Korean Job Discussion Forums

World Traveler · Joined: 29 May 2009

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2013/12/181_147484.html
Will this report lead to cuts in uni positions? I hope not, but there is a strong possibility it might. The last time there was a survey like this, SMOE cut all middle and high school positions shortly thereafter.

Zalithian · Joined: 26 Mar 2013

Not surprising. This is what happens when students need to take a subject just because someone says they need to. Got an A in my Spanish class but didn't learn anything. This is also what happens when you only learn a language during school hours. Don't practice conversation? Can't speak? No kidding.

Stan Rogers · Joined: 20 Aug 2010

There are simply too many possible reasons for that type of response from students.

The results could also have come from the wording of the questions on the survey.

Too many variables.

World Traveler · Joined: 29 May 2009

True. The survey could have been worded unscientifically or in a biased way. Same with how the results were presented. We can't be sure. The unfortunate thing is the Korean government/Ministry of Education may use this survey/report as a reason to reduce the number of Western teachers in universities. (Already happening actually. I just hope it doesn't happen more.)

Popocatepetl · Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 6:05 pm Post subject:

IamBabo · Joined: 16 Jun 2005

It's already happening, the cuts I mean.

World Traveler · Joined: 29 May 2009

The cuts are happening already, true. But following this survey, the cuts could become deeper and on a wider scale. Perhaps a foreigner could write a letter to a newspaper supporting keeping native English speakers in universities?

chickenpie · Joined: 24 Dec 2008

She suggested that English classes should be tied to official English proficiency tests, such as the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) and Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Rolling Eyes

World Traveler · Joined: 29 May 2009

"said Korea University lecturer Oh Seung-yeon in her 2012 thesis"

The government may or may not listen to her opinion. She is not the author of the report, rather just someone who was interviewed for the article. But at least she got to be in the newspaper.

hogwonguy1979 · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: the racoon den

couple of problems with the present system as seen from a soon to be former univ teacher:

1) until the k-12 system moves away from the suneung focused English curriculum and focus on English skills that university are requiring for not only English lectures but for the new writing intensive curriculum's nothing will change.

2) When they decide to use Korean profs to lecture in English they need to make sure they can communicate in English. I've had students tell me they can't understand a word a Kprof says in English. Solution to this would be to hire more native speakers to teach academic courses but thats being cut

3) this goes with 1, the students need a broader major related course in simple things in English related to their major like jargon in English etc, they have no clue of the technical language of say Poli Sci in English so they are lost

just my 100 won

drcrazy · Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2013 2:43 am Post subject:

One would think that with the relaxing atmosphere they have by playing with their cell phones all during class, that they would all understand very much.

jazzmaster · Joined: 30 Sep 2013

So the students can't understand the lectures but "Experts say that colleges need to focus on the writing skills of students rather than offering lectures in English only".
Seems to me it would be better to improve their listening and speaking skills. Maybe that way they could understand more of the lecture and speak up when they have a question.

Also, who are these experts? All i see is a quote from one person's thesis. Looks like the usual poorly written Korea times crap.

happiness · Joined: 04 Sep 2010

Korean communication isnt about acquiring information to use

its about acquiring information for test or skills based around their social hierarchy

PLUS, English is an very expressive language, tons of nuance. Alot of indiviudality to it.
Korean has nuance too but its more subdued. Everyone uses the same basic expressions, and alot of it.

Ive seen it a ton, its just , and this time its true, cultural.

World Traveler · Joined: 29 May 2009

What do you guys think of this?:

Had lunch with an upper level administrator at my uni today. here's what he told me:

The nationwide number of university students is expected to drop by nearly half by 2015 from the 2010 numbers. For this reason, to avoid massive job losses/closures at 'lower' universities, the government has been dictating the maximum number of students that each uni is allowed to recruit. This number is created by bureaucrats, and there is no appeal possible.

Our university has been told to reduce the number of students by about 30% by 2015, and lower in the future. We are already turning down many students because of this quota, and all university departments will see their budgets lowered or frozen.

The ramifications of this quota just boggles the mind…