The real absurdness of this, is how quite plausible and par-for-the-course this sounds for Korea.
Certain district offices in Seoul have begun providing educational services for residents. For example, Dobong-gu offers English classes by native speakers for elementary students. Gwanak-gu in collaboration with Seoul National University has set up an educational institute to provide science and math classes aimed at nurturing talented youth. These classes are receiving a warm response from residents as they provide quality lessons for relatively cheap tuition.
Private education is a huge burden on households with students, especially given aggravating financial difficulty. Though parents want to cut costs for private education considering the gloomy economic outlook, they seldom do so since their children’s future is at stake. A survey conducted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry of 520 households in the metropolitan areas found that only 2.3 percent of them cut private educational costs for their children from a year ago. This means most households have hardly reduced expenses even in the face of worsening financial hardship. Those who suffered income losses would have been forced to cut back on other indispensible expenses. Under the circumstances, if alternative education is offered on the public level, it will significantly reduce the burden of households with students.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will run a pilot school program designed to eliminate the need for private education. Under the plan, nine elementary and secondary schools will be selected in the Seoul districts of Gangnam, Yangcheon and Nowon, which are packed with private institutes. Stronger afterschool programs will follow. If the students later produce tangible results in college admission, the project will have positive ramifications for the intended goal down the road.
Schools should not ignore parents who are suffering from snowballing private educational fees. Schools and teachers must cooperate to improve academic achievement for students. As a country with few natural resources, Korea must nurture talent and help them develop potential to raise national competitiveness. The public sector should play a key role in these efforts.
If Korea can satisfy high educational demand for children with useful programs that replace private tutoring and institutes, the programs themselves will be effective welfare measures for the people’s livelihood. Until now, certain districts have neglected such efforts to create quality educational services. Despite the huge gap in educational levels among regions, those with low levels have barely made efforts to improve the situation. Now is the time to change that with quality educational services set by provincial authorities. Public educational services should take firm root and expand across the nation.
Source:Dong-A Ilbo
Only about half of native English speakers working at Seoul schools have renewed their contracts for 2009.
According to Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, Tuesday, 144 of 273 foreign English teachers who were eligible for a renewal of their contract have signed to stay on another year.
Lee Young-chan, an education Ministry official in charge of native teachers said it was not necessary to renew every contract. “They are neither regular teachers nor lecturers who can conduct classes independently. They are `assistant teachers,’ hence their teaching experience doesn’t matter much,” he said. “Rather, it’s better for students to have more new teachers so that they can meet various kinds of foreigners,” he added.
Last year, the city education office also saw about half of its foreign teachers renew their one-year contract, however, it had only 11 who had more than three years teaching experience.
“Some foreign teachers did not want to renew due to the devaluing of the won, while others cited worsening relations between South and North Korea,” said Choi Chun-ok, a supervisor at the education office.
To secure more experienced teachers, the office plans to introduce incentive programs to keep foreigners at the same schools for longer terms.
“Foreign teachers with more experience will receive higher salaries and better working conditions,” Choi said.
“Many native English teachers are young and return to their countries after a one- or two-year stay in Korea. Moreover many of them who work at schools in rural provinces seek jobs in Seoul,” said Cho Jeong-im, a middle school teacher in Busan.
The city education authorities plan to hire more foreigners for English conversation classes next year.
Jason Thomas, a Canadian teacher trainer at a Busan university, pointed that the Korean immigration office better extend entitled residence periods for English teaching E-2 visas from the current one year to multiple years to encourage teachers not to change schools so often.
“ Of course, some employers don’t want teachers to stay. In fact, with some it is an unstated policy not to employ teachers for more than a year, no matter how good the teachers are,” Thomas said. “These employers are more concerned with managing their businesses than providing an education. New teachers often have lower expectations and are easier to manage.”
The total government budget for native English speakers has risen to 147 billion won this year from 105 billion won in 2007 and 69 billion won in 2006. This year, the government is expected to spend some 180 billion won to employ about 4,500 – 5,000 foreign teachers at elementary and secondary schools nationwide. A native English speaker who has just started to teach English in Korea can receive a salary equivalent to that paid to a Korean teacher with five years of experience, an official said.
Some education experts are skeptical about the effectiveness of the system.
