Scenes from tvN's edu-tainment reality show "My English Puberty" / Courtesy of CJ E&M

By Park Jin-hai

In a country, where proficiency in English is equated with educational background and social status, six celebrities have taken on the challenge of an eight-week intensive course to learn how to speak English.

In the tvN "edu-tainment" show "My English Puberty," the project initiated by director Park Hyun-woo, who says he himself has struggled to find quick ways to improve his English skills, six stars _ actress Hwang Shin-hye, singer Whee-sung, singer Kim Hyo-yeon, actress Jeong Si-a, comedian Ji Sang-ryeol and model Han Hyun-min _ revealed their English skills.

The first episode, aired Dec.4, told each cast member's story of why they joined the show and showed a candid camera-style English level test, while the second episode last Monday depicted them doing their homework after their first lesson with star English lecturer Lee Si-won.

The biggest surprise has come from the cast.

Whee-sung, who sings pop songs with native-like pronunciation, wrote down the lyrics of the song "City of Stars" from La La Land as it sounds in Hangeul. The singer confesses he doesn't go abroad alone because of "English phobia" and he feels ashamed that he sings songs without knowing their meaning.

Actress Hwang, who frequently travels abroad for jobs, has only been able to respond with simple words like "yes" or "no," while world famous K-pop girl band Girls' Generations' Hyo-yeon was shown struggling to read letters from her international fans. Actress Jeong, who has two children, and comedian Ji broke into a cold sweat when they were faced with native English speakers, while model Han, born to a Nigerian father and Korean mother, confused viewers, because despite his "foreign" looks, he could not utter a word in English.

If its first episode focused on laughs, the second episode was more educational. Although it is not new seeing everyone feel small when they face English native speakers, Choi points out some problem areas. For example he compared Koreans tendency to memorize as many vocabulary words as possible to someone who has not mastered addition and subtraction but they continue to learn equations. His first lesson to encourage quick English responses from the participating cast was interesting.

"The main cast members cover a diverse age range, from the teens to their 50s, who are in desperate need of learning the language despite their high fears and high stress. I hope the show can shed light on the excitement of learning English and guide the audience to an easy way of learning," said director Park.

In the short clips, unveiled in advance, cast members show dramatically improved English skills, which makes viewers wonder what secrets lie in the following lessons.