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The government plans to build 12 English-speaking elementary, junior and senior high schools inside a 4.26 million sq.m ¡°English Town¡± to be built on Jeju Island. All classes except Korean language and Korean history will be taught in English. Every year, 9,000 students from across the country will study here for a year, which will be recognized as a regular school year, and be sent back to their original schools. If classes are formed from fourth grade to 12th grade, then 1,000 students can be accommodated per grade.
The English Town must be opened. First of all, existing English education programs in schools do not meet the expectations of parents and students. It is extremely rare to find a student who has gained a command of English simply by studying it at school. Everyone is turning to private crammers. The Samsung Economic Research Institute estimates demand in Korea¡¯s market for private English lessons to be worth W15 trillion (US$1=W948). That¡¯s three times larger than Japan¡¯s. There are already around 10 different English villages or educational compounds operated by regional governments, where everyone speaks English. But the few days spent in those language camps are not enough for children to improve their English.
Second, the so-called immersion approach in education, where general classes are taught in English, can really help students learn the language. In 2005, the average TOEFL score among Koreans was 93rd out of 147 countries. This is the result of learning and speaking English only in English class. The Jeju system of English education can trigger improvements at other schools.
Third, the Jeju schools will be able to absorb a large number of students who now seek to go abroad to learn English. It costs around W1 million (US$1=W948) a week if you send your child to English camps in Canada or Australia during vacation. Last year, 24,000 young Korean students went abroad to study, up 2.4 times over the previous four years. The Jeju English Town not only prevents money from being spent overseas but also offers opportunities for lower-income households to have their children learn English.
Fourth, education is the field where Jeju Island can become truly competitive as a special autonomous region. Singapore, with a population of just 4.5 million, earns W2 trillion each year by attracting 50,000 foreign students to its schools each year. Singapore plans to attract 150,000 foreign students within the next 10 years. If Jeju is able to offer English-language education, attract international schools and opens campuses of foreign universities, there is no reason it cannot compete with Singapore. Jeju Island must realize its potential.
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