TESOL Law Journal: January 2006 Vol 1.

January 2006, Volume 1

Title
English Language Teaching in Korea. An Overview.

Author
Robert. N. Kim

Biography
Director of private educational corporation involved in production of video, radio and published teaching and learning books. Educated at USC. Advisor to Korean Education Department.

Keywords
Korean English schools. Korean teachers of English. Native teachers of English. Business English programs

Abstract:
One of Korea's leading sectors is the second language industry. It is supported by a vast mount of unqualified foreign English teachers. Their qualifications are either lacking, or where any qualification exists, it is not relevant to the teaching of English. The Korean Immigration statistics show about 11,000 foreign teachers in Korea with visas that permit the teaching of English. Only 3 percent have a teaching qualification, while 2 percent have a qualification that relate to the teaching of English in a foreign language setting. Schools and universities are teaching English with unqualified foreign teachers - convincing the students and parents via false and misleading advertising campaigns that their programs are professional and superior. Korean companies advertise their SLA programs with little regard for the truth. Professional business English courses are all but absent - with few materials and no qualified teachers available to teach such courses. The EIL industry is in need of urgent attention across the Korean peninsula, either by forced legislation, which seems slow in coming, or self regulation which is unlikely in the near future.

1. Korea: An Overview of English Education
Korea provides a unique mix of government schools, private schools funded by the government, international schools who are private ventures, and the ubiquitous 'hogwans.' The latter category, run by professional and pseudo businesspersons, is by far the biggest education provider in Korea. Some of the more professional hogwans are the Youngdo company and the GnB corporation. Korean parents spend up to 10 percent of their fixed income in educating their children (Herald: 2005.) However, Korea is a country beset by black money trade, and large amounts of capital from these sources are poured into the educating of children. It is not uncommon for Korean parents to pay up to U.S. $3,000.00 a month for private tuition for their children. Despite the government's best efforts to curb this black money industry, the industry grows year on year. University students with no qualification teach Korean school children privately and earn about USD $500 per student. Foreign teachers who come to Korea who are qualified to teach are prohibited from teaching privately, (though the legality of this law has been called into question) but those that do receive $50 per hour of tuition.

The industry is one of Korea's largest - anyone can open a 'hogwan' simply by complying with basic regulations. Hiring foreign teachers is unregulated and schools are known to hire non-English speakers from third world countries and pass them off as English teachers. (Robertson, 2005).

There are over 198 Universities in Korea - most have an English language department. Similarly, there are about 190 colleges with an English language component. Korean professors of English teach alongside native English speaking teachers. Recent legislative changes have dictated that private universities and schools must now introduce outsiders onto the school boards. This has been designed to introduce degree of transparency into the running of these schools.1

2. The Korean Education system
Korean children have three levels of schooling prior to going to University. Elementary schools run for 6 years, middle schools for three years, and high school 3 years. To enter university the 12 years of schooling all comes down to a one-day test which has been the subject of great controversy. Korean English teachers have two educational backgrounds. Those in government Middle school and high schools have received a university degree which included one year of contact with native English speakers. Elementary school English teachers are mixture of qualified with an appropriate degree and those who are 'volunteered' by school principals to be English teachers. On the whole, the level of the spoken English is poor (Brett: 2003.)

What is notable is the lack of Business English programs available for Koreans who wish to learn business English. Some hogwans run 'business English' courses, but they are taught by foreigners who are unqualified to teach such programs. There are 198 colleges in Korea (a two year course) where students who failed to reach University level go to study. Some colleges run business courses, of which English is a component. Unfortunately, almost all colleges rely on a native speaker whose only ability is to speak English, to teach these programs. It is common to find 'kyopos,' Koreans born abroad who are bilingual, to teach these classes. Three percent of those surveyed at 120 colleges had any formal business knowledge.

3. The Materials and the Suppliers
Apart from the well-established and reputable publishers, Longman and Cambridge Press, there has been a sudden explosion in English language materials hit the market place across Korea.

One of the most noticeable things about this explosion in teaching and learning materials is the fact that most materials are unedited. The authors, in a rush t see their name in print, publish books that are clearly unfit to be read by students. The mistakes that are contained within the books are obvious and certainly do not help a learner of English. Unfortunately there are no laws that satisfactorily cover the publishing of materials that are not for the purpose they were designed for. It is unlikely this will be rectified for years to come, and one can expect an unabated barrage of materials that should never be published finding their way o students hands.

