Egg-Shaped Robots Teaching Kids English in South Korea

• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2010-12-29 04:15

  Pupils often assume their teachers don't really exist outside the school gates, now robot classroom assistants could make this a reality.
  
  Almost 30 egg-shaped robots have started teaching English at primary schools in South Korea.
  Children are introduced to 'Engkey' - a robot assistant operated remotely by English teachers in the Philippines
  
  The 3.3ft high machines have a TV panel that displays a female Caucasian face and can wheel around the classroom while speaking to the students. The robots are also able to read books and dance to music moving their head and arms.

  
  
  

  [Image: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/12/28/article-1342152-0C9791B2000005DC-396_634x408.jpg]

  
  
  

  But despite appearances the robots, developed the Korea Institute of Science of Technology, are not autonomous beings.
  
  They are actually controlled remotely by English teachers living in the Philippines, who can see and hear the children via a remote control system.
  
  Cameras then detect the teachers' facial expressions and reflect them on the avatar's face.
  
  The robots will teach after-school classes at 21 schools in the south-eastern city of Daegu.
  
  'Well-educated, experienced Filipino teachers are far cheaper than their counterparts elsewhere, including South Korea,' Sagong Seong-Dae, a senior scientist at KIST.

  
  
  

  [Image: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/12/28/article-1342152-0C9791AE000005DC-220_634x465.jpg]

  
  
  

  Apart from reading books, the robots use pre-programmed software to sing songs and play alphabet games with the children.
  
  Education official Kim Mi-Young, said: 'The kids seemed to love it since the robots look, well, cute and interesting. But some adults also expressed interest, saying they may feel less nervous talking to robots than a real person.'
  
  Ms Mi-Young said some may be sent to remote rural areas of South Korea shunned by foreign English teachers.
  
  She said the robots are still being tested. But officials might consider hiring them full time if scientists upgrade them and make them easier to handle and more affordable.
  
  'Having robots in the classroom makes the students more active in participating, especially shy ones afraid of speaking out to human teachers,' she said.
  
  She stressed the robots, which cost £5,600 each, will provide extra support for teachers but not replace them.
  
  The four-month pilot programme was sponsored by the government, which invested £900,000.
  
  Mr Seong-Dae added: '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.'

  
  
  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1342152/Robot-teachers-human-faces-roll-classroom-run-English-lessons.html
  
  They're actually creepy ._.
  maybe they should remove the human faces and make them actual robots
• Intex wrote on 2010-12-29 04:23
  They should have just put a cute smiley face on it. It looks like some deformed cyborg :(.
• Mrlucky77 wrote on 2010-12-29 04:23
  The South Korean government seems to be prioritizing technology involving edumacashunz.
• Piko wrote on 2010-12-29 04:23
  The robot age is upon us. Hide yo' kids, hide yo' wife.
• Cucurbita wrote on 2010-12-29 04:42
  What the hell?
  
  Did you guys read this article?
  
  This is terrible! They're outsourcing! What the hell is wrong with the South Korean education officials?
  
  'Well-educated, experienced Filipino teachers are far cheaper than their counterparts elsewhere, including South Korea,'
  
  Are you retarded?
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2010-12-29 04:46
  the cat did read owo
  and yes, Filipinos teaching English is terrible
  
  and then Korean parents will be like
  "WHY YOU HAVE THESE DIRTY FILIPINOS TEACHING ENGLISH?"
• Piko wrote on 2010-12-29 05:04
  Don't see what's so bad about Filipinos teaching when my parent's Engrish is more intelligible than Chinese Engrish.
• Cucurbita wrote on 2010-12-29 06:07

  Quote from Pikablu;266735:

  Don't see what's so bad about Filipinos teaching when my parent's Engrish is more intelligible than Chinese Engrish.

  
  
  Actually cat, Pikablu is right about this one.
  Koreans will probably prefer to have a Filipino teaching their children English over a Korean teaching their children Engrish.
  They're just better at it.
  
  However, its also true that they will probably make "dirty filipino" jokes with their children when they're home all the time. Because Asians are ego stroking douche bags.
• BobYoMeowMeow wrote on 2010-12-29 07:20
  the cat thought it's where Koreans prefer a Caucasian teaching students English over Asians
• Teaberry wrote on 2010-12-29 07:26

  Quote from BobYoMeowMeow;266965:

  the cat thought it's where Koreans prefer a Caucasian teaching students English over Asians

  Caucasians probably want too much money for the job. Besides, the face on the robot is Caucasian regardless who the instructor is.
  
  [EDIT] A few Koreans already go to the Philippines to learn English as is. It's not anymore outsourcing than what's currently happening.
• gentrone wrote on 2010-12-29 07:28
  This thread is becoming racist.
• Cucurbita wrote on 2010-12-29 07:35
  A few and a whole after school class program is different.
  Most foreigners come to Korea to get a job as a teacher. Thats fine though, its not outsourcing as it counts towards Korean GDP.
  
  This pretty much demolishes any chance a Korean has of becoming an English teacher now, and no one even needs to come to Korea itself for the job.
• Intex wrote on 2010-12-29 07:51
  Asia is more serious about the actual education so I'd expect Caucasian teachers in the rich schools (I don't know really). From what I see traditional Koreans are one of the most obnoxious out of Asian countries when it comes to Nationalism. I wonder how those Filipino teachers will be treated by co-workers and parents.
• Cucurbita wrote on 2010-12-29 07:56

  Quote from Intex;266998:

  Asia is more serious about the actual education so I'd expect Caucasian teachers in the rich schools (I don't know really). From what I see traditional Koreans are one of the most obnoxious out of Asian countries when it comes to Nationalism. I wonder how those Filipino teachers will be treated by co-workers and parents.

  
  
  Its really crazy wherever you go.
  
  Chinese ramming their ships against foreigner coast guards and becoming a hero in their home towns...
  Japanese forcing foreigners to wear a tag around in public...
  Koreans... well you get the idea.
  
  They really really hate each other too. Cannot go 5 seconds without making some sort of land dispute or talking about how inferior the other is. Not surprising when they teach a high level of national pride in schools that is unprecedented here in America.
  
  They teach little children to start singing songs like "japs are enslaving us all, fight back" or "that island is actually our territory" and take them on school field trips to museums where wax statues of people are being brutally raped and murdered by them.
  
  Disgusting.
  
  No wonder **** heads like Ishihara got elected for governor of Tokyo 3 times in a row. His anti foreigner policy is so strong, and he doesn't take **** from the chinese about the Senkaku islands.
• Yogurticecream wrote on 2010-12-29 09:23
  It's not about the thread being racist. I sense that there is some racism already when they decided to place caucasian faces on the robots.
  Though I really really do think it's freaky. I would feel more comfortable talking to a pseudo-animal robot.