South Koreans keen to enhance English Language skills at Curtin Sarawak

Miri – 20 January 2014 – 13 members of the Love Sarawak & Sabah Club of South Korea led by its president, Kwon Young Gyu, visited Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) recently to familiarise themselves with the university and explore the possibility of working together to conduct short-term English Language camps for Korean college and university students. Members of the club comprise principals and teachers from a number of schools and colleges in South Korea.

According to the group, many South Korean students are keen to improve their English Language skills at institutions of higher learning in Sarawak and Curtin Sarawak has been identified as a leading choice given its international reputation and experience in conducting English Language camps for foreign students.

On hand to receive them at the campus was Chief Operating Officer Nicholas Ching accompanied by staff of the university’s marketing and corporate communications departments.

In welcoming the group, Ching said Curtin Sarawak was honoured to have the group visit all the way from South Korea.

“We are very pleased that your club is keen to help promote education tourism here in Sarawak and encouraging Korean students to come here for short-term English Language and sports camps, and possibly longer-term degree courses as well,” he remarked.

Ching said Curtin Sarawak could be a very attractive option to South Korean students eager to brush up their English Language skills as it offers a conducive English-speaking environment on its campus and English is widely spoken in the local community,

According to him, Curtin Sarawak’s Department of Language Studies and Humanities has extensive experience conducting English Language camps and currently offers a number of courses to help raise English language competency among students and working professionals, both locally and internationally. They include month-long Winter and Summer English Camp courses designed to develop general English language proficiency and exposing participants to everyday English in various contexts and situations.

He added that the team of lecturers delivering the courses, who come from a number of countries, has vast experience in teaching and training second language learners using the communicative and learner-centred approach. In addition, the courses provide ample opportunities for students to practice the four core language skills outside the classroom and, if desired, an ecotourism component in the form of field trips can be incorporated.

In addition to Curtin Sarawak, the group visited two secondary schools in city. Prior to their arrival in Miri, they visited the Gunung Mulu National Park.

Also while in Miri, the group attended a dinner in their honour hosted by the State Sports Council (MSN) at a leading hotel, which was also attended by Assistant Minister of Communications Datuk Dr. Lee Kim Shin, MSN Deputy Director Lucas Kalang Laeng and the Director of South Korea’s Education Department, Chung Jae Yong.

Nicholas Ching (6th from left) and Senior Student Recruitment Officer Wong Wei Chen (far right) posing with members of the Love Sarawak & Sabah Club.