English Enrichment Program at NKERC Summer Camp
Week-long Camp Teaching North Korean Defectors and Other Korean Diaspora Youth English
Among other social and economic challenges, one of the greatest academic challenges North Korean defectors experience when coming to South Korea is a lack of schooling in English. This camp aims to provide these students with an opportunity to improve on their English through intensive daily lessons with foreign volunteer instructors. Also emphasizing cultural immersion, the camp is held in Jeju island, which is renowned for its beautiful beaches, gargantuous tangerines and excellent pork, and also somewhere most North Koreans can only dream of visiting (think the Hawaii of Korea). Combined with water sport games, cultural activities and sightseeing, this camp is an exciting and transformative experience for many, and something I personally look forward to every year.
This camp offers Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced classes in English. In my first year of the camp (2024), I taught the Beginner class, which consisted of about 20 students, with two other teachers. We covered basic grammar, vocabulary and conversation, and at the end of the camp, we produced an original 10-minute play, acted out entirely in English. In my second year of the camp (2025), I taught the Intermediate class, which consisted of about 30 students, with four other teachers. I specialised in conversation, and devised lesson plans in which students learnt to pronounce challenging consonants and syllables, and to chat about hobbies, school and daily routines.
Beyond the classroom, I also lived in the dorm with three other students each year. These students often could not speak the same languages, with some only knowing Korean and others only knowing Chinese. Despite these linguistic barriers, meaningful relationships developed through shared experiences and collaboration. I assisted in organizing the distribution of snacks and camp T-shirts, and frequently served as a translator between English-speaking teachers, Korean staff, and students. Acting as a bridge between cultures and communication styles taught me the importance of adaptability and empathy in leadership. As a group leader of approximately ten students during camp activities, I learned to foster cooperation and understanding across linguistic and cultural divides.