English Education In Korea Does Not Work
There is a famous saying that "Language is a process of free creation (Chomsky,1970)". It means that through learning and using languages human beings have been able to expand the scope of their thinking and to make many creative developments in their lives. However, most Korean students seem not to be involved in with such a group of people. For Korean, a typical foreign language, English is only a trouble and a burden. Although most people in Korea have learned English for more than ten years, they have significant difficulties in dealing with English. Many people insist that the current situation in English education results from school system that have been entrenched in Korea for many years and students have suffered from it. In fact, such kinds of assertion have been suggested continuously, however, there is nothing has changed in English education. In this situation, an innovation of English education in Korea becomes an unavoidable matter, and it should be modified for students to nurture the ability to use English practically. However, if current English education system does not get to change in this way, Korea will fall on global society.
As English has had many impacts throughout the world for many centuries, English became an official and universal language and, we cannot deny the fact albeit we are nationalists. It is within bounds to say that English is inextricable from our lives. When we meet foreigners in the first time, we usually say "Hello. Pleased to meet you, where are you from? " in English without reference to a person's nationality. In fact, More than two billion people all over the world speak English and the number increases gradually(Carolin, 2014). So, if we want to be friends of two billion people all over the world, we should have the ability to can have command English. Also, as the dominant language in the world, English has actively been used in many fields such as science, information technology, business, seafaring, aviation, entertainment, radio, diplomacy, and etc.(Jardin Culturel,2013).
There are billions upon billions of websites on the internet nowadays, and it’s estimated that more than half of the entire online material( Robby,2014). And many public documents are published in English. So, we can have access to a vast store of knowledge if we nurture enough ability to understand materials written in English. Perhaps, the power of English will gradually be bigger and bigger. Therefore, we can say that conquering English, the dominant language, is the same with becoming a real global citizen who utilize and produce over- the- seas information.
According to EF, the biggest global educational company, Korea held 24th in the English Proficiency Index among the 60 countries where do not use English as the primary language (English First Research, 2012). Korean people have so ardent for English education that they spend approximately twenty thousand time for English education from elementary school to college. However, It does not seem to have developed in the English Proficiency Index for 6 years. As we can see the situation that Korean society counters, we should consider whether English education in Korea is being operated well or not. The countries where were ranked the highest levels are Finland and Sweden in northern Europe. Nonetheless the word order of those country's mother language is utterly different from that of English, most of the nations in Finland have a good command of English (p.28). Then, What happens in Korea? This is because Korea's traditional English instruction methods focus mainly on memorization and grammar, and less on learning how actually to communicate in English (Korean Herald, 2014). The fact shows how Korean should wake up and tear down the out of date form of Education.
First, current English education system is out of step with the internationalized times because it is still focusing on theoretical factors in English. As twenty-one century has arrived, the whole world has been entirely connected, and the global society is here now. Therefore, English has held its place as the official language so the ability to use English becomes more and more necessary. Today, world does want person who can express his or her knowledge and thoughts in English, but does not need person who mastered grammar entirely or memorized existing all vocabularies. However, unfortunately, English education in Korea is enacting with focusing on the Grammar- Translation Method. Such educational approach has forced most Korean students to be afraid of speaking and writing in English, or they have difficulty in practical use. However, according to an authoritative linguist, Stephen Krashen, he said that "language acquisition does not require extensive use of conscious grammatical rules, and does not require tedious drill."( Stephen D, 1988). It means that the grammar is not a prior thing to learn for the first time but the thing that is needed to be learned for adding flavor to English. According to Krashen, 'learning' is less important than 'acquisition'. Acquisition or acquired system is a process that occurs while one is unconscious as when the man learns his first language. So writing and speaking are involved in the scope. On the other hand, learning or education system is the product of formal instruction and it comprises a conscious process differently with the former. Knowledge of grammar rules is an example of learning(p.13). However, differently with the order that he suggested, English education system in Korea prioritizes learning on the acquisition and it makes students feel it hard to use English. They are so obsessed with finding grammatical errors and checking for some theoretical factors when they try to use English in reality. In other words, if this form of English education continues, Korean students must struggle in using English in practical ways.
Also, Korean students are evaluated their English proficiency with limited standards. As a person who has experienced the contradiction of Korean education in hand, I will tell a story about how English education in Korea is vulnerable. In most school in Korea, the value of English ability test has been degraded. The original purpose of English test is to evaluate how students has improved than before and how they understood the tasks taught in English class. However, nowadays test become to assess how perfectly a student memorizes the whole article and can find some tiny grammar errors. To enter desirable prestigious university, Korean students unavoidably should memorize the grammar patterns and vocabularies while feeling it is the wrong way. It shows how English education in Korea is limited and not advanced. However, it is also uncertain that the students can really master Reading Comprehension and Grammar ability through English class in school. In many cases, students just learn how to solve problems faster and they usually focus on acquiring skills for test.
