English Training for Staff of the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade

- Gwangju City Education Office, six universities, and GFN English Radio agree MOU to collaborate together in Global Development English Training
Collaboration will establish 'Universiade English School' a 3-stage development program startingnext year

Having high-quality English-speaking staff will be a key element to hosting a successful 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade, and so local educational establishments have come together to form a regional education network.

To commemorate the beginning of this new collaboration, at 10a.m. on Sept. 2nd, a launch ceremony took place in the Business Room of Gwangju City Hall. At the ceremony, representatives from Chonnam National University, Chosun National University, Honam University, Gwangju Women's University, Gwangju National University of Education, and GFN English Radio, all signed a "Agreement of Collaboration to develop Global English Training for the success of the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade", thus agreeing to jointly establish and operate the 'Universiade English School', until 2015.

This event was attended by Ahn Sun-il, Head of Gwangju City Education Office, Kim Yun-su, President of Chonnam National University, Jeon Ho-jong, President of Chosun National University, Oh Jang-won, President of Gwangju Women's University, Park Nam-gi, President of Gwangju National University of Education, Kim Won-uk, Head of GFN English Radio, Kim Byeong-wan Head of Planning, Gwangju University, and Park Sang-cheol, Head of Planning, Honam University, who all promised to work together to promote English education amongst local students and residents.

The signing of this agreement marks the start of Gwangju City's plan to strenuously promote English education, in order to provide highly capable English-speaking staff for the games. A successful 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade depends upon local citizens to participate and volunteer, especially those with high language skills.

Holding the Summer Universiade offers a great opportunity to expand the current language infrastructure, and to train capable and global workers, which could be a lasting legacy of the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade.

Initial demonstration classes will begin this year, with the 'Universiade English School' program beginning in earnest next year. The program targets current Middle School students, who will be university age by 2015, as well as housewives and other citizens, to work at the Universiade events.

Preparations, such as developing a curriculum to run until 2015, creating textbooks, distributing native speakers, holding demonstration classes etc, will be completed this year, and the program will be rolled out in force starting from next year. As this is the first time for local English Education institutes to participate in such a partnership for the Universiade, anticipations and expectations are high.

During the entire education process, participants have to successfully complete each level before they can advance to the next, and must complete all levels by 2015, at which stage it is expected that they will be able to easily hold routine conversations with native English speakers. The best students will also have the opportunity to attend the 2011 Universiade in Shenzen, China, and the 2013 Universiade, in Kazan, Poland, in order to gain direct first-hand experience of the summer games. Additionally, GFN English Radio will host various related events, such as English Quiz, or English debate contests.

Gwangju City Mayor Park Gwang-tae, said "Although we have already began to select and train 15,000 volunteers in English, it is never to early to begin preparations," and, "Our long-term project, from next year through to 2015, is to focus on finding and developing translators and skilled English speakers, creating a new opportunity in English education."