Good Neighbor News

Promoting friendship and learning English by playing football volleyball and basketball

Defense Daily

“English is very fun when talking with US service members.” Throughout the country, the USFK service members are practicing yet another ROK-US alliance activity by volunteering as capable English teachers for Koreans. As dependable comrades of ROK-US combined military power and as English teachers, the service members are strengthening the ROK-US military alliance.

In January 8th, an one-day English camp was held at the United Service Organization (USO) building at Camp Casey in Dongduchon, Gyeong-gi Province. MAJ Richard Prohm, who is in charge of facilities at Camp Casey, said “We welcome all Korean students for coming to this event. Camp Casey is a small place, but it is also considered as ‘Small United States’.” He also greeted the participants by saying, “You are free to look around the Camp today and hope you all have a great time.”

The 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) invited 60 middle school students from schools at Dongduchon to an one-day English Camp. From 9 AM, four English teachers and 60 students from four middle schools in Dongduchon participated in the English camp, also known as ‘Dream English Camp’. The camp participants were divided into groups of 20 and began the day with excitement.

They hanged around with the US service members and visited the bank and the Hobbie gym inside Camp Casey. The participants learned conversational English by talking to the service members at the bank and the gym.

At the bank they learned about US dollars. At the gym, they played foot volleyball and basketball and naturally learned some practical English. The participants then went to the Warriors Club, which is a dining facility for US service members, and had American-style buffet of pizza, spaghetti and chicken for lunch. The students then watched a fun movie and had pleasant conversation with the service members. Through all these activities, the students soon became acquainted with English and the service members.

Park Hee-ju (13, first year student at a girl’s middle school in Dongduchon) said, “The US service members were so nice to me. I was able to talk freely and express myself using English. I am really happy because I think my English has improved remarkably in a short period of time.”

PFC Earl Blaber from the G Squadron of the US 302 Support Battalion said, “In my own opinion, the English camp is useful event strengthening the ROK-US friendship. Even though we spent a short time with the students, we tried our best to teach them not only our language but also our culture. It was a very meaningful opportunity understanding each other.” He wished he could participate in the English camp next year once again as an one-day English teacher. The 2ID has two English camps every year during summer and winter breaks with students in Dongduchun.

Sixteen service members from the US 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan in North Jeolla Province volunteered as English teachers at ‘2010 Kunsan Winter Break English Camp’ from January 4th to the 22nd.

Sixteen USAF service members, including SSgt. Andreg Jonathan, and few other native-speaking teachers from the Kunsan Education Bureau taught 120 elementary and middle school students English writing and speaking four hours a day. By playing fun games, they had valuable times improving their conversational and communication skills in English.

Several KATUSAs from the US 8th Army ROK Support Group and few US service members have also become great English teachers to elementary, middle and high school students in the neighborhood.

Every Wednesdays and Fridays, several KATUSAs teach English to students in Seoul Chung-ryang Elementary School. PFC Ha Jong-soo said, “KATUSAs and US service members are trying best to have student-based classes, which are to teach students English based on their English skills. If our small effort and volunteer work can give the students dream and hope, there are no better ways to serve the military than teaching those students.”

The ROK Support Group is currently operating free English classes in 81 different regions, including Yongsan (Seoul), Uijungbu (Gyeong-gi Provoince), Pyongtaek, Daegu and others. Currently, ten classes out of these class openings operate targeting 288 students from the low-income group. Total of 175 USFK service members and 345 KATUSAs are voluntarily working as ‘military English teachers’.

The USFK service members are approaching and getting close to the heart of Koreans as ‘blue-eyed English teachers’.