English Education Curriculum Problems
Koreans learn English in earnest in middle and high schools. But "English teaching" is almost totally neglected in teachers college English education departments that educate prospective middle and high school English teachers. Take a look at a typical English education department at the Teachers College of Seoul National University. Directly related to teaching are only three out of 30 subjects provided, namely "An Outline of English Education," to be inaugurated in the first semester of 2000, "English Teaching Methodology" and "English Textbook Theories." Excluding five applied English subjects like "Comparative Analysis of Korean and English" and "Applied English Grammar," the remaining 22 subjects are identical with those of the English language and literature departments.
The situation does not differ much with Korea University's English education department. With nine subjects excepted such as "English Reading Comprehension Teaching Theories" and "English Proficiency Evaluation Theories," 25 of the 34 subjects given are the same as the curricula of the English literature department. Only two subjects out of the required major's nine subjects are related to English teaching. In universities without teachers' colleges, English literature majors become secondary school English teachers if they pass tests after taking a few additional education-related subjects.
Those who have majored in "English teaching" from among English education professors at the country's major universities number one out of three. At Chung-ang, Hongik and Yeungnam Universities, only one out of four professors have majored in education, and the remainder in English language or literature. Two out of five professors at Ewha Womans University, one out of six at Kyungbook National and Kyungnam Universities, and two out of seven at Inha University have majored in English education.
"It's only 15 years or so since English education began to be recognized as a branch of formal learning," says a professor of a certain Seoul university. "Because of Korea's climate of slighting applied fields of learning, many English education department graduates take MA and PhD courses in English language or literature." A female graduate of English education at C University in Seoul, aged 27, reminisces, "In college, I opted for English literature subjects. Standing on the platform, however, I realized that I'm an English teacher, who knows something about English literature, but who does not speak English well. I really had a hard time speaking simple English to students. Authorities say equal emphasis should be given to listening, speaking, writing and reading But in fact I'm sort of repeating reading comprehension-centered teaching, which I used to detest so much."
Another female English education major at D University in Seoul, age 30, was assigned to a high school in Koyang City, Hyonggi Province early in 1999, after a stint at an English textbook publishing company. She is in charge of English conversation grade one. "At college I undertook three or four subjects of education theories and three English conversation classes done by native speakers. The rest involved English novels and poems. I was perplexed when asked to teach English conversation at the first school I've been assigned to."
Teaching English as Second Language (TESOL), an English teacher education course, has been developed in Britain and the United States for some years. But it's hard to find Korean universities that have introduced a TESOL program. Sookmyung Women's University, in collaboration with the Maryland University of the United States, first introduced a five-month TESOL course for incumbent teachers. It is set to inaugurate a TESOL MA course beginning the forthcoming semester. Eleven native-speaking professors teach four major subjects in the five-month course, including "English Teaching Methodology 1-2," "Inter-cultural Communication," and "Second Language Learning Theory." Focused on training "teacher manpower that will teach students," the program features all classes and entrance and graduation ceremonies held in English. Details like lecture plans and notes are prepared in English as well.
But there remain obstacles, primarily because under the current law TESOL is not recognized as a training course for English teachers. "The degree of participation on the part of teachers is rather low because The Education Ministry doesn't acknowledge TESOL as a course training English teachers," laments Professor Lee Byung-min of the university. The projected TESOL Graduate School too will offer a Master degree, not related to teacher licenses.
"The Education Ministry also share the view that the current English education department curricula have problems," says the university officials related to TESOL. "It is reluctant to recognize TESOL as a course in fear of possible confusion if and when TESOL course graduates are given teacher licences."
Hundreds of foreign students attend TESOL course at London University each year, according to sources. Last year over 20 Japanese students were enrolled in the course, but two Koreans. Are Koreans so lukewarm in perceiving a crisis in the country's English education?
The Case of Russia
In Allef Elementary School located in Chriraska Holmi, south of Moscow third graders and above here have no difficulty speaking and listening in English. For basic English conversation itself is needed for entrance, and classes are held in English only, beginning in the first grade. English classes are conducted in small groups of between four and seven children. In addition, under a sistership tie with a British elementary school students are exchanged to share life with British families in a bid to get them accustomed to the local customs and life. "This is in response to parents' requests arising from the changing times," explains principal Galina Ostalskaya. Asked if it isn't cruel to test entrance applicants in English, she replies, "All famous kindergartens teach English. Success in English education depends on an early start, and it's impossible to teach pupils in a class whose skills vary too greatly."
Such enthusiasm for English is found in businesses as well. All staff members of a multimedia firm located in the downtown Albert Street report to the office one hour earlier to take English lessons. "To survive the reality in which wages differ two or even three times depending on whether one commands English or not, there is no way but to study English," says the firm's manager Dmitri Ivanof, 23. His superior's threat, "We must introduce technology from abroad and cannot hire an interpreter for you," brought about a habit to listen to English conversation cassettes in his car.
A glance at newspapers and magazines in Moscow tells you how eager Russians are in learning English. Private institute columns are filled with advertisements placed by language institutes. The same is the case with job columns. Advertisements for highly-paid jobs are accompanied, without fail, by a phrase, "one who commands English." Russia was originally known as a country where no English was in common use. None experienced inconvenience because of ignorance of English in the Soviet Union, the suzerain state of the socialist camp. Rather foreigners used to live here with the idea that they had to understand some Russian. In fact, most foreign visitors to Russia were people from socialist countries and understood the language to varying degrees.
Consequently, Koreans visiting during the early days of Russia's opening experienced embarrassment when Russians addressed them in Russian with the full knowledge that they were foreigners. Some Russian old ladies even scolded Koreans for ignorance in their mother tongue, saying, "Don't you understand even Russian?" On the other hand, Koreans ridiculed, "Russian professors don't understand even easy English." English was not widely used in Russia because English was not a required subject, but merely one of many optional foreign languages. As a result, many professors didn't understand even "Good morning." Influenced by Marxism and Russia's relations with East Germany, many Russians once studied German.
But the atmosphere has undergone a complete change. English has settled down as a required subject and even many elderly people now compete with each other in learning English. The country's opening and drive for a market economy have driven Russians, enclosed by the bar of Russian, to "the sea of English." During the initial period of Russia's opening to the outside world, interest was high in German and French. Some intellectuals preferred French as a literature language. In the aspect of "pragmatism," however, German and French could not match English. The scarcity of English speaking people has heightened the demand for them. A deformed labor market has been created in which one who commands English gets a salary two or three times that of another engaged in the same job. It goes without saying that such realities have further fanned the zeal for English learning.
In most cases, Russians are either very good or totally ignorant of English. Those who cannot speak a word of English are those who have not studied English at all at school. But those who have studied English have a considerably good command of the language. For English education at school is done "practically." College English classes rarely have more than 10 students. They normally have between five and nine students. Emphasis in class is totally placed on speaking. No written tests requiring single correct answers, which are common in Korea, exist in Russia. A test formula here calls for students to answer in English questions raised by examiners based on their papers they have submitted in English.
As a result, students studying English at college can speak, listen to, read and write English. Such a formula is applied to not only English but other foreign languages as well. Of course, some criticism is raised about excessive zeal for English. Concerns are expressed about the flooding of English signs, in particular. But a common sentiment in Russia is that "We can no longer live like frogs in a well" and in one province, a formula has been established to conduct English tests for all salesman and issue licenses only to those who pass.
