A review of Issac’s Young Gong Don
These days there are so many apps for our smartphone to make our lives easier, help us learn, and provide us with entertainment. One of Korea’s favorite English teachers “Happy” Isaac Durst has come out with an app that helps us do all of these. Isaac’s Young Gong Don (아이작의 영공돈), which can be interpreted as “English Study Money” or “English Free Money”, allows users to study English and even make a little pocket money. “It’s a reward app,” says Durst, who explained his app to the Hakbo last month. “There’s no money going in, but you can get money back.”
How does it work? When we use our smartphones, we always have lots of minutes and text messages left over at the end of each month. It’s such a waste. With Young Gong Don you can use up their text messages and minutes by answering quiz questions and listening to lectures. Both activities allow you to accumulate points. Each minute earns 12-15 points, while each text message gives 2-3. Your saved points can be turned into real money as long as you use your points within two years.
Users are able to choose the style of their quizzes such as words, spelling, and sentences. The difficulty of the questions is divided into six levels: Essential English, Middle School, High School, High School for University Admission, and TOEFL-TOEIC Business 1 and 2. The level of questions can be chosen by users, so even beginner students of English can get a lot out of the app.
You should be careful, however, not to go over your normal monthly limit. Even “I will not touch (my app) until the last day of the month,” says Durst. “But if I’ve got an hour left, I can listen to a lecture I’m interested in” and get back almost 1,000 won.
The app looks good and works well. There are other reward apps out there, but they cannot compare to this one. Isaac’s Young Gong Don helps us get back money from our phone bill, while also helping us to study — killing two birds with one stone.
Charles Ian Chun contributed to this review.