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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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 Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:40 am Post subject: Speaking to Get More Weight in English Class |
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Korea's weekly love hate relationship with English in the local rag.
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Speaking to Get More Weight in English Class
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Seoul has taken the belated step of placing more weight on the speaking of English in formal lessons.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Wednesday that all elementary, middle and high school students will have foreign English teachers at least once a week by 2012.
English-only classrooms will be established to encourage students to practice what they have learnt.
The plan is a major U-turn on the current focus on reading and grammar, its spokesman said. ``It will show that public education is enough to make students use English in life,'' he added.
Students will be placed into three or four groups according to their proficiency by 2011. Low-level students will get special education and mentoring from assistant teachers who are university students. They will also be sent to English camps for familiarization with the language.
No evaluation is planned for elementary school students, but for second and third graders at high schools, speaking, listening and writing will account for more than 50 percent of English test scores. Speaking will be weighed more heavily in evaluation.
Teachers will also be classified and receive customized English training.
About 17,500 are expected to undergo more than 60 hours of training every three years by 2012. About 2,500 teachers will receive three to six months training either at home or abroad.
At elementary schools, English-only teachers will be recruited to help 5th to 6th graders. These teachers will be given promotion incentives.
English education is one of the Lee Myung-bak administration's major projects to upgrade national competitiveness. Earlier last year, presidential aides unveiled the ``English immersion education'' plan with the aim of giving Americanized English education to public schools.
The domestic private English education market is worth about 15.4 trillion won, according to the Samsung Economic Research Institute, but Korea ranked 19th out of the 20 countries surveyed last year in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test, which is used for grading English proficiency among people planning to emigrate.
[email protected] |
Could you see a problem with the following;
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| "The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said Wednesday that all elementary, middle and high school students will have foreign English teachers at least once a week by 2012." |
Again you can't think things will get better, it requires decisive action and something that is clearly lacking in this country. |
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annyongashley
Joined: 07 Nov 2008
Location: Gyeonggi-do
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 7:51 am Post subject: |
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I heard rumors about something like this a year ago from some Korean grad student friends. They were excited about the new minister of education being elected because they both had families with little kids, but they were also worried about the stink all the current Korean English teachers were going to raise at new requirements being mandated for them to keep their jobs in public schools.
One year to go from rumors to legislation isn't as bad as some countries. |
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michaelambling
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:05 am Post subject: |
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| annyongashley wrote: |
| they were also worried about the stink all the current Korean English teachers were going to raise at new requirements being mandated for them to keep their jobs in public schools. |
lol wut |
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GreenlightmeansGO
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 9:14 am Post subject: |
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Blah blah blah.
Another meaningless statement. |
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I'm no Picasso
Joined: 28 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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I dunno. A lot of shizzle is changing at my school this year, from what I hear anyway. Of course, apparently Incheon did the absolute worst in English testing this year. Yay. Mandatory after school classes, and they're officially separating the low from the high level and splitting all my classes into two -- Korean teacher will take low, I will take high (even though I'm just an assistant!). Which is good, because they are simultaneously increasing our class sizes to over 40, and there will be more classes overall.
The Korean English teachers are thrilled, by the way. I think we're even going to have to stay in the English Zone during lunch. I'm sure they can hear hagwon life calling them in their dreams at night.
One step forward, two steps back -- the English Education in Korea Dance! |
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michaelambling
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm no Picasso wrote: |
| shizzle |
lol |
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I'm no Picasso
Joined: 28 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| michaelambling wrote: |
| I'm no Picasso wrote: |
| shizzle |
lol |
Seriously. Stop stalking me. |
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michaelambling
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm no Picasso wrote: |
| michaelambling wrote: |
| I'm no Picasso wrote: |
| shizzle |
lol |
Seriously. Stop stalking me. |
Note how I posted in this thread before you. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:02 pm Post subject: Re: Speaking to Get More Weight in English Class |
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[
| Quote: |
Speaking to Get More Weight in English Class
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Teachers will also be classified and receive customized English training.
They can't mean FOREIGN teachers here. They must mean Korean teachers.
At elementary schools, English-only teachers will be recruited to help 5th to 6th graders. These teachers will be given promotion incentives.
And this would also apply to Korean teachers who only use English in their classes. Foreigners (who are only there for a short term anyway) aren't going to get promoted.
.
[email protected] |
Also the article says this program is done "with the aim of giving Americanized English to public schools". Does this means Brits, Aussies and Kiwis are out of luck? |
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michaelambling
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:04 pm Post subject: Re: Speaking to Get More Weight in English Class |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
[
| Quote: |
Speaking to Get More Weight in English Class
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Teachers will also be classified and receive customized English training.
They can't mean FOREIGN teachers here. They must mean Korean teachers.
At elementary schools, English-only teachers will be recruited to help 5th to 6th graders. These teachers will be given promotion incentives.
And this would also apply to Korean teachers who only use English in their classes. Foreigners (who are only there for a short term anyway) aren't going to get promoted.
.
[email protected] |
Also the article says this program is done "with the aim of giving Americanized English to public schools". Does this means Brits, Aussies and Kiwis are out of luck? |
I assumed it was just greater exposure to American English through books, videos, etc. |
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I'm no Picasso
Joined: 28 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 4:24 pm Post subject: |
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| michaelambling wrote: |
| I'm no Picasso wrote: |
| michaelambling wrote: |
| I'm no Picasso wrote: |
| shizzle |
lol |
Seriously. Stop stalking me. |
Note how I posted in this thread before you. |
Note how I never directly address you, unless you directly address me first.
Know why? Because I don't like you. And it doesn't make sense to talk to someone you don't like. Okay? |
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Whistleblower
Joined: 03 Feb 2007
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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Every couple of weeks we hear of new things the Korean Education Board are considering. They just release statements but have no idea about implementing it. What are their aims this year? What are their aims next year? The year after that?
Remember this is a knee jerk reaction from a person who has no idea about English education let alone establishing any form of requirements for English Language Teachers who are Korean.
I just want to know how a kid who is taught by a foriegner once a week will improve that kid's English ability.
Again, Koreans are the master of talking about English in Korean and are able to talk about the complexities of the language in Korean. |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm no Picasso wrote: |
| michaelambling wrote: |
| I'm no Picasso wrote: |
| michaelambling wrote: |
| I'm no Picasso wrote: |
| shizzle |
lol |
Seriously. Stop stalking me. |
Note how I posted in this thread before you. |
Note how I never directly address you, unless you directly address me first.
Know why? Because I don't like you. And it doesn't make sense to talk to someone you don't like. Okay? |
Internet battles = cool. |
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crsandus
Joined: 05 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Wait a minute, does this mean I'm going to have to start teaching 1st and 2nd graders soon? AAAARRRGH! |
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michaelambling
Joined: 31 Dec 2008
Location: Paradise
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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| crsandus wrote: |
| Wait a minute, does this mean I'm going to have to start teaching 1st and 2nd graders soon? AAAARRRGH! |
Just wait for the mandatory gynecological training and in utero English lessons. |
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