Busan Global Village emerges as major English education center

Students of many ages show high satisfaction with unique language programs


Busan Global Village is emerging as the country’s key center for English education thanks to a variety of unique programs tailored to the needs of different age groups and its location in the center of the southeastern port city.

Since it opened in July 2009, BGV has gained much recognition from inside and outside of the country’s second largest city as it seeks to offer a low-cost and effective alternative to overseas language learning.

For the last two years, more than 100,000 people have learned English at BGV, which now seeks to transform itself into a leading English education center representing the country.

Kim Ji-seon, a 32-year-old housewife in Dongrae-gu, Busan, said that she is satisfied with the three-month “Happy School” course designed to give toddlers a head start in English education.

“I take my 25-month-old son to the Happy School class every Thursday. This is a class my son and I attend together,” she said. “Compared with programs offered by other language institutes, the BGV course is far more satisfactory and its price is very reasonable.”

BGV admits not only young kids but also gray-haired old men and women with enthusiasm to gain a good command of the internationally accepted language.

“When I come over here, my steps are always very light, like I feel very excited and happy for the class that I take at BGV. I initially felt a sense of burden because of the load of the study here, but it has now become sort of a booster shot in my life,” said a 70-year-old man, declining to be named.

An English immersion camp usually gives us an image of young students talking with foreign teachers in English in a classroom. However, BGV sets itself apart from other language institutes by providing a variety of intriguing programs to students from various age groups.

Thanks to its location in downtown Busan, low tuition fees and a variety of programs that enable students to experience numerous real-life situations, students, young or old, have preferred classes at BGV to English language courses at other institutes, officials of the village say.

Among other programs, a premium class for students ages 4-7 has gained high popularity. The three-month class, which some 300 students currently attend, offers education focused on pronunciation and story-telling.

Another popular program is an English camp which opens during vacation periods. Since its inception in 2009, some 4,000 students have been to the English camp. For this summer vacation, 1,500 students ― the quota set for this vacation program ― have already applied to join.

Several other programs that enable students to experience actual spoken language situations are also popular. They include “Speech & Debate” and “International School Canada.”

BGV also runs free English camps for children from low-income households as part of efforts to help reduce the private education costs and realize an ideal of “educational equality,” officials said.

Thanks to its efforts to develop quality programs, students have shown a high satisfaction with what they have learned and experienced at BGV.

According to a recent survey of 413 persons conducted by the city’s educational office, respondents said that on average, they are more than 95 percent satisfied with teaching methods, educational programs, facilities and meals provided by BGV.

To a survey question of whether they think the content of the programs is related to real-life situations, 99 percent of the respondents answered yes. It is an indication that the BGV programs have been helpful to understanding how the foreign language is used in actual situations.

To another question of whether they think English is taught there in easy terms, 95.4 percent of the respondents gave a positive response, officials said.

Meanwhile, the English village in Busan will invite citizens to its open house event on Saturday to mark the second anniversary of its establishment.

During the event, the guests will be given a chance to use diverse BGV facilities which are designed to enable students to experience real-life situations, such as going through an immigration office at an airport. There are also several entertainment programs in store including a quiz show and a movie watching event.

Lots of gifts including free pass to classes are prepared for the citizens participating in the event. For more information, you can visit its website at www.bgv.co.kr.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)