TaLK (Teach and Learn in Korea) is an international exchanging internship program initiated by the Korean government last year for university students. The program has two purposes.

The first is for Korean students with foreign citizenship to be sent to villages which find it hard to get foreign speakers to teach children.

This will help to reduce the big gap in English ability between city and village students. The second is for volunteers to learn about and understand Korean culture.

Both Koreans abroad and foreigners who are interested in Korea can apply. Last year there were 380 scholarship students. 102 of these students, together with 444 new students this year, a total of 546 students, have started to do volunteer work in fishing and agrarian villages.   It seems that more foreigners have become interested in Korea. This year the number of volunteers has increased compared to last year. There are many reasons why they participate in the program. It will be helpful in becoming a teacher. They include: to gain practical teaching experience; to help children who have learning difficulties; to understand their parents' home countries; to have an experience of volunteering in a foreign country; and to have the experience living with other locals as a habitant of Korea rather than that of a tourist.   The selected university students are sent to their schools where they prepare textbooks and class materials for their lessons.

Sometimes, they get students to play games to help the students to concentrate on lessons. Children in rural communities are satisfied with the improvement of their English skills through the native speakers' passionate lessons.

As indicated in the following survey, more than half of student parents said that this program contributed to the improvement of their children's English education and they hoped that it would continue. 

The native speaking teachers also have mentor teachers' available to help with translation. If students have difficulty understanding the English-only lectures, the Korean mentor teacher helps them.

The Korean mentor teacher also helps students find somewhere to live, or guides them to buy daily goods. Mentor teacher Jeong Jun Sang (TaLK volunteer at Geabup Elementary School) said, "At first the children could not understand their native teacher Matthew, so we together worked out an approach that was successful in the classroom. As well as this, I helped him to my best ability outside the classroom when he had to change his mobile phone and get his trousers shortened." Chung Dong Su, the TaLK PR manager said, "TaLK is a program not only for teaching English to elementary school children but also for helping overseas Korean volunteers and foreigners to learn about all aspects of Korean traditional life.

This includes classes about the Korean language, Korean food, Taekwondo and many other things. Korean students living abroad can find their Korean identity when they do beneficial work for their country as well."

Foreign students appear to want to volunteer more because of the love and warm sentiment they feel from living in Korea. TaLK's delegate scholarship student in the Gyeongbuk area, Stella Cho (24, TaLK volunteer at Yecheon Elementary School in Gyeongbuk) remarked, "I am so glad that I came to the country where my parents grew up and that I have been able to learn many things about Korea."

It was difficult for her at first to adapt to Korean culture but now she can do most of her work without the need for a Korean assistant. 

The program participants don't just teach. Foreign students also receive scholarships, teach children and experience Korean culture by having trips to Seoul during holidays.

By giving foreigners a good experience of our culture, traditions and everyday life, it is hoped that they will let their friends know about Korea when they return to their own country and the number of visiting foreign students will increase.

The program's organizers expect that this effect will go far toward generating a greater awareness of and understanding about Korean society worldwide while also helping Koreans to become more globally minded.