李主聖博士

Ju Seong Lee (李主聖), Ph.D. (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

I believe that the time, talents, and resources we are given may be best used in service of those who face real need and difficulty.

Since 2000, I have devoted much of my work to volunteer and educational engagement across more than ten regions, including Cambodia, Mongolia, and Thailand. These experiences shaped how I understand learning. I came to see that meaningful growth often begins in informal spaces—where people feel encouraged, safe to explore, and able to reflect on their lives and hopes. Over time, this drew me toward lifelong, lifewide, and informal learning, especially in under-resourced contexts.

Building on these experiences, I introduced the concept of Informal Digital Learning of English (IDLE) in 2018. This work focuses on how learners engage with English through everyday digital activities, guided by interest and personal meaning. Many learners show a childlike spirit—aideul (아이들), meaning “children” in Korean, curious, open to exploration, and steady in their growth. Over the years, research across diverse regions has suggested that such engagement is associated with greater enjoyment, a clearer sense of future direction, a growth-oriented mindset, increased willingness to communicate, and stronger speaking development.

Since 2020, I have worked with colleagues and partners to bring these ideas into practice. Together with educators in Indonesia, we have co-designed IDLE-based initiatives that have reached more than 2,800 learners. We have also collaborated with schools, universities, NGOs, industry partners, and government organisations in Indonesia and Vietnam. Through these efforts, we aim to nurture an IDLE ecosystem that can support learners in sustained and meaningful ways.

As I look ahead to the next stage of my journey, I hope to continue this work with like-minded partners. My aim is to further refine the IDLE framework, strengthen its empirical foundation, and develop practical tools and resources. In doing so, I hope to contribute, in small but lasting ways, to learners’ language development, personal growth, and the wellbeing of their communities—especially those with fewer opportunities.