Lecture offers help for Korean kids overseas

Cho Young to offer tips on making friends.Provided by Cho Young

Sending young children overseas to study is becoming a trend here in Korea, but there are parental concerns about how this affects the children’s mental health.

To give parents advice on the issue, the United States Embassy, together with a local college, are hosting a presentation by a U.S.-licensed psychologist this weekend.

Cho Young, a Korean psychologist educated in the U.S., will give a lecture for parents on how to help their teenage children cope with stress while studying overseas, the U.S. Embassy said.

“We’ve found that many Korean students have a hard time adjusting to studying overseas, particularly in terms of making friends,” said Choi Eun-kyong, cultural affairs specialist at the embassy.

“Dr. Cho is a specialist in this area. We hope many parents can get substantial help on the matter from his presentation,” Choi said. The presentation will be held at the International Graduate School of English, adjacent to Dunchon subway station on line No. 5 in eastern Seoul. The presentation is part of a seminar the U.S. Embassy is hosting on its regular Youth Outreach Program. The seminar, to be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, will feature two other presentations for Korean students interested in studying overseas.

Koreans now attending or recently graduating from U.S. colleges, including the University of Michigan and Princeton University, will give presentations about college life in the U.S. The speakers on the subject include a college adviser from the Korean-American Educational Commission.

In the other presentation, Michael Rudder, the U.S. Government Regional English Language Officer, will give tips on how to advance English language skills quickly. According to the embassy, Rudder has given many English-language training sessions for Korean teachers. For details, contact Choi at (011) 9092-7316.

By Moon Gwang-lip Staff Reporter[joe@joongang.co.kr]