Gyeonggi Academy of Foreign Languages

Myongji Foreign Language High School was a dormitory-based foreign language high school that accepted students from all over the country, mainly through its individual and unique admission tests. The students lived in the dormitory, and studied at night under the supervision of the dormitory inspectors, who were outsourced by the school. Remaining at school on weekends and during vacation was optional, but students had to follow a strict timetable that regulated activities most of the time. In the absence of school teachers, the dorm inspectors would take the place of chaperoning the students and their activities. To accommodate the students' needs, there were various facilities such as laundry room, gym, and a 7-Eleven convenience store (which was rumored to be the second highest branch in sales throughout all of South Korea) inside the school. The academic performance of Myongji students steadily improved over time, peaking at the 3rd highest in 2011 College Scholastic Ability Test in all of South Korea.[3]

However, with the conversion of the school into Gyeonggi Academy of Foreign Languages, the school took a drastic turn. In admissions, it could no longer test applying students in maths, and had to take into account their middle school grades to a larger extent due to change of government regulations. The school uniform also changed, from the previous 2 versions (winter and summer) to 3 versions (winter formal and casual, and summer). The school also scouted Hashik Park, a former vice-principal of Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies and Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies to be GAFL's new principal. Under Principal Park's running of the school, GAFL developed various student clubs, including a club pertaining to lacrosse. In terms of dormitory, staffing change was made in dormitory inspectors; the school hired a new group of dormitory inspectors that were regarded as a lot less strict than the group before. Amenities such as towels and laundry service were also made free to the students. However, the 6th generation of students still followed much of the same curriculum and education infrastructure as previous generations of students did.

From this time period, the school took even more of a drastic turn. It could no longer accept students from provinces other than Gyeonggi due to change in government regulations.[4] However, it was accepted to incorporate the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, one of the first Korean high schools to do so. This entailed a change of system and infrastructure for the students; as opposed to the past, the subjects, or "majors" were now divided into four categories containing local English, international English (IBDP), Chinese and Japanese departments.[5]

[6]

In Myongji Foreign Language High School, there were four majors: English (major) and Chinese (minor), English (major) and Japanese (minor), Chinese and Japanese. Each department received differentiated education according to the majors, including conversation and theoretical classes. The number of classes pertaining to the language was designed to escalate as the grades increased; such was the case that 3rd grade students had 5 different subjects pertaining to their major, for instance, English Writing, English Conversation, English Grammar, English Reading and English Listening. As students wishing for acceptance in foreign universities were few in number, they were incorporated into the main system, but could take optional classes and guidance on the side.

With the introduction of IBDP to the school, the major system also changed. The previously few students striving for foreign universities were promoted to a new major (international English), and the students striving for domestic universities were incorporated into local English. The IBDP is currently designed to address to the international English portion of the students. The majors of Chinese and Japanese stayed, however.[5]