Cultural Exchange: Visiting a Host Nation School

KOREA – A partnership between Humphreys West Elementary School and Baederi Elementary School recently afforded 25 HWES third grade students with the opportunity to experience what elementary school is like for their host nation peers.

After a warm welcome at Baederi Elementary, the students completed several activities. While doing so, the students could utilize computers to translate Korean to English and vice versa. While answering questions about themselves, the students decorated fans and created jegi, a traditional Korean game comparable to hacky sack. Afterward, the students tried their hand – or, rather, foot – at keeping the jegi in the air.

Students also discovered their unity and inclusivity as they organized themselves through a series of questions, such as which season is their favorite. The students formed orderly lines in the gym using verbal and nonverbal cues. This activity demonstrated to the students that language barriers do not hinder understanding, and it highlighted the fact that students, despite their diverse linguistic backgrounds, share commonalities and similarities.

Then, it was on to lunch, where students sat together and enjoyed a typical Korean school meal. The fan favorite was kimchi rice.

When they said “goodbye” at the end of the visit, the two schools’ third graders had become friends. Some even shared emails or phone numbers to keep the friendships growing. The BES students will be visiting HWES in the spring of 2024.

During their visit, students were able to see how a Korean school compares to an American school, discovering they shared many commonalities with Korean students, though schools operate differently.