Expats to teach students about their cultures

Seoul city government said yesterday that it again will sponsor a program in which expatriates will teach the culture and history of their homeland to Korean students by visiting elementary, middle and high schools in Seoul.

“The goal of the program is to nurture students to become leaders in a globalized world and help them understand cultural diversity, as there are more than 260,000 expatriates living in Seoul right now,” said Go Hong-seok, a Seoul government official.

Begun in 2009 when roughly 4,000 students took classes by expats, this year’s lectures will start in April and last until December, the Seoul city government said. Roughly 50 foreign volunteers from 16 countries including Nepal and Ireland will teach in classes with less than 30 students.

In an effort to boost the quality of the program this year, the government said it will work with embassies and foreign institutes to encourage teachers to introduce their folk music and dances to Korean students. Seoul city government is now recruiting interpreters. For teachers, applicants can send their resume anytime to the government.

By Kim Hee-jin [heejin@joongang.co.kr]

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