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KIIP

What to Expect After Acceptance in a KIIP Online Class

  • At the beginning of 2014, I heard about KIIP (사회통합프로그램).
  • In the first quarter (around March), I took the KIIP Pre-test and was placed in Level 4.
  • After not being able to take the online class in the first half of the year due to time restrictions, I was finally able to get into (and complete) the 100-hour course for KIIP Level 4.

Here are the details about what to expect immediately after joining an online class:

1. Why Online? Won’t you consider Offline?

After registering in an online class, you will be contacted within a few days by someone in the Seoul program office. They will likely ask you why you have selected to do the online class and not the on-site class. This is particularly true if they can tell by your user registration information that there is an available class center near you. (For example, I live in Jeonju, and Woosuk University is on the outskirts of Jeonju. They initially tried to get me to switch to the Woosuk University class.)

Tell them that the times don’t match up with your schedule (especially given travel time to and from the location), and it should be fine. They won’t press the matter further.

2. Proof of Employment

After questioning me about the class time, the program representative then told me that they’d need a copy of my employment record at Jeonju University to prove where I worked. I had to fax them my 재직증명서 before I was “officially” in.

(I’m not sure if they require proof of employment from EVERYBODY. Obviously not everybody can get that document from their workplace, and some stay-at-home moms are unemployed. But I’d expect them to request SOME kind of document either from you or from your spouse or employer to prove who you are, where you live/work, and that you qualify for the program.)

3. Install the KIIP Computer Program

http://www.kiipedu.com After faxing the document, you’ll need to download the classroom program from the site with a user ID and password they assign you (via email I believe). The site is kiipedu.com. From there, download the program for the class (the right-most link in the top menu – it’s an .exe so only good for Windows).

kiip-program-install
KIIP Program Download and Install

4. Test your equipment

The TWO pieces of equipment you’ll need for the online class are:

  1. A mic / headset (I highly recommend a USB headset)
  2. A USB camera

After installing the program, you’ll need to log in on the Thursday or Friday before your class “officially” starts in order to test your mic, headphones, and camera to be sure you CAN do the class. As long as both of those work, it’s just a 5 minute “hi” to someone who probably won’t even be your teacher.

5. Show up for class

After that, on the first day of class, the teacher will introduce the class and tell you that the book should be on its way. (Someone from your local Immigration Office should have already called you and asked to which address you want the book sent.)

I received my book in the middle of the second week of class, but don’t worry. The entire book (all the books) are available online as ebooks at kiipedu.com and you can access them at any time. The teacher will open the digital book in the class program (probably for every class) to show you the text, circle things, highlight things, or draw and write things on it with their digital pen tool.

Any more questions?

Let me know in the comments below.

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26 thoughts

  1. Hi..Do you know their next schedule for examinations this coming 2015? I plan to take an exam ..please send me an info if u have any..thank you ..God bless.

    1. I will be updating the KIIP schedule, TOPIK schedule, and the ENTIRE WEBSITE for 2015. (That’s one of my major projects over the Christmas break ^^) So stay tuned around New Year’s! Loads of updates and big changes coming!~

    1. I don’t actually have any tips as I was busy/out of town on my test date.

      BUT my teacher did let us know that if you DON’T pass it, you need to take the 100-hour course a second time and then you’ll be able to advance to the following course AUTOMATICALLY – without testing.

      Of course, you’d probably like to be able to pass the test and move on yourself the first time, but for me, I knew right away when we started reviewing the grammar and vocab in the book before the test, that I wouldn’t pass. So, I pretty much reserved myself to taking the class again. (I could certainly use the speaking practice anyway.)

      Good luck on your test though!~

  2. Here is my Q: With only 9 students in the online class, did you get to interact/speak with the teacher or any other learners during class? Or is it just lecture type all throughout the two hour class?

    1. It’s PRIMARILY conversation based I’d say. The teacher has us all go through individually making example sentences with the grammar PPTs she’s put together. Then, she’ll ask open-ended questions and have us respond as best we can. She also calls on us in turn to read from the book, so while she does do a good deal of explanation through the vocab portion of the class, I can’t complain that I didn’t get to speak. That’s probably the MOST I’ve ever spoken in a 2-hour period before.

  3. So, it’s a little late and I probably won’t get an answer in time but I’ve tried accessing the site given to me for the online class and it won’t work. I tried using IE, Chrome, and Firefox (all of which are supposedly supported) and none of them work. It keeps saying the applet won’t load or it can’t install the program.
    If anyone knows a way around this please let me know!

    1. When you join the class, they give you access to a website from where you can download the program that you will use to do the class. (I’ll write up a post about this later.) Unfortunately the program only works on Windows. Is that your problem? Are you trying to run their program from a Mac?

      Otherwise, can you give me the site address? As far as I remember, you should get access to a site where you can do a few things:

      1. Download the classroom program – where you’ll see the teacher, the book, and the other students
      2. Download PDF copies of the books (any level)
      3. Check your class status – like how many hours you’ve completed – you MUST complete 80% or you won’t pass
      4. See an instructor profile
      5. There’s also more program info on that site, but that’s what I can remember for now

      Can you get into that site? Feel free to email us if you wish to communicate more directly.

