South Korea where a child's life revolves around education. Regular school is followed in the evening by private school a double shift of schooling making them some of the most formidable pupils in the world. 16-year-old Hymin goes to school in Gangnam in Seoul made famous by the pop star Psy. After school she leaves with her brother but far from relaxing at home, she sets off again for her second round of study. Even the little ones do a double shift long after what might be considered bedtime in the UK these tots are still working. Hymin then spends hours here at the hagwon or private crammer just like the great majority of Korean children. I get tired usually, but I can't forget about my hardships when I see my results because they're kind of good. Hymin gets home after 11:00 having spent a mammoth 13 hours in study, it's bed at 2 a.m. and then up again at 6:30 to do it all over again. Korea has few natural resources we only have people, so anyone who wants to be successful really has to stand out. As a mother, I don't feel comfortable about this but it's the only thing she can do to achieve her dream.
“Sometimes I'm very tired, like exhausted but I don't mind”
The result of this non-stop study is children who are fantastic at tests. We set these 15 and 16-year-olds some GCSE maths questions they did them in half the expected time with most of them getting full marks. I like going to school because there are many good friends and good teachers. Sometimes I'm very tired, like exhausted but I don't mind because I'm studying now to do what I want to do in future. For the economy this huge investment in education has taken the country in just two generations from mass illiteracy to technological powerhouse. Korean brands are internationally famous the country has built itself up with extraordinary single-mindedness since the end of the war with North Korea 60 years ago. But career success has come at a cost. The pressure on young people is huge and the suicide rate is the highest of all developed countries. Is this pressurized environment really sustainable? I don't think any other country has achieved such rapid growth of South Korea in the past 50 years. We focused on school achievement and that's put a lot of people under stress hence the high suicide rates we still have a long way to go but we're doing some soul-searching and we're trying to make our people happier.
In many ways, Korea is the envy of the Western world. Ministers in Westminster and beyond look longingly at its education record and are remodeling their own systems to try to compete. But Korea's phenomenal success has come at a real price for its people a price the country is now gradually starting to weigh up.
Rita Chakrabarti BBC News Seoul
Questions:
Part 1: Comprehension
Watch and summarize the video thinking of who, what, when, where & why.
Part 2: True or False Questions
a) True or false – Korean students usually go to private schools after their regular school finishes. T/F
b) True or False – Hymin enjoys going to private academies. T/F
c) True or False – Hymin goes to bed at 11 pm. T/F
d) True or False – In some ways, many western countries want to have an education system like Korea. T/F
Part 3: Guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary
a) "Revolves around" (0:03 min)
b) "Tots" (0:44 min)
c) "Mammoth" (1:14 min)
d) "Single-mindedness" (2:20 min)
Part 4: Dictation
a) Fill in the blanks (1:22 - 1:29 minutes) Korea ______________________________________________________________________stand out.
b) Fill in the blanks (2:39 - 2:45 minutes) I dont think__________________________________________________________________50 years.
c) Fill in the blanks (3:04 - 3:12 minutes) Ministers_____________________________________________________________________compete.
Part 5: Talking Points
Part 6: Role play Scenarios
Scenario 1: Parent-Child Conversation.
A parent is concerned about the amount of pressure their child is facing in school and wants to discuss it with them. The child is defensive and argues that they need to study hard to achieve their dreams.
Scenario 2: Teacher-Student Discussion.
A teacher is concerned about the amount of stress their students are under and wants to have a conversation with them about it. The students are hesitant to open up at first, but eventually share their struggles with the pressure to perform well.
Scenario 3: Job Interview.
An interviewer is looking for a candidate who has excelled academically and asks questions about their study habits and experience with academic pressure. The interviewee shares their experiences and explains how they have coped with the pressure.
Part 7: Writing Activity
Compare studying at school to studying at university, what are the similarities and differences?
Part 8: Critical Thinking - Best Education System in the World.
Objective: To discover if Korea has the best education system in the world.
Work in teams and research the best countries for education in the world.
Pick one, and create a presentation why your team thinks they have the best education system in the world.
Finally, as a class reach as consensus on the best education system in the world.
Answers:
Part 1: Comprehension
This is a video created by BBC and it is reporting on the education system of South Korea. The report suggests that it is both one of the best and most difficult education systems in the world. The report looks at how different age groups go to school and interviews some teachers, students, and parents. One student, 16-year-old Hymin goes to school in Gangnam in Seoul. She gets home after 11:00 after studying for 13 hours, then studies until 2 am. Despite the difficult schedule, the report highlights just how competitive and advanced the system is by getting middle school students to take GCSE tests for the same age group in the UK. All the students found it to be very easy and completed it much more quickly than UK students. Finally, the reporter interviews a politician as Korea understands that the education system is causing a great deal of pressure on students and increasing the suicide rate, so they must make changes.
Part 2: True or False
A: True B: False C: False D: True
Part 3: Guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary or phrases
a) "Revolves around" Answer: I think this means to have something be the most important interest because in the video it states that a Korean child’s life revolves around education meaning that everything they do is related to education and most of their day is focused on education.
b) "Tots" Answer: I think tots means small child because in the video they talk about how “little” children even go to after-school academies highlighting that age doesn’t matter.
c) "Mammoth"Answer: This means huge because in the video the reporter describes the exceptionally large and lengthy schedule that Hymin does every day.
d) "Single-mindedness" Answer: I think this means the quality of being very determined and being focused on achievement because in the video the reporter talks about how Koreans were very focused on the growth of their country after the war.
Part 4: Dictation
a) Fill in the blanks (1:22 - 1:29 minutes) Korea has few natural resources we only have people so anyone who wants to be successful really has to stand out.
b) Fill in the blanks (2:39 - 2:45 minutes) I don't think any other country has achieved such rapid growth of South Korea in the past 50 years.
c) Fill in the blanks (3:04 - 3:12 minutes) Ministers in Westminster and beyond look longingly at its education record and are remodeling their own systems to try to compete.
Part 7: Writing (example)
Studying at school and studying at university have both similarities and differences. In both school and university, you have to attend classes, do homework, and take exams. However, university is different because you have more freedom to choose what you want to study. Also, university classes are usually harder than school classes, and you have to study more by yourself. In school, teachers give you more guidance and help, but at university, you need to be more independent and manage your own time. So, while both school and university are about learning, university requires more self-study and responsibility.
