For the past few months, I’ve been learning historical backgrounds about Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of the most famous historical sites in Korea, to become a tour guide for tourists visiting this cultural heritage. Being a government-certified program, I had to take weekly classes and a test every 2 weeks on what I learned. Just a few weeks ago, I finished my tests and earned my certificate.
Most people in the program with me were middle school students, and I really don’t mean to be mean, but I was surprised by how weak their English skills were. I do not mean to criticize them, as I lived in New Jersey and Canada for several years, as well as attending an international school here in Korea, so of course I had more opportunities to learn English. However, even the people attending this program who were good at English (in Korean standards) sometimes struggled when presenting. The way Koreans learn English is so different, and the demand for native-level English is huge here. People often say that here in Korea, it’s difficult to get into a good university or get a good job without decent English skills. It must be tough trying to learn English without the access to good English lessons, being so expensive.
After finishing my training to become a tour guide, I feel even more strongly that Volko’s first project is an important thing to do.