“Native English speakers have to get through a certain period of training and need experience and know-how,” said Jeon Byung-man, an English education professor at Chonbuk National University. “I don’t think native English speakers are helpful for our students. If they need native English speakers, they should hire those who have teaching licenses.”
Source:Korea Times
The Ministry of Justice announced Sunday it will allow only nationals of countries including English as an official language that have signed an agreement with Korea to work as assistant English teachers from next year.
The Justice Ministry is currently working on the agreement with India and expects it to be signed next year. So far, only the nationals of seven countries whose mother tongue is English — Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, and the United States — have been eligible to work as native English teachers.
With the new measure, member countries will be expanded to include the likes of India, the Philippines and Singapore, where English is one of their many official languages. Currently, there are 4,332 native English assistant teachers in elementary, middle and high schools nationwide.
However, nationals of such countries will have to meet tougher qualification requirements than those from the countries where the mother tongue is English. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has decided to make both a teacher’s license and a bachelor’s degree in an English-related major as prerequisites. Nationals of the seven countries whose mother tongue is English have much more lenient requirement of having graduated from a two-year community college or having finished at least two years of a four-year university course.
A qualification to teach in private English institutes will continue to be limited to nationals of the seven countries.
Source:Chosun Ilbo
The government plans to develop a new English proficiency test to replace the current one used for college entrance by 2013.
Education, Science and Technology Minister Ahn Byong-man said the new test would be designed to help cut private cram school costs.
Ahn said it will be modeled on Japan’s state-administrated “Eiken Test in Practical English Proficiency’’ which rates the levels of test takers from grade 1 (university level) to grade 5 (junior high beginner).
The test will be in two sections ― the first will test reading, listening and writing skills and the second, speaking skills through interviews.
“The new test will help reduce private cram school costs as students will be evaluated in different levels, not by scores,’’ the minister said.
According to the government, some 15 trillion won ($11 billion) is spent annually on private English education.
However, the initial reaction from universities and parents was far from enthusiastic. “When we assess students, a test result which tells only `pass’ or `fail’ is not very helpful,’’ a university admissions official in Seoul said.
College admission specialists at cram schools say private education costs might increase if students can apply to take the English test as many times as they want to.
In addition, some universities plan to have their own English language tests to precisely evaluate students’ English skills. Hence, in the worst case, students have to prepare for not only the new English test but also the tests held by each university.
“If the government introduces the English certificate system, the weighting of English could fall for college admission,’’ said Lee Young-deok, a college admission specialist at Daesung Hagwon, one of the major cram schools.
English education professors say the government must come up with more specific guidelines about the new test to reduce confusion at schools.
“The government has announced plans to introduce new English proficiency tests. But nothing has been fixed,’’ said Seoul National University’s English Education Prof. Lee Byung-min. “Taking into consideration what has been announced, I doubt that the new test will be effective in evaluating students’ English proficiency accurately.’’
Source:Korea Times
Joseph: Mom, can you pick me up at 7:00 p.m. and take me back to the institution at 8:00 p.m. and pick me up again when my class finishes.
Eunice: Mom, you’ve got to take me to Samsung station at 5:00 and pick me up at around 9:30 p.m. also. My class finishes at that time. Don’t forget that.
Mom: Taking you guys to institutions all afternoon really going to take it out of me.
조셉: 엄마, 저 저녁 7시에 데리러 와서 8시에 다시 학원에 데려다 주세요. 그리고 학원 끝나면 다시 데리러 오세요.
유니스: 엄마, 저는 6시에 삼성역에 내려주고 9시반에 다시 데리러 와주세요. 난 수업이 그때 끝나요. 잊지 마세요.
엄마: 오후 내내 너희 학원 데려다 주고 데리고 오려니 몹시 피곤하구나.
Source: Jungang Ilbo
One of the Korea’s largest English language teacher organizations will have an international conference involving famous English education experts. Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Language (KOTESOL) plans to host its annual conference Oct.25-26 at Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul.
Under the theme, “Responding to a Changing World,’’ academic and commercial presentations dealing with English language teaching (ELT) will take place during the two-day event.
