College students from South Korea smile for the camera during an orientation ceremony on July 5 for the English Adventure Program through the University of Guam. (Photos courtesy of University of Guam ) ()
More than 600 college students from 25 universities in South Korea will be on island over the next two months to study abroad through the University of Guam English Adventure Program. About 300 them started their programs this week, which will vary in length from two to four weeks, while others will arrive later this month and into August.
“It’s an exciting summer for us, being able to offer edu-tourism in person again and bring some economic activity back to the island,” said Carlos R. Taitano, director of Global Learning and Engagement at UOG, which has hosted Korean and Japanese students through the program for the past 12 years. “We have several first-time universities participating this year in addition to a lot of newly hired staff, including 20 ESL teachers, to help host the students this summer.”
In between daily English instruction classes on the UOG campus, the students will be taking field trips around the island, visiting local businesses and the CHamoru Village Night Market, learning cultural activities like weaving, dancing, and making coconut candy, and enjoying time at the beach.
They will also be able to interact and speak English with UOG student volunteers from the AmeriCorps UOG program and UOG International Friendship Club.
“I really wanted to come here,” said Sooyeon Park, a nursing major at the Daejon Institute of Science & Technology. “It’s a great opportunity to learn English.”
Some of the other participants said they are looking forward to improving their English listening and speaking skills, making international friends, and enjoying that natural beauty of the island.
“Korea [has] very many apartments and [is primarily] city, but [Guam] is more country, green, and ocean,” said Sujeong Han, another Daejon Institute student.
The visiting students will be staying in hotels in Tumon and at the UOG dormitories.
