Students at Jeonbuk National University, enrolled in an introductory course on early childhood education and care, take part in a field-based learning visit at a day care center near the campus in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, March 13. Courtesy of Jeonbuk National University
Jeonbuk National University has introduced a real-time interpretation system to better support its international students.
With the system in place, the university said its international students are now able to take classes alongside their Korean peers with few language constraints.
“Students enrolled in Introduction to Childcare and Education, one of our academic courses, are made up of 30 Korean, 13 Chinese and two Uzbek students. The system bridges language gaps between students from different countries,” the school said in a press release.
The most notable shift has come in the classroom.
With the introduction of a real-time interpretation system, Chinese students can now follow lectures with ease, narrowing the language gap and turning the course into a more global learning environment, even for those with limited Korean proficiency, the university said.
The growing attention to these courses stems from their role as a pipeline — not only into degree programs but, ultimately, into long-term settlement in the region. Of the 15 international students currently enrolled in the Introduction to Childcare and Education course, five are already preparing to transfer to the Department of Child Studies next semester.
Even small classroom interactions have become catalysts, prompting students to reconsider their academic paths and future careers. The university said the shift reflects Jeonbuk National University’s broader global initiative: to attract international students who go on to build their lives in the local community.
The Department of Child Studies is building on that approach by operating dedicated play therapy programs tailored to international students.
Kim Tae-yeon, a professor in the Department of Child Studies who teaches the course, said her greatest reward is seeing exchange students engage deeply with the material despite being in an unfamiliar environment.
Source: Korea Times News
