Learning English from experience

Students from Haenam Jeil Middle School in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, pose with their English teachers — Im Sun-kyu, left, and Marie David, second from left — at the Korea Times building in Seoul, on Oct. 24. They visited the building to learn how the English newspaper is produced. / Korea Times

Middle school teacher helps students make campus paper

Im Sun-kyu, an English teacher at Haenam Jeil Middle School

By Chung Hyun-chae

Im Sun-kyu, an English teacher at Haenam Jeil Middle School in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, is confident of his unique teaching method of helping students learn from experience.

He has been trying to get students to engage in making a campus newspaper both in Korean and English so that they can learn the foreign language in the process.

“I believe the best way to learn English is to use English directly, not just to memorize it and study,” Im, 57, told The Korea Times.

He visited the English daily’s office in Seoul with his students on Oct. 24 to take a look at how the newspaper is produced. Im was a reporter with The Korea Times between 1984 and 1988.

His brief job experience as a journalist at the newspaper inspired him to give his students an opportunity to produce their own newsletter, the Haenam Jeil Times, in Korean and English.

The cover of a copy of the Haenam Jeil Times, Haenam Jeil Middle School’s campus newsletter, which is published both in Korean and English

“I give homework to my students to write an article in Korean first. Then I reorganize their sentences in the form of a news article. After doing this, I return the edited version to the students and have them translate it into English,’’ Im said.

“After they hand in their English articles, I edit them again and print them in our newsletter.”

The school publishes the eight-page newsletter once a year.

“It is still difficult to include this newsletter-making program in regular classes because of a tight class schedule,” he said.

This is why he organized an extracurricular club activity for volunteers to make the newsletter.

“Although it’s very challenging for me to write an article, especially an English article, it is of great help in improving my English,” said Kim Su-a, 15, one of Im’s students who works as the chief editor for the English newsletter club.

“I always chew over which vocabulary to opt for, and through this process I can learn how to use English words easily and correctly. I believe this experience will certainly expand my vocabulary and improve my writing skills,” she said.

During the club activity, Im gives a lecture on how to read and write English articles by using The Korea Times as teaching material.

“What’s important is how to select articles among various topics that can attract students’ attention and encourage them to read,” he said.

In order to maximize the effect of lessons, students should concentrate on the class material, according to the teacher.

“I also think The Korea Times, like other dailies that convey to their readers what is happening at home and abroad, helps students broaden their perspective,” he said.

He added that as it is an extracurricular activity, students don’t have enough time to read all the articles.

“I try to teach students basic grammar including infinitives and relative pronouns. I believe those things will be helpful to develop their reading comprehension,” Im said.

Practicing the English language is not his only purpose in doing so. Im also tries to help students find their future career path while experiencing journalism.

“I hope that my students have dreams and become more ambitious through engaging in the newsletter-making activity,” he said.

He noted that the program has gained momentum since the provincial education office recently designated his school as an “innovative” school.

The school has decided to publish the Haenam Jeil Times twice a year and to increase the number of pages from eight to 12 next year, according to Im.

“I will feel rewarded if my students improve their English and have self-confidence through making the newsletter,” he said.