"Go on a Language Study Trip with VR" KT Introduces English Class Program

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] KT announced on the 20th that it will offer a VR language study abroad program through SuperVR for university students during the summer vacation.

The newly introduced VR language study abroad program is conducted through ‘Engage,’ a social meeting platform provided by KT’s personal VR service SuperVR. Participating students enter virtual classrooms in groups of 10 to 15 and receive one hour of conversation lessons daily with native English instructors in avatar form. The VR language study abroad program was planned by KT for students who cannot travel abroad for language study due to COVID-19 or find it difficult to participate in native tutor sessions or language academy classes. In particular, the English language specialist academy Cheongdam Learning enhanced the program’s expertise by designing lesson plans based on Cheongdam Language Academy’s curriculum tailored for VR classes.

The lessons are structured around English discussions on topics related to the 4th industrial revolution, such as AI, VR, and robots. During the pilot session in the summer vacation (July 20 to August 7), students from Ewha Womans University’s Department of Communication and Media and Konkuk University’s Human ICT Convergence major will participate. After the pilot service ends, KT plans to select students for the second session (August 10 to August 28) through an open recruitment and proceed with the VR language study abroad program in earnest.

Even if SuperVR users do not participate in this VR language study abroad program, they can experience virtual spaces where they can converse in English with native speakers. KT will open and operate virtual spaces where English conversations are possible on SuperVR during the program period (July 20 to August 28, 8 PM to 10 PM). Park Jung-ho, KT’s IM Business Director (Senior Executive Vice President), said, “Although online non-face-to-face education has expanded due to COVID-19, there is still a craving for on-site face-to-face methods in areas requiring practice. Using VR can enhance learning effects with immersion and realism comparable to on-site face-to-face experiences, so we plan to continue discovering educational services utilizing immersive media.”