Most of Koreans would say we didn't have an opportunity to enhance our English skills while we were in the schoolhood (as a school child is better I think here). We only had a chance to read the passage, and listen to the recorded dialogue. Should you ask other people the reason, many people would think that this problem has its origin in the Korean education system.

The writer also had a same curriculum of English as other similar generations had, but something different. Now the elementary students are having an English classes in their curriculum, but when the writer was twelve and started learning English then, there were only private classes for that ages. There were several kinds of classes, but most of the students liked to attend a conversation-style class.

The writer also started learning English in the Conversation-style class at the first time. In that class, all the students are free to express their opinion about the current issues and always try to speak English. Looking at the passage in the book 'Techniques and Principles in Language Teaching' on P122, we can draw a conclusion that says 'the teacher is only the guider to help the students correct the errors when they speak and advise what to speak at the appropriate situation.' To name tHi StevHihis (??) method, we call it 'Communicative Learning Teaching'. But, would everybody think this method is always efficient for anybody? Some would say not. Because, when the each student's ability were not same in the class, the group speaks poor wouldn't be interest in the lesson. But just focusing on the effects, this is one of the best way to expend each one's speaking skills in shortest time.

After the writer got into the middle school, the situation had totally changed. Due to the hardness of controlling much more students than the institute's, only the Direct Method and Grammar Translation Method were possible to use. Although they knew it had many problems to do, the Korean education system was only focusing on the KSAT (Korean Standardized Administration Test) then, so the government made the first formal English class in  the 3rd grade in the primary school since 1994 1which was earlier than before. In the class of Direct Method and Grammar Translation Method style, all the students were passive and receptive. Teacher was the only one who had spoken most in the time. Students only had a few minutes to solve the question when the teacher picked them. On the parents' point of view, this system would be efficient for their children because they thought all the students were taught the same lectures by the teacher and believed their children they will study hard themselves. As they thought, it was only efficient for entering the University which is the Korean student's biggest cherished desire but occurred some side effects such as lack of speaking skills in the job interview and business English when they work.

Most of the generations from 1980s to 90s, they would have been blaming the government for their poor English. But now, the Korean English Education System is trying to change the situation. The government had tried to change the teaching style from Grammar Teaching to Communicative Learning Teaching as they have known the advantages of CLT lately. But the key point is, whether the teaching style is good or not makes no differences. Every style of teaching has good or bad effects together. The only thing people should know is to do your own study yourself as much as you can. If you can't, try to awake yourself or you'll be unhappy in the future.

Steve,

Your paper is good, I like it a lot and I think you have a good idea about the material. I just had to make a few changes but to be honest I don't have much to do with your paper. Again as I said you show clear understanding and good logical thought in the paper so you will do well.

See you tomorrow,

David Moroney

1) The first formal English class was in the middle school before 1994 in Korea.

It is the time to be "changed"

- Analyzing the Korean English Edu Sys.

TESOL Weekday class    STEVE NAM