Companies conducting English camps for kids

More companies are holding English camps for their employees’ children and supporting such camps for disabled and disadvantaged children.
Asiana Airlines is holding an English camp for 105 children of its employees. The five-day camp, beginning Monday, is designed so that children can learn English through mock graduation parties or through sports activities similar to those they would experience in American schools.
This is the second year the carrier is conducting an English camp for its employees’ kids. Last year, 57 children participated and it was so successful that 200 applied this year, which made the company nearly double the number of participants.
Pusan Bank is holding English camps for employees’ children who are between fourth grade and eighth grade. Families that have more children and those who have had no foreign education experience were given priority in selection.
Companies are sponsoring and hosting more English camps because of people’s high interest in learning English and the advantages of such programs as an alternative to sending their children abroad to language camps.
“We planned the camp in line with programs developed to please our workers, which we hope will turn out to be beneficial to customers in the end,” a Pusan Bank official said.
Entities are also actively supporting English camps for disadvantaged children.
The Korea Post said Thursday that it is running an English camp with native speakers for youth living in families that have disabled family members.
The youth, selected by the Korean Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, will be able to attend the camps with college student mentors.
The mentors will help the students with their vacation homework.
Kookmin Bank is also funding a six-day English camp for 212 children from low-income families living in South Jeolla.

By Wohn Dong-hee Staff Writer [wohn@joongang.co.kr]