By Here is a report that politicians in Korea may want to check out if they have in plans of expanding English education in Korea:
A report on the analysis of the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English will be out by early July.
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that and the ministry paper on the issue had been completed and would be handed over to the Cabinet soon.
“We will make a full announcement by early July. Whatever the decision, it will be for the people’s benefit and goes in line with the Prime Minister’s ‘people first’ vision,” he said when replying to Kepong MP Tan Seng Giaw during Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister, said a study conducted by the ministry and researchers from local universities revealed that overall, teachers and students achieved only a moderate level of knowledge in English. [The Star Online]
Malaysia has been teaching both Science and Math in English since 2003 and they have so far found a gap in the ability for rural people to learn English compared to their urban peers who grasp the language more easily. I have to wonder if that is due to the quality of the teachers that are hired to work in the rural areas? Having spent time in Malaysia and having worked with Malaysians overall I find them to speak English pretty well and in general better than Koreans. Remember Malaysians have a British colonial background, which may help them learn English, but I think overall their English language teaching policies have been effective and something Koreans may find useful to learn from.
6:06 am on June 25th, 2009 1
I think teacher proficiency and teaching methods, plus the greater opportunitites to experience authentic English, all three factors owing to the British presence (the Brits have long been ahead of the US in EFL instruction), explain Malaysia's success much more than any policies.
More than anything, I'd like to see Korea think long-term and focus its resources in growing its own English teachers proficient in English and knowledgeable in best practices. Award scholarships to promising high schoolers with the condition that they must work in high-needs schools for at least three years and in public education for at least five. Hire experienced foreign K-12 educators to provide some instruction as part of the college curriculum. Finding experienced K-12 teachers willing to come to Korea will be challenging as Korean schools and ministries of education must compete with the better contracts and working conditions offered at many international schools.
7:01 pm on June 25th, 2009 2
It's the attitude. In Malaysia, people study English because they want to learn to speak English. Because of the country's colonial past, they see the ability to communicate in English as a means to do business with foreigners. In Korea, the vast majority of people study English do so to do well on standardized tests in order to get a job with a Korean company. Most people here have little or no interest in communicating in English with foreigners.