Elt in Korea: English as a Compulsory Subject in Elementary School and Its Challenges (original) (raw)
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Secondary Teachers’ Perception on English Education Policies in Korea
The Journal of AsiaTEFL, 2017
Due to the expected value of English proficiency for living in a global society, acquiring English proficiency has become a major concern for many people in Korea. This attention is because people in Korea believe English is providing them with premium opportunities to better their lives such as being admitted to prestigious schools or getting high-paying jobs. The differential investment in learning English thus has yielded a new form of social inequality, dividing people between the English rich and the English poor. Perceiving the potential negative effects of the English divide and the importance of equipping Koreans' English proficiency, the Korean government has put effort and strategic investment into improving public English education in Korea. Studies on policies have often been presented in a multilingual context where the concept of language policies, language education policies, foreign language policies, and English language education policies are somewhat blurred. Looking at the English education policies in a monolingual society like Korea exclusively can present a focused view on the effectiveness of English education policies. This study presents the key policies put into practice to improve the quality of English education in Korea and highlights secondary teachers' responses to those policies in attaining the policy goals. A total of 1039 secondary teachers working in Daegu participated in the survey administered twice: 557 in 2010 and 482 in 2016. The perceptual changes are discussed with the participants' comments included in the results. The study will provoke discussion and intuition for managing English education policies in similar contexts.
This theoretical essay has been written to critically explore the manner in which English is used as a globalizing medium in South Korea’s education sector. Attention is afforded to the (a) adoption of English as a medium instruction at the tertiary level, (b) practice of hiring native English speakers from non-education related degree fields to perform as teachers, and (c) use of English as a curricular device at the primary level to reinforce Korea’s cultural heritage. The knowledge generated from this report may be used to extend critical discourse concerning the rise of English in East Asia, call attention to recruitment practices that further the deprofessionalization of the second language teaching field, and challenge the inward emphasis placed on learning Korean cultural traditions in the English language classroom.
English Education in South Korea
筑紫女学園大学アジア文化学科「蒼翠」 第3号, 2002
In South Korea, the mere mention of English education invites controversy. The debate rages, fraught with questions that echo the paradigms of Mr. Smith’s English lesson: Why should we study English? Who should study it? When should we begin studying? What type of English should we learn? How should it be taught? These and other questions torment educators; but as a nation, South Korea has responded with decisive action. English was adopted as a regular subject in Korean elementary schools starting in 1997. For 20 years before that, English had been taught as an elective subject in elementary schools. As in Japan, it served as a required subject in junior high schools; and in high schools as an exam-preparation course. While the two latter conditions persist, the move to begin formal instruction at an earlier age generated a great deal of excitement among parents, despite the consternation of teachers. And now the nation waits to see what effect its decision will have on the secondary curriculum. At the university level, the consequences will be further removed in time. At present, the Ministry of Education seeks to bring English instruction into a more practicable sphere. English is seen as a key to the future; but a tenured past makes progress difficult. In the decades to come, South Koreans hope to reap a profitable return on their collective investment, that is, they hope that English education will lead their nation to economic prosperity. 小学校から大学レベルまでの英語教育を、MOEの教育方針としての目標・内容、教育課程、教員養成、そして教室における指導法を取り上げて論議する。動機付け、コミュニケーション能力、自由学習、さらに学習塾、就職斡旋、幼稚園、出版業、テクノロジーなど諸種の問題を提起する。結論としては、英語教育に関して韓国は日本と非常に多くの類似点を共有している。
English Education Policies in South Korea
Language Policy, 2016
In South Korea, the government has actively promoted English proficiency as an indispensable tool in ascertaining competitiveness of individuals and the country. This chapter examines English education in South Korea and its policies as contextualized in its socio-cultural backgrounds. The discussion draws on theoretical insights that view policies as an interactive process among policy documents, the context and the actors in it (Ball, Maguire & Braun, 2012; Menken & Garcia, 2010). First, the background is laid out by illustrating the symbolic and practical meaning of the English language in the Korean context. Following that, the chapter traces the changes in English language teaching (ELT) policies through a historical survey of curricular reforms and also presents the current agenda of ELT policies, within which the communicative approach is strongly recommended, as reflected in the 7 th National Educational Curriculum. In an attempt to investigate ELT practice in context, two case studies, one at the primary level and the other at the secondary level, are presented, particularly to determine the relationship between policy and practice. Both case studies demonstrate that while teachers make efforts to follow the policies, how they actually implement them depends on their unique contexts and individual beliefs. The chapter concludes with suggestions for future research and policy making.