More than 600 people have already registered for the international conference, according to the conference organizer. Participants can join in chapter meetings and workshops and connect with other teachers in the ELT community. The conference will also offer teaching resources here and abroad through KOTESOL publications, conferences and symposia.
KOTESOL, an affiliate of TESOL Inc., was founded in Korea in 1992 to help both Korean and non-Korean English teachers improve their teaching skills and for the development of Korean English education. It is also working with other world education organizations such as Oxford University Press and Pearson Education/Longman. Anyone interested in English education is welcome at the conference. For more information, visit the KOTESOL Web site, www.kotesol.org.
Source:Korea Times
Diversity has been the chief buzzword in education across the globe over the past 30 years. Few would challenge the benefits of a broader perspective, of social inclusion, of representative sampling. On the other hand, aspects have been hotly contested, such as affirmative action and desegregation. In lands with a monolingual, homogeneous cultural heritage, such as Korea, diversity might even seem counter-productive.
When we talk about “diversity” in language teaching, what are we talking about? Is this something new? Is the teaching of English somehow different from the teaching of other languages (and should it be?) Does it matter whether we are teaching in Kachru’s “inner circle” lands (such as USA, Canada, UK, Australia), the so called “EFL” or “expanding circle” lands (where English is not spoken locally), or in a land like Singapore or the Philippines where English may be used locally, and is taught in schools, but isn’t the first language of most speakers? Does it take a different form within a close society such as Korea? Does cultural setting play a role?
Whether diversity is good or bad really depends on your perspective. Some people like to eat plain cucumbers, or just tomatoes, or just fresh lettuce. But for most of us, the collection of flavors and textures in a fresh garden salad far surpasses any single element. The teaching of English, even in Korea, can be considered in the same way. Diversity magnifies the elements, and complements, rather than subtracts.
Basic Issue: Learners
What are some of the diversity issues in EFL? A natural starting point is in the learners themselves and the learning environment. A quick history of language learning is illustrative ― ancient tribal peoples learning the language of their neighbors (particularly women who find themselves as wives in another language group), the Greeks and Romans learning the languages of the “great civilizations” before them, Europeans learning the Latin Bible, the English studying French from emigres and studying Latin, or even ancient Greek, from books, the colonized tribes learning the language of the colonial masters… yet even within contemporary (supposedly homogeneous) Korean classrooms we can see many other issues of diversity amongst our learners.
Just because they are all Korean doesn’t mean they are all the same. Identifying varieties, and how we might deal with them, is just one area for consideration. What do they like to do? Can we build a lesson from that? What do they like to read or study (in Korean)? How about a thematic lesson instead of the same old course-book? If it is a mixed-level classroom, how many learners have received private tutoring or hagwons for English? Are there other issues indicating diverse proficiencies among same-aged learners?
Different learning styles dictate multiple approaches to the transmission of information. And of course, some students prefer tasks or independent study designs where they identify their own learning objectives instead of what is pre-selected for them. It’s not just “chalk and talk” lectures, but cooperative learning and self-learners.
Across the globe, studies say the same things: boys have different learning preferences than girls. Greater or lesser parental involvement in learning, or support for learning English, may play a crucial role in learner differences. Some students learn better when they read, others when they hear, still others when they “do.” Advances in psychology and assessment are creating an ever more diverse society, with EQ levels, intelligence, and anxieties. In hagwons and universities, older students may have differing educational backgrounds or life-experiences, different foreign language experience (including overseas travel), and motivations for being in the classroom. Finally, some learners, like the famous monkey named George, are just that little bit “curiouser.”
Course design
While all issues of diversity ultimately impact the classroom teacher, some are more striking than others. The question of methodology is never far from us, even in what Kumaravadivelu has called the “post-method condition.” This too can include “intelligent eclecticism” ― the reasoned choice to utilize aspects from various designs. David Nunan has argued that most teachers use a bundle of techniques from a range of sources. Others, such as Mario Rinvolucri are much more fervent supporters of methodology, at least for the purpose of developing resources for a teacher’s “toolkit.”
Historically, we can clearly identify a number of language teaching method eras, and many different perspectives on second language acquisition. We may also look at methodological varieties from a different perspective: even the same design can be adjusted to become more (or less) student-centered, or more technology-driven. Lessons can place greater weight on grammar & syntax, or vocabulary, or “lexical chunks,” or pronunciation, despite identical lesson plans.
