About 30 English teaching robots have been teaching children in South Korea. They are part of a pilot program to test how well robots will work in English education.
The robot named Engkey, a white, egg shaped robot, is being used at 21 elementary schools in Daegu. The robots are about 3.3 feet high with a TV display for a face. They are wheeled around the classroom speaking to students, reading books, and dancing by moving their head and arms.
They are using Flipino teachers because they are cheaper than other teachers.
The robots are in the testing mode right now. They might consider hiring them full time if they are upgraded and less expensive. The robots currently lost 10 million won each. The pilot lasts 4 months and the government invested 1.58 billion won (1.37 million dollars).
They aren't going to replace human teachers. They are using the robots as an extra resource because they think that children won't be as nervous with the robots as they would be talking to a foreigner.
I loved this quote: "Plus, they won't complain about health insurance, sick leave and severance package, or leave in three months for a better-paying job in Japan... all you need is a repair and upgrade every once in a while."
**(And they won't give your child AIDS)
***I think it would be interesting to actually see how they work in person.I'd like to see how it works and how the kids interact with them. I asked my students last year what they thought of robot teachers and they all thought it was a cool idea.
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