Student reporters of the Kyungbok Gazette pose with their teacher Jin Yoon-kyung, center, after receiving the best award in the news stories category in the 5th National Contest of High School English Newspapers, during the award ceremony on Kyung Hee University campus, Seoul, Saturday. Jin also won the best newspaper advisor award at the competition organized by the university and sponsored by The Korea Times. /Korea Times Photo by Shim Hyun-chul

English is not only a school subject to study for college entrance but also can be a tool for students to advance into the world.

Student reporters of four high school English newspapers, who won prizes last week, said they have a far better chance to achieve their dreams in the globalized world.

The fifth National Contest of High School English Newspapers was held by Kyung Hee University and sponsored by The Korea Times. A total of 31 high school English newspapers nationwide participated in the competition.

The four prizewinning papers were: The Vision from Seoul Foreign Language High School; the Beacon by Daewon Foreign Language High School; the Kyungbok Gazette from Kyungbok High School; and the Bundang Post by Bundang High School.

The Vision took the best prize in editing and layout categories, followed by the Beacon. The Kyungbok Gazette was selected as the winner in the news stories category, while the Bundang Post ranked second.

The award ceremony took place on the university campus last Saturday.

``I believe winning the award can give students encouragement and confidence in their English performance,’’ said Jin Yoon-kyung, a Kyungbok High School teacher who won the best newspaper advisor award.

Some students have the experience of living in foreign countries and speaking English there, while others do not, Jin said.

``By participating in the making of a newspaper, those having English experience can keep their language sense and display their talent, which is impossible in a high school education that focuses on the college entrance exam. They also help other students without the experience of living overseas to improve their English skills,’’ she said.

Jin also emphasized that she also learned a lot from the student reporters who tried hard to make the paper better.

Student reporters select the subjects for articles by themselves, but the issues were almost similar from school to school. In that respect, the Kyungbok Gazette had uniqueness and variety in selecting subjects, according to the judges.

``Besides social issues, we also focused on school affairs, such as the establishment of a monument hall and interviews with teachers,’’ Shim Ho-joo, the head of the English newspaper making club at Kyungbok, said.

The paper also interviewed school alumni, including Jang Jai-ryong, former ambassador to France and now chief delegate in charge of bringing back ancient texts taken by French naval forces in 1866.

``We also wrote stories about entertainers, including Asian superstar BoA, actress Jang Seo-hee and actor Jeon Gwang-ryeol, not only because of our own interest in the entertainers but also as bait to tempt other students to read the paper,’’ Kim Dae-hwan, vice head of the paper, said.

As they have to spend their time in preparing the paper, their parents worry they may not have enough time for study. The reporters admitted this, but added they have learned many things they could not obtain in school life, while working with printing shops and people outside school.

``Sometimes, club members quarrel with each other. But conflicts are resolved soon while working together again, or playing soccer together, or through other members’ mediation. Then again, we help each other, with each person trying to complement for other people’s weak points, and vice versa,’’ Shim said.

``The newspaper making also helps us improve our English writing skills, which students do not easily develop at school, as they have to spend more time on grammar, vocabulary and reading for the college entrance exam,’’ Park Joon-ki, editor of the Kyungbok Gazette, said.

The reporters said they became interested in English language and jobs that require English skills.