We can’t just design one lesson plan for the “typical” student and recycle it endlessly. Teachers customize according to each group of learners. The sun, the rain, and the lunar tides all affect the classroom, as do the mood of students, the results of a recent test, and numerous other factors that can change even minute by minute. Any given group of learners pulls a classroom in a unique direction on any given day. Not all teachers have the same “style” or goals.
What are some of the other areas in which we can find diversity? Selection of “content” for study would be one. Whether the religious texts, the fictional “Jones” family, a movie, traveler’s phrases, classic literature, academic subjects, business documents, “Big Books,” TV commercials, movies, comic books, or magazine advertisements, every course is built around some type of “content.”
Language and Culture
The question of varieties of English is important as well. This not only refers to “dialects.” What other types of varieties can you come up with, and why might these be important in an EFL setting? Register (politeness & formality). Professional “lingos.” Regional dialects. Are you more supportive of “World Englishes” or “Global English”? Along with the question of which variety of English to study, can be which variety is spoken by the instructor. Do these match? Is it important? Or even the more general question of whether the native-speaker/near-native-speaker/non-native-speaker issue is of any importance. Ambassador Dr. Peter Medgyes has built an academic career around the argument that non-native speakers are better! If there is a difference, why, and can it be used to the learners’ advantage?
Should an Australian attempt to sound “American?” Should a Korean? Where does Korean-English end and “Konglish” begin? Read through Truss’ (2003) Eats, shoots and leaves ― she clearly shows how American and British languages have evolved apart into diverse languages (you’ll see the same thing if you change the dictionary settings in MSWord and then engage the grammar checker).
How does culture fit in to the language classroom, and if so, which culture(s)? All the questions in the paragraph above apply here as well. Should the teacher attempt to be a cultural role model?
A Commitment to Diversity
We recognize that students need some models, that for the purposes of testing, we need to set some boundaries. The questions are “where” and “which.” It is a challenge, and it reaches into the very heart of foreign language education in Korea. But clearly, the Henry Ford approach to diversity (“you can have your car in any color, so long as it’s black”) has no place in the contemporary EFL classroom. Instead, we should be helping our students to see the many colors of the rainbow, to experiment with language. Raisins and almonds in a salad? Why not try some salmon and kiwi-fruit too?
How to go about this? Teachers can learn from their peers who are already working towards this aim. The Korea TESOL 2008 International Conference is based on the reality that diversity is part of the many changes occurring in English language teaching. “Responding to a Changing World” is not just the theme of the conference, it is the mission for teachers of English in the 21st century. The world has changed, and English has changed. Teachers have the job of creating success from the materials at hand.
Rob Dickey teaches at Gyeongju University, he has visited a half-dozen “English speaking” countries as well as a dozen lands where they are learning their own kind of Englishes. He can be reached at rjdickey@content-english.org
Source:Korea Times
Many foreigners choose to teach English in (South) Korea without the required documentation — illegally. They may have had a visa initially and are unable or unwilling to obtain a new one, or they might simply have began teaching without any visa whatsoever.
Still other individuals, with visas to teach at specific institutions, teach students privately outside of school time (“privates”), according to conditions arranged between them and the students or students’ parents – also illegal.
If a foreigner is caught teaching English in either of the above situations, the penalty is usually severe. Government fines can be thousands of dollars for both “offending” parties (in the case of teacher and school), as well as deportation of the teacher at his or her expense. Teachers are imprisoned until they can pay their fines (although cases vary in this respect).
The Korean Immigration website is vague about the legal rights of immigration offenders and offers no information regarding specific fines or penalties (other than deportation). Certainly, the investigative procedures used by the government have been reported to be lacking in objectivity and impartiality. Penalties are determined on a case-by-case basis, and offenders don’t know what to expect until a ruling is handed down by the immigration official in charge of their case.
Among the accounts given by foreigners who have been caught, we find many distasteful details, among them: pronouncements of guilt with scant evidence (a few grammar books found in the suspect’s backpack), bribes made to, and received by immigration officials, and overall, just a lack of transparency and accountability in investigation and adjudication.
