It has approximately 50 full time
Full time
Full-time employment is employment in which the employee works the full number of hours defined as such by his/her employer. Full-time employment often comes with benefits that are not typically offered to part-time, temporary, or flexible workers, such as annual leave, sickleave, and health...
staff. It employs a content-based curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
, with English-medium courses on topics including world music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
and dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, global awareness, cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
, and broadcasting
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
.
The village provides weekend
Workweek
The workweek and weekend are those complementary parts of the week devoted to labour and rest respectively. The legal working week , or workweek , is the part of the seven-day week devoted to labor. In most Western countries it is Monday to Friday. The weekend comprises the two traditionally...
and weekday programs, with a month-long program planned for school vacations
Annual leave
Annual leave is paid time off work granted by employers to employees to be used for whatever the employee wishes. Depending on the employer's policies, differing number of days may be offered, and the employee may be required to give a certain amount of advance notice, may have to coordinate with...
. The weekend program works with families, training parents in how to encourage their children to speak English. The weekday program takes in about 200 middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
students per week, drawn each week from a different school in Gyeonggi province. The village is currently run by Seventh Day Adventists although religion is not taught.
Seoul
Seoul English Village was contractContract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
ed by the Seoul government to a consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
of companies including Herald Media publisher of the Korea Herald
Korea Herald
The Korea Herald is a daily English-language newspaper founded in 1953 and published in Seoul, South Korea. The editorial staff is composed of Korean and international writers and editors, with additional news coverage drawn from international news agencies such as the Associated Press.The Korea...
English newspaper. Herald Media manages the daily operations, curriculum development, and implementation of programs at SEV. It opened in late November 2004. The campus, located in Songpa-gu
Songpa-gu
Songpa-gu is a district of Seoul, South Korea. Songpa is located at the southeastern part of Seoul, the capital of Korea, Songpa is a district with the largest population...
in southeastern Seoul, has an area of 16,500 m².
Other Areas
English Villages have opened in other provinces, including: Jeollanam-doJeollanam-do
Jeollanam-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the southern half of the former Jeolla province, remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
and Gyeongsangnam-do
Gyeongsangnam-do
Gyeongsangnam-do is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Changwon. It contains the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. Located there is UNESCO World Heritage Site Haeinsa, a Buddhist temple that houses the Tripitaka Koreana and attracts many...
. Another English Village is set to open in Jeju-do
Jeju-do
Jeju-do is the only special autonomous province of South Korea, situated on and coterminous with the country's largest island. Jeju-do lies in the Korea Strait, southwest of Jeollanam-do Province, of which it was a part before it became a separate province in 1946...
.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- Education in South KoreaEducation in South KoreaEducation in South Korea is viewed as being crucial for success and competition is consequently very heated and fierce. A centralized administration oversees the process for the education of children from kindergarten to the third and final year of high school. Mathematics, science, Korean, social...
- English language learning and teachingEnglish language learning and teachingEnglish as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
External links
- Korean English Village
- Spanish company providing information about the English villages in La AlbercaLa AlbercaLa Alberca is a municipality in the province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castilla y León, Spain.In 2003, the population of La Alberca was 1105, and the area 60.73 km²...
, CazorlaCazorlaCazorla is a city located in the province of Jaén, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the city had a population of 8,173 inhabitants.-Description:Cazorla lies at an elevation of 836 metres on the western slope of the Sierra de Cazorla...
and Pueblo Ingles