  4. I recently applied for the level 3 online course which starts in a couple weeks. I talked to the woman handling registration and explained I need to do the online course because I’m employed at a company where I’m required to work the odd weekend, as well go on overseas business trips from time to time. She stopped me there and explained I have to be in Korea to attend the online classes. When I pressed her for a reason, she just explained I had to be in country. I asked if there was some type of security requirement that would only allow access for Korean IP addresses, and of course she had no answer. No reasoning whatsoever…only that I must be in Korea.

    Do you know if there is a technical reason for this (i.e. the dinosaur that is the Korean internet)? Or is it to prevent people from doing the entire course overseas? My case is quite particular but unfortunately she did not seem to “understand my situation.” At this point my plan is to register. If it doesn’t work when I go overseas I will try a Korean VPN. If that doesn’t work, maybe they will realize they need to be accommodating…If it has anything to do with digital certificates, I would be using the same laptop for every class.

    Any insight would be appreciated!

    1. I’m not sure if there are any technical restrictions or not. You’re the second person who’s asked this question and my advice would be the same as what you’ve mentioned: try it and see.

      I can understand WHY the rep said “you must be in Korea.” Because this program is totally FREE, and because the Korean language is becoming an incredibly popular language to learn in East Asia (particularly due to the Korean Wave), if it were NOT “restricted to Korea” then there could potentially be an enormous “wave” of South East Asians who catch wind of the program and try to sign up themselves. This would block access to the classes for all the people who REALLY need it – those actually living and working IN Korea – particularly married house wives (when I did the course, there were 7 housewives and one other male participant in my class).

      And of course, since the number of classes is limited by the number of teachers, and the online class size is limited to only 9 students (a good number for this kind of thing), you’re looking at potentially only a few hundred people who can join the online class at any one time (considering there were about 7 classes offered for my level last time I checked * 6 levels * 9 students each = 378 students total).

      Anyway, since you’re IN Korea now, you might as well do your best to get IN the program and then deal with the changes as they come. I personally taught a summer camp during my class time and had to leave camp an hour early every day to do the class. Then, I went on a trip to Seoul and needed to bring along my laptop setup for a few days. I’ve never been out of the country during that time, but remember, even if you totally MISS the class, you only need to attend 80% of the lectures to pass, take the level test, and move on (the teacher only opens the final level test registration access for students with 80% or more attendance).

      Good luck!~

  5. I want to take these classes. I do live in Korea, but I was wondering if I should just take the beginner class (even though I have been here for awhile). My level is really mixed but I don’t know some basic stuff like grammar and how to make sentences properly. What do you suggest?

  6. Thanks for all the info. I only have a Mac. Is there absolutely no work around for this? I really don’t want to have to buy a Windows machine just so I can take the class. 🙁

    1. Do it in your office at school then. That’s what I did. Or at a friend’s house. There are really no other options for Mac users unfortunately.

  7. how to do the exam for online class? I’m curious coz im planning to enroll for level4 that will start this coming oct.5.

  8. Hi..good day sir..i have no laptop or computer but i have a cellular phone…can i only used it ?thanks and godbless

    1. Cell phones won’t work unfortunately. There is only one type of app available for download, and that is for Windows computers.

  9. Hey Aaron! Thanks for all your help as always. Last summer, I quit my Level 4 class do to time constraints and I missed the last session for classes. But I logged into KIIP just now and I was magically able to register for an online session from 1.25 to 4.07. In any case, the reason I need an online class now is because my school is moving me to Icheon. However, I can’t seem to change my address. I went into my User Information page and clicked on “Change in Address” it says “체류지기 동일하거나 등록외국인 정보가 없습니다.” I can’t even figure out what that means even knowing all the words! So I ask, will this be an issue? Or should I just expect a phone call to verify my reason for the online class as you mentioned above…? Again, much appreciated!

    1. Since you were able to register for an online class, I’d say you’d probably be able to just wait for the phone call to confirm it. You should be able to just let them know about your change of address then. Everything is typically handled through the local Immigration Office – from whom you should expect the call – so as long as they know, it’ll probably be OK.

    1. There are weekend classes (not online) and I’ve seen classes that run as late as 8-10pm (online). You’ll have to check the site after you register and do the Level Test.

  10. Hello i was wondering if i can use a laptop and no cable wire only wifi? I read in the site that i need to use a desktop computer with cable wire for internet connection.

    1. The reason for using a cable wire is primarily for connection stability. Wifi can’t provide as stable, nor as fast, a connection as a wire can. And when you’re thinking about video chatting through the Internet, the more stable the connection, the better. If, for example, your Wifi lags or drops data during the class, you might miss out on part of the conversation or the grammar points. In my own class, there were times when one of the students’ connection dropped out while they were mid-sentence speaking, and they couldn’t get back online for 10 or more minutes (sometimes not at all until the next day). That’s why they recommend using a wire instead of Wifi.

      That being said, no one will come to your house and check if you’re using a wire or not. And no one in the class will ask you about it. They primarily just want to ensure that you have the best possible connection so that you can have the best possible experience in the class.

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