Songpa-gu Operates Native English Camp for Summer Vacation

Songpa-gu Recruiting Participants for Native English Camp for 1st and 2nd Grade Elementary Students
8 Weeks from July 2 to August 27 ▲ Singing and Game-Based English Classes ▲ World Culture Experience ▲ Market Day
Online First-Come, First-Served Applications Available from June 19

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that it will operate a "Native English Camp" to improve English skills for 1st and 2nd grade elementary school students during the summer vacation.

Currently, public education starts English education from the 3rd grade of elementary school. Therefore, 1st and 2nd grade elementary students have to rely on private education if they need English education.

Accordingly, the district planned an English camp where students can communicate with native speakers during the summer vacation to supplement the gap in English public education for 1st and 2nd grade elementary students.

This year’s Native English Camp will be operated twice a week for 8 weeks from July 2 to August 27 in cooperation with Cheongdam Afterschool, targeting 1st and 2nd grade elementary students. The tuition fee is very affordable at 60,000 KRW including textbook fees, and discounts are also provided for multicultural and multi-child families.

Classes will be divided into two levels, beginner and intermediate, at the Songpa Run Education Center (Head, Wirye, Pungnap), and special lectures will be conducted according to the level. The program is designed to make learning English fun through various experiential activities such as games and songs.

The beginner class is a basic conversation course that learns the alphabet and basic vocabulary, and English learning is conducted through art activities such as drawing and making, as well as play activities like songs and games. The intermediate class focuses on developing the ability to speak in sentences through practice in listening, writing, and speaking short stories as a basic reading course.

In addition, a weekly world culture experience program is conducted to indirectly experience the history and culture of various countries while learning English, and in the last week, a Market Day will be held to provide an opportunity to directly use the English conversation learned so far.

All classes in the camp are conducted by native English-speaking instructors who hold a bachelor's degree or higher from English-speaking countries and have extensive experience in junior English education. Korean assistant instructors are also assigned to help ensure smooth and safe classes.

Applications for participation can be made on the Songpa Run website from 10 a.m. on June 19. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis for 120 people. For more details, contact the Education Cooperation Division of Songpa-gu Office.

Previously, the district has been focusing on supplementing the gap in English public education and promoting various English education support projects. Since last year, it has directly operated "Native English Classes" for daycare centers and kindergartens, receiving enthusiastic responses in the education field. In addition, efforts are being made to reduce the burden of private education costs and provide equal opportunities for English education through the operation of "Native Video English Classes."

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “Following the operation of the city’s first ‘Native English Class,’ we will focus on nurturing global basic competencies by creating a seamless English education environment including the native English camp for lower elementary grades,” and added, “We will continue to implement Songpa-gu’s unique education policies that support children’s English learning and proper growth.”