By Kang Seung-woo
A free service will be launched that translates Korean-written school notice or teachers' messages for marriage immigrant who are parents of elementary school children to their mother tongues, a conglomerate-run social contribution foundation said, Thursday.
According to the Happiness Foundation, established by SK Group, it will begin the service on April 12 in Seoul with four languages: English, Chinese, Vietnamese and Russian. However, if more than five foreign parents make a request for their particular native language, it will be added.
Parents can subscribe to the translating service already, the foundation said, adding that it is reaching out to Seoul-based elementary schools with a large number of international and multiracial students.
The project is in partnership with the ODS Multicultural Education Research Institute, a Daegu-based social enterprise comprised of female activists from various cultural backgrounds.
Foreign parents who are not fluent in Korean often have difficulty fully understanding notices from homeroom teachers or schools, provided either in the form of leaflets or postings on apps, which include homework and school newsletters for the families. Misunderstandings by parents often lead their children to submit assignments incorrectly and fail to study properly, potentially restricting those children's academic achievements.
Last year, the research institute test-operated the service for 106 students in four schools in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province and saw a 40 percent increase in the children's homework completion and proper studying of course materials.
"Many marriage migrants who have elementary schoolchildren are still not skilled at Korean. In that respect, we expect that the translating service will help them a lot," a foundation official said.
A free service will be launched that translates Korean-written school notice or teachers' messages for marriage immigrant who are parents of elementary school children to their mother tongues, a conglomerate-run social contribution foundation said, Thursday.
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Parents can subscribe to the translating service already, the foundation said, adding that it is reaching out to Seoul-based elementary schools with a large number of international and multiracial students.
The project is in partnership with the ODS Multicultural Education Research Institute, a Daegu-based social enterprise comprised of female activists from various cultural backgrounds.
Foreign parents who are not fluent in Korean often have difficulty fully understanding notices from homeroom teachers or schools, provided either in the form of leaflets or postings on apps, which include homework and school newsletters for the families. Misunderstandings by parents often lead their children to submit assignments incorrectly and fail to study properly, potentially restricting those children's academic achievements.
Last year, the research institute test-operated the service for 106 students in four schools in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province and saw a 40 percent increase in the children's homework completion and proper studying of course materials.
"Many marriage migrants who have elementary schoolchildren are still not skilled at Korean. In that respect, we expect that the translating service will help them a lot," a foundation official said.
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