Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Whistleblower]

I have some input to provide for some newspaper article in Korea. The topic is:

�Why can�t Koreans improve their English? , What is different in terms of their learning habit compared to other Asian countries�?

I have not worked in another Asian country so cannot provide any information for the second question. But I would like to know if anyone has any opinions.

[Newbie]

Too much pride in Korea and Korean (Hangeul). This leads to:

1. fear of becoming Americanized. (ridiculous for so many reasons)
2. inability to accept the fact that there are sounds not found in Hangeul. (not too important, but can be annoying and symbolic of a larger problem)
3. students are more likely to believe their Korean teacher over a foreigner based on the simple fact that they are Korean and MUST know better. (of course, not all students. But I'd say a hefty majority).
4. The industry exploded overnight. As a result you have Koreans teaching English who can barely hold a simple conversation. How can we expect students to be able to speak in English when so many of the teachers can't. (I guess #4 doesn't have too much to do with Korean pride)

[spliff]

But Koreans can and are improving their English all the time.

[RACETRAITOR]

I'd place the blame largely on the test system, where Koreans study English in order to pass tests, not become fluent.

[seoulsucker]

Rote memorization of useless vocabulary and grammar concepts.

Large class sizes.

Test scores vs. actual ability.

Exposure (developing countries like Thailand and the Philippines have English TV and radio programming that puts Korea to shame)

Opportunties to speak English outside of the classroom.

And a major one for me that I've discussed here.........English is viewed as some sort of "joke" for students. A perfect example: I was on a bus and a group of high school students needed to get past me to exit. One of them politely tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me."

His friends erupted in laughter and berated him. He used proper English, politely, in the proper context and was ridiculed by his peers.

As long as that continues to happen....

[blaseblasphemener]

The new speaking requirements of the TOEIC test will bring about much more improvement in speaking. Koreans had less reason to speak well before, and as well, tourism from English speaking countries is basically non-existent. They also had a movie industry that severely limited foreign movies, tv movies are dubbed, and foreign music is pretty much a non-factor here. Nonetheless, Koreans are getting better at speaking, and I see this generation of Elementary students as having a good chance to make much greater inroads than previous ones.

[Atavistic]

[stevieg4ever]

Would you have an art teacher that couldnt draw?
Would you have a maths teacher that couldnt count?

Yet Korean schools the length of the country are full of English teachers that cant speak English.

[Whistleblower]

[exit86]

Total lack of motivation.
Why does your everyday Korean citizen need
to learn English anyway, besides to land that
Samsung office job?
Try to explain "globalization" and "internationalization"
to a middle-school kid.

[Unposter]

First of all, many Koreans, especially young Koreans, do speak English quite well.

The ones who don't do not have exposure to classes that teach English communicatively. Communication is not the focus of of public school education. Therefore, the only Koreans who can speak English well are the ones who learn English communicatively.

In my experience, exposure to native speakers greatly increases the chances a Korean can speak English. I've yet to meet a Korean who spoke English well who did not have a native-speaking teacher.

My guess is there is also a:

Seoul/not Seoul gap
Urban/Ruarl gap
Rich/Poor gap

in terms of English speaking ability. Much of it has to do with the type of education Rich Seoulites get versus the rest of Korea.

Korea needs to change the focus of the English section of the College Enterance Exam to communication (speaking/writing) or get rid of it completely.

Korea needs to develop a communicative curriculum for the public schools.

Korea needs more public school teachers who can teach communicatively, especially not in Seoul, not in urban areas, not in private institutions where costs are prohibitive to significant portions of the public. Korea and Koreans need to take the study of English seriously. Koreans need to stop telling white lies about English education to motivate students. Koreans need to know that there is only one proven effective method to learn English: study it communicatively. Every person who comes out with the latest fad way to study English is just scamming in the system and there are far too many of them in the market place. If Korea and Koreans stop looking for quick fixes and start rolling up their sleaves and just doing it, they are going to get there a lot faster!

The Korean government and/or Ministry of Education needs to set guidlines of what it means to speak English. If the goal is native-like fluency, it isn't going to happen unless they make English an official language. Something less than that with clear objectives and guidelines is going to have to be set. Make the goals for high school graduates progressive, so that those graduating next year, and those graduating 12 years from now have different expectations.

If Korea starts communicative classrooms from 1st grade up, they will have a population that can speak English -- like native speakers? No. They don't have native speakers in India or Germany either but they have some very well-spoken graduates.

Plan.
Organize.
Execute the plan.
Fund the plan.

[Hollywoodaction]

[RACETRAITOR]

[Hollywoodaction]

[Fresh Prince]

I was told when I started working at a company back home, that it takes about one year of working before you can actually do the job well. That job was a lot less complex than teaching English too.

In Korea hokwons are notorious for hiring a foreign teacher for a one-year contract then ripping them off as much as possible on pay, hours, pension, etc. Then if the teacher wants to renew, they try to low-ball the teacher's pay, despite knowing that the teacher could go somewhere else and earn more. By the time the teacher learns the curriculum, teaching style, and other parts of the job well enough to really make progress, the contract is up and they leave for something better. The students are the ones that suffer because they are in a constant cycle of having an inexperienced teacher that ends up leaving right at the time they start to really become good at the job.

Then there is the visa system:

Every hokwon/school has a different atmosphere. Some people have personality clashes with other employees or their boss; it's not that they are bad teachers, it's just that they aren't right for that particular school. If they go to another school the boss might think they are the best teacher in the world. The visa system prevents this though. If you end up in a school where you have a personality clash with the director or your coworkers, it's a huge problem to quit your job and find another. Many times the school will try to rip you off in the process, or try to prevent you from leaving even if it's in their best interest to find a teacher with a personality that better fits.