SEOUL – In a pioneering initiative, “English tutor robots” will be introduced in elementary and middle schools in Seoul starting next year to aid students in improving their English conversational skills. This announcement was made by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, The deployment of these robots is part of the office’s efforts to strengthen English language education in public schools. The robots, developed in collaboration with a private company, are scheduled for a trial run in March next year in five schools in the capital. Designed to resemble restaurant serving robots, these artificial intelligence-based machines will be capable of conducting one-on-one English conversations with students and will serve as assistant teachers, demonstrating native-like English conversation skills.
The robots are programmed to offer personalized learning experiences, including the correction of individual students’ pronunciation. The education office plans to expand the distribution of these English tutor robots if the initial trial proves successful.
Additionally, the office aims to enhance English listening and speaking education by expanding the use of voice chatbot apps. These apps, installable on mobile phones or desktops, will allow students to engage in free conversations on user-selected topics, facilitating non-face-to-face interactions with foreign students.