KIST robots come to classrooms

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), a government-funded research institute, has attracted international media attention for inventing robots that teach English.  The New York Times, CNN and Time Magazine have all rolled out coverage of the robots, with Time calling them one of the “50 Best Inventions of 2010.”

KIST’s Center for Intelligent Robotics has created several different models of English-teaching robots, including “Engkey” and “Mero.”  This new “r-learning (robot-based learning)” paradigm is expected to help bring high-quality English instruction to elementary students, particularly those in rural regions. 

Engkey                                                                                      Mero

A pilot program was launched by the Korean Government to test r-learning last year, and students in two elementary schools were taught English by the new robot teachers in late 2009. Engkey helped with the regular English conversation programs, while Mero helped students with their pronunciation and practicing new words and sentences. The robots were successful in helping to teach pronunciation to the students, who enjoyed interacting with their new school “staff.” 

The robots can move in any direction and can follow human facial expressions. While the robots are used primarily in support roles for real human teachers, Time Magazine called them a “job terminator,” saying they could potentially supplement or replace the native speakers currently in Korean schools. However, the robots cannot handle improvisation, and students must follow a script.

Elementary school students practicing their English with robotic help.

Government evaluations have concluded that the educational robot system had indeed helped students improve their English skills and increased students’ interest and self-motivation. The 8-week pilot program showed that the robots have the potential to be an important part of English education in Korea.

Thirty-six English teaching robots are due to be deployed in 18 elementary schools across the city of Daegu by the end of this year, according to KIST. KIST also speculates that with further development, the robots could potentially be used to teach Korean to foreigners.