Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ilsanman]

This is what I see about Korea learning English: strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths:

-mass amount of Konglish, even expressions in Korean. (eg, 'happy ending')
-60 or so years of US soldiers here.
-English signs everywhere.
-restaurants, storoes, etc, with names in English. May be awkward, but it sets a groundwork.
-English TV channels
-English music abound
-English movies with Korean subtitles. Only cartoons seem to be dubbed.
-willingness and need to learn.


Weaknesses:

-mass difference of grammar
-different alphabet
-Korea's vowel and consonant sounds being much more limited
-either inability or unwillingness to shed themselves of the belief that 'oori mal' is what everything needs to be compared to.
-giving up too easily
-konglishee style pronunciation
-not enough time yet
-too many people teaching that shouldn't be teaching
-crap education system and antiquated education style (memorizing)
-believing Korean teachers first, English teachers second.
-A social system that seeks to keep teachers for 1-2 years and then drive them out.
-TOEIC and TOEFL, I think they are counterproductive.


Did I miss any?

[tomato]

Submitted twice by mistake.
Moderator, why can't I delete this post?

[tomato]

I wish to suggest two more weaknesses:

�� The teachers are not creative enough.

Our culture, or any other culture, is rich in songs, games, and picture books. There is no excuse to adhere strictly to the textbook.

�� The foreign language classes cover material too fast.

There seems to be a myth that any material that is covered in the textbook is learned. Because of that myth, most teachers never spend two days on the same page. If the author of the textbook spends only one day on something as intricate as a verb tense, the teacher spends only one day on that verb tense.

And if this myth were dispelled?
Then what shall we do if the students do not learn the material the first day?
We have three choices:

1. Repeat the same page until the material is learned.
2. Practice the same material some other way.
3. Go on to the next page.

The disadvantage of #1 is that boredom would set in. If we are in the free market system, that could be dangerous.
The disadvantage of #2 is that it requires creativity.
That leaves only #3.

�� The need for conversational practice is neglected.

There seems to be a myth that two people cannot practice a second language together unless at least one of them is a native speaker. When I first saw Korean English teachers speaking to each other exclusively in Korea, it came as a shock to me.

Whenever I express annoyance over strangers approaching me and speaking English to me, someone always says, "But you don't understand! English students in Korea have so few opportunities to practice English!"

Millions of people studying English in Korea and none of them can practice English with each other?

[Ilsanman]

Good points, Tomato.

I avoid songs outside of kindergarten, but I do know many, of course.

I try to teach a little review everyday, as much as I can, but I have very strict schedules to adhere to and short time to cover so muchy material. It makes it hard to do such a thing.

I swear if my kids would practice with each other at home, they'd learn 10x faster.

[Gladiator]

I think the 'problems' are on an even deeper level.

Koreans' relationship to the English language is nothing like ours. When we read a well written novel, listen to a song with memorable lyrics or savour our favourite poetry we are, I suppose, enjoying the full and rich expressive power of English operating at its highest 'freqency'. Shakespeare moves me, Poe and Borghes just hypnotise me with their magic. These 'users' of English (OK, OK when Borghes is 're expressed' into English from Spanish) possess the highest talent of metaphor and imagery control; the ability to generate new and exciting pictures in our minds through the creative faculty of language.

Let's contrast with Korea, a country that looks at foreign languages as commercial assets. Since "Yongo" was first taught in Korea at Tomgmunhak 120 years ago no adventurous English teachers in Korea have truly faced up to the fact that they have language learning paradgims completely and utterly at odds with what's required to acquire a language through communication. Dull, rigid and ineffective grammar translation programmes still dominate the TV schedules and will do for decades ahead. Students have it drilled into their minds that spoken 'mistakes' are somehow a sign of intellectual weakness and mess up the message; ignoring evidence that even native speaker children do not get the past tenses right until early early adolescence.

Then there is the extreme material and social kudos Koreans have attached to this individualistic, Anglo Saxon language. Speaking a
correct sentence of English and ticking the correct little boxes on those dreary TOIEC tests will get that salary pumped up a few increments. This fixation on correct language has totally nixed most Koreans ability to get under the surface of English and explore its rich creative and expressive power. READING NOVELS IS TOO DIFFICULT AND NOT USEFUL FOR MY SPEAKING ENGLISH Ladies and Gentlemen if I had a penny for every time I've heard that bland, hackneyed response in my seven years on this peninsular I'd be wealthy.

Koreans are not really 'interested' in English. The language itself will go on for generations probably being that pesky educational necessity most of the population will be able to speak on only the most rudimentary, functional (business) level. Koreans are only concerned with what English can do for their Chemyon and bank accounts. If they truly loved this language, literature, reading and creative writing would be popular recreations no?

[Hater Depot]

^^Yeah, that's completely different from the approach that 90% of American/Canadian students have to French, Spanish, German, etc.

[tomato]

It's also completely different from the approach that 90% of the foreign teachers have to Korean.
Most of us are content to know not much more than ���� and ����.

[joe_doufu]

I was reading Thomas Friedman's "The World is Flat" recently (actually, one of you picked it up at the book exchange today, I didn't see who got it...) and he suggests thinking twice before condemning "memorization" education. China, Japan, and India all have this supposedly "backward" type of education, but that doesn't prevent those countries from flooding the world with enough intelligent, creative scientists, engineers, and dynamic entrepreneurs, to give the U.S. a run for its money. I've heard that China now has more English speakers than any other country... any.

I think the sole reason Koreans don't get English is: They Just Don't Give A Crap. Korea has America's disease, a young generation that takes for granted the wealth that the past couple generations worked hard to build up. You could call it national pride, but it's really just stupidity.

[Privateer]

Gladiator: Actually I wish they would pay a little bit more attention to speaking in correct sentences.

Depends on the level of course, but when you produce sentences like 'I see the movie' you aren't ready to get creative with the language.

On the other hand I agree even the highest level speakers seem to have little to no appreciation for the language as literature. Unfortunately I wouldn't know how to teach literature anyway. Would you?