http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/schools-plug-in-robot-english-teachers-20101228-19975.html

Schools plug in robot English teachers Seoul

December 29, 2010

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English-teaching robot "Engkey" stands in front of children at an elementary school in Daegu, 240 kms southeast of Seoul. Photo: AFP

Almost 30 robots have started teaching English to youngsters in a South Korean city in a pilot project designed to nurture the nascent robot industry.

An interesting concept. Personally, I think a robot would put me to sleep unless I was really, really motivated.

One assumes that it will need a reliable fast internet connection which kind of rules out most of Thailand especially the schools.

I've met many Koreans. Naturally, I'm meeting many Thais. Believe it or not, but much higher %% of Koreans speak English... and they speak it better. Sorry, didn't mean to piss on anybody's parade.

But if Thai Education Authority could buy these robots, maybe the faces of their english teachers will look better?

N.B. I judge the face of a teacher only by the level of knowlege passed on to students.

Whether or not the robots are a good idea is questionable, but the point is that Korea is trying to get students to learn English.

I noticed these robots and did wonder whether they could help meld the best educational practices of Thai and Western cultures thus saving time, money and raising educational standards. Whatever foreigners think about Thai schools and educational practices, they are remarkably effective at getting kids fluent and literate in Thai, they just struggle with English. The Tawanese are responding with Robots to the same dilemma; foreign teachers are more expensive and often less effective in maintaining learning environments due to linguistic, cultural and ethical barriers. If Thai staff were properly trained to use the robots to deliver a structured curriculum with adequate assessment, this may be economically viable, depending on the costs of the robots. While robots lack the cricital eye, facial movements crucial to developing language, they could have basic success and be loaded with infinitely renewable content, accents and vocabulary.

... they could have basic success and be loaded with infinitely renewable content, accents and vocabulary.

From reading the article, it appears that each robot will have a real live teacher sitting in the Philippines operation the robot and "speaking though" the robot. So I understand that the robot it self will not be the "teacher" but rather it is just an upgrade of a video conference call from teacher in Philippines.

Could be in certain university classes..

Its the same thing as assigning scripts for teachers to read

Control, mandate and universalize everything that is taught in the classroom

I've met many Koreans. Naturally, I'm meeting many Thais. Believe it or not, but much higher %% of Koreans speak English... and they speak it better. Sorry, didn't mean to piss on anybody's parade.

But if Thai Education Authority could buy these robots, maybe the faces of their english teachers will look better?

N.B. I judge the face of a teacher only by the level of knowlege passed on to students.

It might also have to do with the motivation, discipline and cultural importance of doing well in academics for Koreans versus their Thai counterparts

I've met many Koreans. Naturally, I'm meeting many Thais. Believe it or not, but much higher %% of Koreans speak English... and they speak it better. Sorry, didn't mean to piss on anybody's parade.

But if Thai Education Authority could buy these robots, maybe the faces of their english teachers will look better?

N.B. I judge the face of a teacher only by the level of knowlege passed on to students.

what's your point? S Korea is a first world country and probably beats Thailand in just about everything academically.

I guess your point is that you are super observant and smart because you have noticed that South Koreans speak better English than Thais? Very observant indeed.

Our 15 year old understands MY English, as l am English but at school his English speaking teachers are from Philippines and India, and he doesn't understand what they are saying.

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