Edutainment – A Business concept
Edutainment refers to entertainment that has an education component. There are many examples of edutainment businesses, which offer a competitive edge over businesses that offers either only entertainment or education. An interesting example worth studying by entrepreneurs or business students are the English villages being built around the world. English villages are replica villages in foreign countries designed as language education institutions and created with a language immersion environment for students of English in their own country.
Above photo – aerial view of an English Village in Korea.
In an effort to halt the flow of money out from Korea
by students studying English in foreign countries,
Korea now has several English villages offering English immersion in Korea.
The concept is run as a commercial venture in Spain and Italy, and is quasi-governmental in Korea. The very first English village is a pilot Italian program, first launched in Tuscany in 2005 but is now situated in Umbria, in a medieval village which has been restored using period materials to maintain its authenticity. It is located in the heart of the lush, green HighValley of the Tevere offering our “city slickers” a slice of the real country life.
In Spain, an English Village was built in Villadavilla, Spain called Pueblo Ingles for English immersion studies. Kids, teens come together to learn English.
Above is a photo of a stonehenge replica at the English Village in Korea, known as Clonehenge.
The first English village in Korea was opened in August 2004 in Ansan , Gyeonggi-do province. English villages in South Korea provide a short-term immersion English experience in a live-in environment where only English is spoken. This is intended to promote English learning and to build students’ Anglo-American cultural awareness.
English villages employ a mixture of foreign native speakers of English and fluent English-speaking Korean staff. They are intended to help students face the particular challenges of speaking English in the Korean context. Many families seek to improve their children’s English ability by sending them to study abroad in English-speaking countries. This results in a substantial amount of money leaving the country. The English villages are intended to reduce this loss, and make the immersion experience accessible to students from low-income families as well.
Every facility and training program encourages visitors to actively participate, and so it enables a natural English learning experience in the context of daily life. In a setting resembling a village in an English-speaking country, participants experience various culture from around the world, increase their international social consciousness and realize the value of English as a means of communication. Coaching by kind, native English-speaking teachers helps increase participants’ interest in English and boosts participants’ confidence in speaking to foreigners. Upon completing the camp, students will be more motivated to study English with greater interest and enthusiasm.
All facilities have been newly built to simulate a village in an English-speaking country. Students can learn English by enjoying a cultural experience in an exotic environment. Paju Camp is a model English village created by Gyeonggi Province. The more than 700 trainees and teachers residing in the village, and the hands-on training programs and facilities merge naturally in daily life through the 3Es (Education, Experience and Entertainment).
Hence, the term EDUTAINER has been coined to refer to education entertainment English teachers.
Why talk about this concept? Because there is big money and entrepreneurs should be made aware of this opportunity.
Here’s a video clip of an English village in Korea.
and here’s another clip of an English Village in Second Life.
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Filed under: Entrepreneurship 101, Life at E-Institute, Types of Business
That is an amazing idea! Actually as per experience, there is no best way to learn than enjoying it! That’s the way I remmber things, when I find it interesting and it entertains me!
You have a very very very informative write up keep it up!
Language villages are very interesting, and they do work. I have a friend, that actually went to a Spanish village in the US, and she worked as a councilor. She said that 100% of the time is devoted to that language. Classes were held outside, and there were many activities. This allowed for learning the foreign language to be fun.
Its really a great concept to learn a language and work at the same time. im really interested could you post some links. Thanks
good post.. you gave the best recommended english villages..I would like to visit some of those charming country villages, with thatched cottages and cobblestone streets
I never really heard about edutainment before. Your post is such an eye opening to me. Thanks a lot. And I do hope that we also will have an English Village over here. English is not our first language, many of us are still not fluent in English while the world is getting smaller. What has been taught in school are just never enough. How much could an English teacher could do in a class of over 40 students? An English Village is an option that most people could opt to.
You might be interested to note that Taiwan now has its own English village which opened in 2007. It is located in Taoyuan which is about an hour away from Taipei.
It has a mock airport, and a mock airplane where students engage in actual English conversation. This is a new concept to Chinese students who usually learn by rote and memorization. The emphasis is on actual learning experience instead of “TESTS.”
This is a smart idea,I like how they are trying to reach out and help other learn how to speak correct English.
I don’t belive I ever even seen a English Village before this was very interesting to me.
yes very smart idea.