Paramount even to these problems, however, are immigration policies themselves. (This problem definitely isn’t limited to Korea, but we’ll focus on Korea here – and specifically on the teaching of English). The Korean government assures its people that the restriction and policing of English teachers coming to Korea prevents Korean students and parents from being victimized by unqualified English teachers, and aims to diminish the “education black market.”
The ‘education black market’ refers to any paid teaching that occurs outside of government-licensed institutions. The Ministry of Education contends that Korean parents spend a disproportionate amount of money in the “black market” of private tutoring, in order to give their children a competitive edge in examinations (all of which is true). Well, Korea is capitalist – so what’s the problem, you might ask? A system that encourages rigorous private education may very well result in wealthier families having advantaged children. Is there anything immoral about that? If people can’t use their wealth to their children’s advantage, what good is it?
So what is really wrong with this situation? Is it the tax dollars lost to the private education sector? I’m sure that has something to do with it, but there is something deeper and more sinister at work here.
The alleged corruption of immigration officials and inconsistency of legal administration aside, the core problem is the mentality that Korean citizens and businesses are unable to make their own educated hiring decisions. Aren’t Korean parents and business owners adults – able and qualified, and most importantly, possessed of the right to select the right tutor for their child or customer? The Koreans I know certainly are, and it is insulting to think otherwise. If a teacher has gained employment by misrepresenting his or her qualifications (fraud) – then there is a valid cause for government intervention. However, the hiring process should rightfully be in the employer’s full control.
Without the government’s protection, apparently Korean children would be taught by alcoholic, drug-addicted, child-molesting, high school dropout foreigners whose aim it is to come thousands of miles to deprive good, albeit naive Koreans of their hard-earned money.
Anytime a foreign teacher (among the tens of thousands here) remotely fits this stereotype, the media has a field day – complete with fear-inspiring documentaries and government press releases promising more crackdowns on immigration offenders.
The concept that Korean citizens are unable to make rational decisions gives rise to other ludicrous legislation. Did you know that it is illegal for Korean citizens to gamble in their own casinos? Alarmed at the amount of money people were gambling with, the Korean government saw this as a wise decision. You may also want to look at the recent trade embargoes on American beef as an example of undue government interference. During all of this micro-management, gang-related crime, human trafficking, and corruption (legitimate government concerns), continue to be rampant.
How does this relate to you, if you’re teaching in Korea? Well, whether you engage in the occasional private lesson or are teaching in a way that is otherwise unlawful in this country – breathe a little easier. Because unless you’re misrepresenting yourself in some way, there is absolutely nothing morally wrong about an exchange of goods or services for payment between free individuals.
A government’s proper function is to protect its people from force and fraud, not interfere with our right to enter into a contract with other free individuals. Although there exists a practical need for discretion if you choose to teach illegally, and you should remain aware of the risks, don’t feel guilty about what you’re doing. Teach to the best of your ability, and who knows? Mindsets may begin to change – the day may come when our Korean friends, co-workers, and neighbors realize that they don’t need to be babysat by their government.
Whatever you do, don’t be discouraged with Korea! Those of you who live here know just how much it has to offer us, and in some ways, industriousness and honesty are rewarded here like nowhere else. The problems I’ve talked about go beyond Korea, and exist to some lesser or greater degree in our own countries. Let’s strive to be positive agents for change where we live!
Source: Seoul Times
Apartment complexes will be able to build English immersion zones and facilities for residents from next year, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said Wednesday.
The English-only zones, however, should operate as non-profit facilities, it said. The revised bill comes as many other existing English immersion villages are suffering huge losses.
A recent government report found that some 20 of these villages run by provincial governments lost nearly 20 billion won last year. However, it is also questionable whether residents can find appropriate staff and efficiently run the facilities.
The government plans to advise municipal governments to overhaul English village construction plans due to the growing losses and low quality of the programs.
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The apartments that I’m in already have one. I remember that they ‘borrowed’ a teacher from a local hagwon, last year. Quite certain he wasn’t on an F2. I’d imagine that these gigs will not be able to get E2 permission to work at another location. But if you are on an F2 or F4, I’d suggest going directly to the big sprawling apartment showrooms that developers have in the newer parts of your city and offering to work in the english center. Big bucks, I reckon.
Source: Korea Times
