Korean Job Discussion Forums

[alphalfa]

At the University of Incheon general English classes were incorporated into" freshmans'" general required subjects in 2002. This system is three years old this year.

What kind of thinking do students have about LI(Language Institute)?
The survey comes from the NEWLINE magazine published at the University of Incheon(Nov 2004 edition).

83.6% of students participating in survey took a lecture at LI.
Classification: Freshman 14% Sophomore 18.3% Junior 21.3%
Senior 38.7%

The survey questions: (one is omitted)
1. Are you satisfied with the classes you've taken at the Language
Institute? a. great satisfaction 2.8% b. a little satisfaction 35.4%
c. some 52.3% d. unsatisfaction 9.1%
2. What is the best benefit of LI?
a. proficient lectures and professors 16.8%
b. various contests and events 9.9%
c. abundant language material 16.5%
d. many opportunities for language study 23.8%
e. don't know 19.8%
f. others 7.6%
g. no answer 5.6%
3. What is the worst problem of LI?
a. excessive homework and curriculum 17.8%
b. the lectures don't match with students' ability 6.9%
c. unhelpful to improve English 37.2%
d. compulsary registration for a course 14.1%
e. standard of selection of students' grades is not
good 11.5%
f. don't know 3.9% g. others 5.6%
h. no answer 3%
4. How often do you use language material at LI?
a. very often 3.3% b. often 11.8% c. regularly 17.1%
d. sometimes 32.2% e. never 34.9% f. no answer 0.7%
5. How much do you know about contests and events of LI?
a. very well 3.6% b. some 24.7% c. not well knowing 47.4%
d. not knowing at all 24.3%
6. Have you ever participated in contests and events of LI?
a. all of them 2.6% b. sometimes 23% c. seldom 70.7%
d. no answer 3.7%
7. English and English conversation are required subjects. What
do you think about these required subjects?
a. disturb free register for a course 40.1% b. it's natural 29.3%
c. I do not care about it 15.5% others (2.3) no answer(12.8)

So where exactly is the problem and what is the solution?
a. lack of active participation from students. Ring a bell with many
of you? I ask you : Is it just a student problem?
b. curriculum is fixed. It is only the lecturer who takes the lead in
class-the 'socratic' method. Stimulation and interest among
students is low so make a teaching method that stimulates the
students. I ask you: Is this a lecturers' problem?
c. lack of public relations work. Many students don't know what
services and events are available to them. I ask you: Do you
believe students should participate in studying voluntarily as LI
believes?

To those of you currently working at UI LI the survey results are
discouraging. Is this a factor in the UI Language Institute taking the step of interviewing a number of candidate teachers for the next semester in March? Stop the bleeding...measure.

Your thoughts on the survey results and teaching English at the university level.

[fondasoape]

What are the students' educational goals? Do they correspond to those of the teachers?
Do the students have realistic expectations of their own progress? of their teachers' performance?
Do the administrators have realistic expectations of their students' progress? of their teachers' performance?
Do the teachers have realistic expectations of their students' progress? of their students' performance?
How does each group define 'learn English', 'progress', etc.