English has become by far the most important foreign language in South Korea, and this is reflected not only in mandatory English education but also the study of English outside of school. English proficiency is extremely important; a typical entrance exam for a white collar job consists of knowledge of English and current events, and major corporations take English fluency into account when considering promotions. As a result, more and more South Korean are becoming bilingual in Korean and English.
In addition to formal English education, Koreans wishing to improve their English school can stay at English immersion villages where little to no Korean is spoken. The goals of these centers are to educate Koreans in the English language and Western culture and to raise TOEFL test scores among Korean students. Below is the website for an English immersion village: Gyeonggi English Village in the Gyeonggi Province.
In addition to formal English education, Koreans wishing to improve their English school can stay at English immersion villages where little to no Korean is spoken. The goals of these centers are to educate Koreans in the English language and Western culture and to raise TOEFL test scores among Korean students. Below is the website for an English immersion village: Gyeonggi English Village in the Gyeonggi Province.
The Gyeonggi English Village attempts to give Koreans the full American experience. The living residences resemble American suburban homes, and the website advertises the village's close proximity to "foreign fare like Outback, Friday's, KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and others." Activities offered include frisbee, basketball, and poker, and the menu options include hamburgers, Cafe Americano, pizza, pasta, and pretzels. The village website also includes basics in understanding Korean, indicating that it attracts English-speaking foreigners who desire to feel more at home while abroad in South Korea.
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Formal English Education
An article on The Diplomat.com note that, "Koreans have been spending on average $15 billion on private English education, with 17,000 English cram schools (known as hagwons) scattered across the nation an an army of 30,000 native English teachers, along with thousands more who teach English illegally."
English RequirementForeign language education begins when students enter middle school (7th grade). English is the only foreign language taught in middle schools, making up 11.1 percent of total instruction time (second only to Korean classes). In high school English classes become 15.9 percent of total instruction time, overtaking Korean classes at 14.9 percent. The university entrance examination consists of three sections: verbal, analytical and foreign language. The foreign language portion is actually a test of English .
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Extracurricular English EducationMany students receive further English instruction outside of formal schooling. Parents send their children to language institutes known as hagwans, which consists of 73 percent of domestic English education cost. In addition, many Koreans go abroad to study English.
Under President Park, hagwons "can no longer teach material higher than the students' current level. Before Park, several hagwons taught in high school materials to elementary school students" ("The Future of English in Korea", The Diplomat.com). |
English Education in North Korea
Contrary to popular belief English education does exist in North Korea. One example is Suki Kim, a Seoul native who taught English at the male-only Pyeongyang University of Science and Technology in North Korea in 2011. Only sons of the ruling class were permitted to attend the university, and all class lessons had to be approved before they could be presented to the students. Despite North Korea's aversion to Western ideas, English is nonetheless the language of science and technology and is therefore useful to North Korean students. Kim notes how an argumentative essay presented a challenge because "Their entire system was designed not to be questioned, and to squash critical thinking. So the form of an essay, in which a thesis had to be proven, was antithetical to their entire system. The writer of an essay acknowledges the arguments opposing his thesis and refutes them. Here, opposition was not an option." She also writes of the challenge in teaching the English language without including any culture of English-speaking nations, particularly the United States. Read the rest of Suki Kim's article by clicking the button below.