- Sookmyung Women's University (SMU)
- Since its establishment by the last Empress of the Chosun Dynasty in 1906, Sookmyung Women’s University has become a mecca for female education in Korea, with 8 Colleges and 10 Graduate schools. In this era of information and globalization, SMU has been gearing up to become a high-tech university equipped with the most up-to-date educational facilities and computer networks. The university has also been working closely with the community by opening itself as a cultural and educational center. The university is located in the center of Seoul’s metropolitan area where cultural landmarks, harmonized with modern city life, are within a close distance of each other. These include such as Gwanghwamun, Seoul City Hall, Seoul Station, Itaewon Tourist Shopping Area, Yongsan Electronic Center, Kyungbok Palace, Ducksoo Palace, the U.S.O., and Hyochang Park, among others. In pursuit of SMU’s educational motto(chastity, wisdom, and truthfulness), the university will continue to develop with strong internalization strategies.
- LinguaExpress
- LinguaExpress was originally launched in 1967 under the name Language Practice Center, and it played a supportive role for the university’s language departments. It was changed into the International Language Education Center (ILEC) and expanded into an institute that designed and executed its own programs, offering a wide variety of language courses including a KSL(Korean as a Second Language) program. All the courses have successfully combined the four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
In addition to the expansion of language programs, the Center has created a testing tool, MATE (Multimedia Assisted Testing of English), for evaluating English learners’ speaking and writing skills. As the name suggests, MATE is conducted on the computer, and test-takers are asked to speak and write out the given tasks on the computers. This tool is unprecedented, both domestically and internationally, in terms of its effective application of technology as well as its comprehensive and cross-checking evaluation of one’s speaking and writing ability. All the students of Sookmyung Women’s University are required to pass the test for graduation.
In the summer of 2000, the ILEC was reborn under the name of LinguaExpress or the International Institute of Language Education. LinguaExpress was given this name to demonstrate that Sookmyung provides professionally integrated courses that allow students to develop their linguistic abilities.
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