Unresolved issues and new challenges in teaching English to young learners: the case of South Korea
Current Issues in Language Planning, 2013
The introduction of languages, especially English, into the primary curriculum around the world has been one of the major language-in-education policy developments in recent years. In countries where English has been compulsory for a number of years, the question arises as to what extent the numerous and welldocumented challenges faced by the initial implementation of early language learning policies have been overcome and whether new challenges have arisen as policies have become consolidated. This article therefore focuses on South Korea, where English has been compulsory in primary school since 1997. The issues raised by the introduction of English into the primary curriculum are reviewed and the current situation in South Korea is investigated. The results of a mixed methods study using survey data from 125 Korean primary school teachers, together with data from a small-scale case study of one teacher are presented. The study shows that, while some of the initial problems caused by the introduction of early language learning appear to have been addressed, other challenges persist. Moreover, the data reveal the emergence of a number of new challenges faced by primary school teachers of English as they seek to implement government policy.
Early English Education in Korea: An Early Appraisal
KATE Newsletter, 25(1)., 2001
English instruction was first instituted into the Korean elementary school curriculum in the spring of 1997. During the period of hearings before the elementary school English curriculum was put into effect, there was heated debate on whether studying English would be beneficial, or in fact, harmful to language learning and child development.
English Language Teaching in South Korea: A Route to Success?
Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2015
This paper is an attempt to investigate the status of English language teaching (ELT) in South Korea. To do so the historical background of ELT, and the reform movement, as a measure taken by the government to boost language education in this country, have been discussed. The outcome of this measure and the philosophical underpinning of education in this country along with different issues related to language teaching, such as: learning strategies, beliefs, language ideology, and the use of technology-assisted language teaching programs have been elaborated. Attempts have been made to demystify the ELT problems in this country with the aim of alleviating the shortcomings and improving the strengths of such an educational system. Putting different pieces of the ELT puzzle in South Korea together, some of the stunting factors were recognized to be: the ideological basis of the reform movement, lack of utilizing critical pedagogy, and insufficient attempts aimed at teaching language learning strategies and technology-assisted language learning normalization. Though this paper has focused on the status of ELT in Korea, many of the raised suggestions can be utilized in other countries, in particular Asian countries with Confucian background.
Language Policy, 2011
This study examines the English language teaching (ELT) policies and measures taken under the United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) from 1945 to 1948, in an attempt to illuminate their implications on the current ELT in Korea. The study analyzes data derived from documents of the Korean and the U.S. governments, literature on Korean history, and literature on Korean education and language education. During the previous decade of Japanese colonial rule, the development of ELT had been stalled due to Japan's war against the U.S. and its allies and the colonial government's consequent suppression of Anglophone elements in the colony. With the arrival of the U.S. forces in 1945, however, the climate unfavorable to ELT reversed. The U.S. military government took various educational measures to enhance ELT. It reintroduced English as a required subject in the secondary-school curriculum and as a key subject in university entrance exams. It also established a state-run English language school and provided teacher training nationwide through the school. Despite these reform measures, however, Korean ELT maintained core characteristics set earlier during Japanese colonial rule.
Change of the National English Curricula in Korea and Considerations for the Next Curriculum
Journal of curriculum and teaching, 2023
This study investigates the national English curriculum, social and academic culture, roles and positions of (English) teachers and students, and their changes in Korean history. Based on this exploration, the author discusses considerations to advance the current Korean English curriculum and where the next curriculum is to be headed in the era of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). Given that the 4IR welcomes people who have high qualities in complex problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, management, collaboration, decision-making and negotiation, significant changes in teacher and student roles and teaching practice are needed. The Korean pedagogical background of teacher-led practice, text-or grammar-based learning, test-preparation lessons and pursuit of competition in English education should not be obstructions for these changes. Thus, the author suggests the application of AI programmes and problem-based learning for the realisation of more learner-centred, democratic, and constructive learning. This study will provide educators in East Asian countries as well as in Korea with several rationales to deliberate for their next curriculum design.