Third, English education in Korea does not provide enough opportunities for students to understand English culture. There is a saying that if you want to learn a language of the country, then you should learn the culture of it earlier. It means the language is a product of a culture and it contains the spirits, cultures, and lifestyles of people who use the language. In a globalized age, first of all, it is important to understand the culture and to get close to English. To understand and feel sympathy with English culture, we can find other ways such as reading English literature or watching English movie, and sending or receiving letters with a pen pal in USA. In actually, Finland succeeded at English education with such an impressive English education method. Until 1980s, Finland also enacted Grammar-Translation Method like Korea, so they focused on grammar and reading. However, the government felt limitations and have changed English education format gradually, and eventually Finland came to discover the most effective language Education method for the students. After Finland abolished the old fashion of teaching method, Finland has focused on communication and activities, not a complicated grammar and test ( Educational Broadcast System Research, 2009). Though countries in northern Europe including Finland, Sweden, Norway are involved in expanding circle where does not use English as the primary language, about seventy percents of people have a good command of English ( Lee, 2008).What this occasion tells us is that Korea needs to change the English education that is just for entrance test of colleges and to strengthen the importance of cultural understanding. It can provide more opportunities for students to experience various English cultures firsthand and to participate actively in the global society as global citizens by acquiring more qualified English skills.
Some people might argue that there is no need for people who will get a job in Korea to do practical English. It is a probable refutation, but there is something they overlook. Korean government and lots of households in Korea spend tremendous time and money for English education. And Korean students should study English to enter school where they wanted and to make their future lives more amiable. Then, as long as Korean students are destined to learn English, it would be better to learn idiomatic English that can be used in usual as well as in exam or school. Also, because English is one of the most dominant languages in the world, if a person has the ability to can have command of English, the person have more opportunities and advantages that suggested in upper. Sometimes, they might oppose to my argument by saying that if we emphasize the use of English, we can even lose Korean language. However, such a concern is meaningless. It is because I did not revere the usage of English but asserted that English education in Korea should take innovations keeping the pace with the current of global society. In other words, current English system in Korea is the high cost, low efficiency. Therefore, it is time for English education to be changed. Also, with the matter of change, other can insist that the rapid changes in English education approach would bring about more confusions. There are not enough English teachers who are capable of taking a role for changed English education that start to focus on speaking and writing, and understanding cultures. Then, think about it, reversely. If we maintain such an old style format of English education, it must hamper the positive development of education in Korea. Regression will be brought by conservative thoughts of the older generation. And such a situation is highly fatal.
As the international dignity of Korea has been higher through active global participation, all people feel the necessity and importance of English. So with perceiving the importance of English, government extended English class and have emphasized English, but paradoxically English education in Korea rather hampers the learning of English. Although most Korean students have received regular English education course for about ten years (Land Mark Research , 2014) there are only a few people who have the ability to manage English freely when it is needed. It shows that how the accomplishment of English education in Korea falls short of expectations for the spent time and energy for it. English education in Korea goes against the flow of international trend. English education in Korea has the high cost but low efficiency. To analogize, consider a soldier deployed front lines who just studied about when a gun was produced, how many bullets go in that gun's magazine before battling, but actually do not know how to use gun in warfare. He died without any trial. This case is precisely the same with Korean English education and it does not help in global society. Korea is so concentrated on theoretical matters that discourage Koreans to use English in practical ways. And there are not reliable evaluation standards for English ability and it mostly is focused on solving issues. Last but not least, English education in Korea does not provide class for understanding English culture. Learning culture is greatly helpful for understanding other countries and help the person to have openness in global village. If my argument that current educational paradigm should go through an innovation is accepted, there would be beautiful synergy effects like opening the opportunities for Korean students to step forward to global society and for Korea to be active in the world. Therefore, to participate in a global society more actively, changes should be started from school, and it is the time for it. If the trend of English education is changed in Korea keeping pace with the current globalized society, finally it can make Korea have more manpower, and naturally the national development will be precipitated.
References
Chomsky, Noam(1970) Lecture at Loyola University at Chicago. Retrieved from
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Carolin, Dudda (2014) Enlgish, the Most Important Language Worldwide Retrieved from : : http://www.ilovechile.cl/2014/03/26/english-important-language worldwide/106328
Jardin Culturel (2013) The English Language. Retrieved from:
: http://jardinculturel.com/jardin- culturel-language-centre/english-language/
Robby, Kukurs(2014) 10 Reasons why English is The World's Language Retrieved from : http://englishharmony.com/english-is-the-world-language/
English First Research (2012) EF English Proficiency Index 2012 Retrieved from
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vcb4v.se/sf/fileadmin/PDF/EF_EPI_2012_Report_MASTER_LR.pdf
Korea Herald (2014, April 9) Eye on English Retrieved from : http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140409001068
Stephen D, Krashen (1987) Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition.Prentice-Hall International, 1987 http://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.html
file:///C:/Users/sky/Desktop/Communicative%20Approach%20by%20Stephen%20Crashen.pdf
Educational Broadcast System Research (2009)The experiment in Finland, Project : Exit 1
Retrieved from: http://www.ebs.co.kr/tv/show?prodId=352&lectId=3037147
Lee, Byung Min (2008) The Lesson From Other countries' English Education. Retrieved from : http://www.korean.go.kr/nkview/nklife/2008_2/18_5.html
Land Mark Research ( 2014) The Reality of Sinking English Education In Korea Retrieved from : http://www.naeil.com_view/?id_art=114343
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