Korean Job Discussion Forums

[VanIslander]

I came across statistics about English majors and the verbal scores on the GRE when I spent six months preparing to write the GRE test before I went to graduate school, back in 1994. Sorry if I don't remember the citation. I do recall that some social science disciplines also did very well. Notice that I only contrasted English majors with business and science majors. Social science and other humanities majors just cloud the issue. My point was small: Even though (if?) there's a difference, on average, between English majors and some other majors, the difference isn't significant when weighed against other factors comprising an effective EFL teacher.

By the way, my English score wasn't great. I did much better on the analytic score of the GRE (stats had also showed that us philosophy majors, along with Engineering grads, outperformed other majors, on average, in that area. No surprise there either.).

Anyways, I was just wondering, How many Korean employers are flooded with enough job applicants that they can afford to be choosy? Not many hogwans get a hundred applicants; maybe university positions need some ways of filtering a ton of applications.

My previous email was trying to show that a) there can sometimes be sense behind the preference; and b) the difference is relatively insignificant. I personally think that grades, yes grades would be one of the MANY factors that are more important than the kind of major.

Look at the grades before the major. I'd shortlist 'A' students over 'C+' students, once factors of experience, certification, letters of reference have been exhausted. Regardless of the major.

Let's not focus on whether English majors have better language skills but rather on, What difference does it make in EFL teaching?

"A little, but not much" from my perspective.

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

VanIslander wrote:

"My previous email was trying to show that a) there can sometimes be sense behind the preference;and b) the difference is relatively insignificant."

Mr. Kalgukshi now writes: Thanks for the response. Appreciate it and would only ask, based on what you wrote, shouldn't the preference (if any?) then be for "teachers with well defined English skills, regardless of major?" Restricting the preference to English majors is based on the idea they are better prepared to teach ESL once they graduate. There's been no substantive showing this is the case.

[riverboy]

I can't belive this debate has gone on so long. After much consideration, I have come to the conclusion that the best degree, is a double major in Korean and Education, With minors in Buisiness, Math Science and English. Oh and history.... Hmmm... Sociology, and Child Psychology.
I still feel that the key with beginners is an ability to Draw man you have to be able to Draw.
I hope I did not leave andy signifigant field of study out if I did, well I'm sorry

[Zyzyfer]

[schwa]

Re: Verbal scores on the GRE, these stats are interesting (1996-7):

"Students declaring an intention to go to graduate school in Philosophy have the highest mean scores on the Verbal section of the GRE than any other major in any of the fields listed (mean score: 589). English majors also score well on this section (mean score: 561), but not as good a Philosophy majors do! Honorable mention goes to History majors in this category (mean score: 546). Philosophy majors simply blew away other popular majors in this area (compare Foreign Languages at 526, Political Science at 517, Religion and Theory at 516, Sociology at 479, and Psychology at 479). Not surprisingly, dead last in this category were Accounting majors, who got a dismal mean of 408 in Verbal. The best score outside of the Humanities and Arts in this category was Physics, with a Verbal mean of 545."

Complete link: www.lclark.edu/~phil/gre.html

(Evidently written by a Philosophy major, though, note the grammatical gaffes in the 1st & 2nd sentences!)

[Mr. Kalgukshi]

[razoo]

Mr. Kalgukshi wrote:

[Fallacy]

Thread retread. If English majors are not better qualified for ESL teaching, then they should abandon all hope before entering here.