Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Spongebob Squarepants]

Yep you read right. Heard it through the grapevine, and there are even presidential candidates using this as their platform.

The MOE wants to get the Korean teachers to teach their English classes entirely in English in order to completely do away with the foreign edutainers who are currently in such high demand and who, despite their (relatively) high salaries, can't work the miracles expected of them and teach the thousands of little Kims and Parks to "supeeku Englishee" properly.

The way they see it is:

1. They'll no longer have to deal with us darn whiteys (and all the issues arising from that)
2. They'll save oodles of money as they won't need to pay the KTs any more than they already make.

Is it just me, or are they trying their darndest to get rid of us all?

[Julius]

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Optimus Prime]

Funny thing is, if Hillary is elected, she plans on not letting SK ride the US gravy train any longer. Tighter visa restrictions, and an FTA no longer skewed in SK's favor.

Korea and Koreans can keep whitey out...just means they're going to be breeding with 3D people even darker than themselves from SE asia.

[Spongebob Squarepants]

I'm not sure which Korean presidential candidate has adopted this as a campaign promise, but since I'm one of many teaching on a course for Korean English teachers to up their skills so that they can then replace all the FTs by 2010.

Since we're in regular contact with the MOE, this is not just a rumor/hearsay.

[schwa]

In Gangwondo its officially a given that we're working to put ourselves out of a job, but the timeframe is a little more realistic than what the OP is suggesting -- more like 2015. Gangwon is aiming for peak native teacher numbers by 2009 (around 300, up from 150 right now). A big part of those teachers' mandate is to help Korean english teachers get up to speed on teaching in english with an emphasis on communication. Younger K-teachers will also have enhanced opportunities to study abroad. "Old-style" K-teachers are starting to feel some pressure to adapt, switch subjects, or retire. This takes time.

Its an appropriate goal, in my opinion.

Political candidates spout all kinds of populist nonsense to win votes but cooler heads prevail over longer-term policies, one of which, common to all parties, is improving Koreans' english. I think the OP is being unduly alarmist.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Seems like a good idea, but if they're at all serious about English, they should have a full-time instructor where each class gets the teacher at least 3 times a week. That would mean hiring two foreign teachers. If they want to keep English instruction at the same freqency, foreign teachers are pretty much useless.

They should, however, hire qualified teachers. Koreans that speak English. And by 'speak' I mean really speak. Maybe with some education from an English-speaking university.

[Atavistic]

[Woden]

[marlow]

Doesn't matter. It'll just help hagwons.

[SHANE02]

[yingwenlaoshi]

More money for hagwons and less money for us. The supply will exceed the demand.

[The Perfect Cup of Coffee]

It'll just help private education again and everything will be back to square one. Think of it this way, if you were learning say Spanish in the States, who would most people rather learn it from, a native Spanish speaker or some whitebread priss who majored in 'Spanish studies' at Goatfark U?

[crusher_of_heads]

[yingwenlaoshi]