SEOUL, KOREA - Once considered exclusively for children, English libraries are actively being introduced by some colleges as well. Since 2008 when Myung-Bak Lee administration came to power, there were increasing voices that English education should be strengthened, and thus 200 or so public/private children’s English library opened across the country in 2009.
In the meantime, some colleges around the country were found to be adopting and operating English libraries. Beginning with POSTECH last February 2010, Hanyang University began operating an English library in March 2012. Jeonju University has installed a children’s English library on its campus in July 2011.
POSTECH stated that they began the project as there was a consensus that an English library is essential to improve the English skills of students. POSTECH conducted an independent survey with 206 students to find out how important English reading is to improve English skills. To the question “do you think reading English books help learning English” 96.5% which is the absolute majority of students responded positive.
Hanyang University has installed the English library at 5th floor of Baeknam Academic Library. A total of 3,000 English books are furnished here. To improve English skills, a special English reading event is held for internal students, actively recommending reading English books.
Jeonju University has contracted with Jeonbuk Education Bureau and built a children’s English library on campus to provide high-quality English learning opportunities and promote improvement of English skills. Native English speaking teachers are always present to instruct children’s English reading education.
One special note is that all three English libraries have English books arranged by Lexile® measure. The associates all explained that this was help students to choose English books according to their English skills.
Developed by U.S. based company, MetaMetrics®, The Lexile® Framework for Reading is a numerical reading index designed for English readers to choose original English text, and is utilized by students around the world from 165 countries. More than 30 million students in 50 U.S. states use this measure for English reading education.
Lexile measure, the scientific evaluation index developed to objectively measure the English reading ability and English book difficulty level, provides a unified criterion for the English reading abilities of readers and difficulty level of English books. Its purpose is to connect an appropriate difficulty level of English books suited to the English reading abilities of individuals. The score ranges from below 200L for beginning readers and beginning-reading text to above 1600L for advanced readers and text. If your Lexile measure is 850L, books in the Lexile range of 750L to 900L are effective.
Mr. A who is participating in the English reading event of Hanyang University English library being held for the month of November received Lexile measure of 1100L through the test, and he said “reading was made much easier as I chose English books that matched my level” and that “consistent English reading seems to be greatly helpful to improving English skills, so that I think I would keep up the English reading in future.”
Dr. Malbert Smith (President and Co-founder) who participated in the development of Lexile measure said that “it is very encouraging that English libraries of Korean universities are providing English books with Lexile measures” and that “by utilizing the Lexile measure more actively, it would be possible to greatly improve the English skills of Korean college students.”
