Korea has long had an insatiable thirst for English. English as a second language (ESL) education is a billion dollar industry in this country of 48 million. Starting in third grade, all students receive compulsory ESL classes in the public school system; these classes continue through the first or second year of university. Some 40,000 children are sent to study in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa and Great Britain, as well as special camps in the Philippines, Malaysia and some other countries. ESL is a US$15 billion a year industry.
