Kids camps in South Korea for international students

South Korea offers a variety of kids camps and language programs, particularly suited for foreign students aged 13 to 17. These programs provide a perfect blend of language learning, cultural immersion, and supervised independence.

Language Camps in South Korea: Bilingual Learning and Cultural Immersion

• Bilingual Programs: Most camps offer both Korean and English language courses, catering to students with varying linguistic goals.

• English Language Courses: Popular among those interested in South Korean culture, these courses do not necessarily lead to continued study at South Korean universities.

Types of Programs Available

• Standard Language Courses: Focus on language learning only, with variations in intensity and program length.

• Specialized Programs: Include TOPIK Exam preparation, university pathway courses, and specific skill classes like conversation and pronunciation.

• Teen Summer Courses: Designed for teenagers, including 3 hours of Korean daily, accommodation, meals, and cultural events.

Program Structure and Cultural Integration

• Progression and Certification: Students must attend 80-90% of classes and score at least 70% on tests to move to the next level and receive a certificate.

• Practical Language Skills: Emphasize speaking, reading, writing, and listening.

• Cultural Activities: Include martial arts, traditional music, Korean cuisine workshops, sightseeing, and K-pop classes.

Sarah Rimini

Head of International Student Recruitment at Inspired Education Group

How do you handle homesickness or emotional well-being of the campers?

Our staff members are trained to provide emotional support and create a supportive environment for campers. We have procedures in place to address homesickness and offer activities to help campers feel connected and engaged.

The average cost for international students is about $1,000 per week, covering accommodation, study, and basic activities. Additional excursions and recreational activities may incur extra costs.

Application Requirements for Korean Camps

Typical documentation includes a child’s passport, notarized parental consent for travel, birth certificate, and medical certificates. Camp organizers provide detailed requirements.

• SNU KLEC at Seoul National University: Offers a broad range of programs, including summer classes and evening lessons, along with extracurricular activities like Samulnori drumming. A semester with accommodation costs about 1,907 USD on average.

• Lexis Korea: Located in Seoul and Busan, providing standard and TOPIK preparation courses, summer camps for teens, and individual classes. Students also explore Korean culture through various classes. The school's partnership with universities like Konkuk, Hanyang, and Sejong allows for enrollment without the TOEIC exam, provided the required language level is met. Weekly study costs average at 255 USD without accommodation.

In summary, kids camps and language courses in South Korea offer a comprehensive and immersive educational experience for international students, blending rigorous language instruction with cultural exploration. These programs are ideal for young learners eager to explore South Korean culture while enhancing their language skills.

Limited number of language schools
There are few language schools and camps in the country offering long-term programs. Typically, these are courses of less than three weeks, as long-term visas can only be obtained for studying in programs, courses, and camps affiliated with higher education institutions.

No part-time work opportunities
Even adult students cannot work if they are enrolled in courses lasting less than three months. Students in long-term programs may be able to work after six months of study.

Few programs for younger teenagers
Only about 15% of schools and camps accept students under the age of 16, usually offering courses designed for teenagers aged 17 and older.

Visa difficulties
School students and university students can only obtain a short-term C-3 visa, which does not allow them to stay in the country for more than three months. The exception is courses affiliated with higher education institutions: students enrolled in these programs are eligible for D-4-1 visas.

Courses, camps and schools can be roughly divided into two large groups:

Standard
This group includes Regular, Intensive, Evening, Weekend, Short-Term programs where students focus primarily on language learning. The intensity and duration of classes can vary widely, from a week to several months.

Specialized
Here students can not only relax or expand their vocabulary, but also prepare for university entrance, standardized language tests or work on pronunciation.

The main varieties of special camps and schools include:

TOPIK/TOEFL Exam Preparation
The name speaks for itself - the courses are designed to prepare for Korean or English language exams. It is important to pay attention: the students of the courses do not have the task to learn the language, only to prepare for the exams, which implies a high enough starting level of preparation and language proficiency at least at B2 level. The majority of lessons is devoted to solving practice tests and working on listening or pronunciation.

University Pathway
Some language schools in the framework of partnership with universities in South Korea offer the Pathway program: it allows to facilitate admission to Bachelor's and Master's programs at partner universities by eliminating the need to pass TOPIK.

Teen Summer Course
A summer course for students between the ages of 13 and 17. On average, 3 to 6 hours of Korean language lessons are scheduled per week, with the rest of the time devoted to cultural, recreational, and educational activities.

Conversation/Pronunciation Classes
Additional classes in individual or group mode to develop speaking skills and work on pronunciation.

Due to the specifics of visa policies, universities are one of the main providers of international education in the country, including language schools and summer camps. University centers traditionally offer four types of programs:

• Regular Courses

These are offered at most South Korean universities and are often chosen by students who plan to continue their studies at the same institution. After completing such a program, there is no need to take the TOPIK exams. The program is structured into four stages, each corresponding to one semester, with a duration of 200 hours or approximately 10 weeks. There are four semesters in a year, corresponding to the seasons. Students can complete all four or limit themselves to 1-2, depending on their preference.

• Short-Term Courses

These are short-term programs lasting from 21 days to 3 months. The intensity of the classes varies from 60 to 130 hours, with a weekly workload of 16 to 20 hours.

• Summer Courses

Summer programs last 5 weeks, with 20 hours of classes per week.

• Smart Courses

This is a specific format of highly intensive courses (26 to 30 hours per week), allowing students to complete the program in a short period. The total duration is 8 weeks, with six intakes per year.