4. Unqualified Native Teachers
This is one of the major problems with English teaching in Korea. Of course, one must realize that Korea accepts any foreigner from an English speaking country who has any degree, who then becomes a teacher of English, or in some universities, earns the title of 'professor.' The examples of unqualified teachers in Korea are legend. There are about 8000 teachers from a mix of courtiers, Canada, U.S.A., Australia, U.K., and New Zealand, who are legally residing in Korea.

Of recent times, Korea has been rocked by a scandal where a Canadian teacher, in collaboration with two Koreans, entered into a criminal enterprise of manufacturing fake university degrees, inviting unqualified Canadians to Korea, and placing them in schools to teach English.2 It is well known there is a sizable population of Irish ex patriates living and teaching in Korea illegally. With Japan being so close to Korea, an illegal teacher can simply make a day trip to Japan to renew his tourist status for another three months, and thus keep on teaching. The illegality is countenanced and promoted by some Korean school owners, for it is far cheaper to employ an illegal teacher than a registered teacher which then brings in issues of tax, pension payments ad other insurances.

One learned New Zealand academic notes that Korea is the melting pot for unqualified expatriate teacher 'left-overs' from across the globe. During the course of this paper research, the author met a 'teacher' in a University of Education in a southern Korean city who was clearly mentally unbalanced, had his own bizarre ideas of what teaching English meant, and showed a major lack of knowledge of teaching principles. His idea of teaching revolved around teaching his students how to identify native English speaker differences. A discussion with his students indicated they dreaded attending his class and believed he had no idea of how to teach. The school administration was reluctant to dismiss him due to the negative publicity and possible court action they anticipated if they dismissed him. Yet this elderly gentleman was clearly influencing the students, who would go on to become English teachers, in a negative way.

Other teachers in universities who teach English grammar, English literature and second language learning principles have numerous non-relevant teaching qualifications. These range from degrees in journalism, biology, math, politics, etc. Apart from these unqualified persons, there is a growing trend by Korean schools to place 'pseudo' English teachers in the classroom. Russians and Malaysians pretending to be Canadians can be found teaching English (Robertson, 2005). They enter Korea as tourists and are then sponsored by school owners who have these people pass themselves off as native English speakers. Whilst wages for native English teachers are quite low in Korea, (about USD $2000.00 per month) wages for people from these countries are far less, ($500.00) hence the school owner saves on employing a true native English speaker. Those holding Ma. TESOL or similar postgraduate qualifications are less than 0.5 percent.

As noted by the Korean Congressional hearings (3) into foreigner economic and legal conditions, one of the major problems facing Korea is the reluctance to pay professional foreign teachers a wage which makes it worthwhile coming to Korea. No matter what one's qualification, the wage paid to foreigners is almost the same. Thus a 23-year university graduate with a major in forestry will earn KRW 2,000,000 ($2,000.00) a month, whilst a PhD in Education with 10 years experience will earn the same. Occasionally few will receive higher salaries.

Canadians ex pats make up the greater percentage of teachers in Korea -mostly university graduates straight from school whose only intention is to pay off their university fees, see a foreign country, then leave. Their desire to become professional English teachers is never in question. Less than 15 percent of teachers in Korea stay a second or more years. Statistics show Canadians commit a far greater percentage of crimes than other western nationalities.4 One reason for employing them is their easily understandable style of speaking. On the other and, teachers from New Zealand have a very poor reputation. Two major firms in Korea note they will not help New Zealanders for they "… demand everything for free, and expect Korean society to give them a free ride. This is not New Zealand." (Kim, 2005)

Training and Teacher Organizations.
The only organization foreigners may join for on going education is the KOTESOL group, (Korean Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.) Despite being in existence for over a decade, it has a very small membership base compared to the amount of teachers in Korea. The transient nature of expatriate teachers in Korea, with most only staying one year and not having any desire to make the TESOL profession a future dictates that few will join KOTESOL. An annual conference attracts about 700 persons only. Korean English teachers have more options to join. PKETA and KATE are two major teaching organizations that provide conferences and materials to help train Korean English teachers.

Whilst KOTESOL attracts mostly western teachers, a few Koreans do join annually. However it is clear that the Korean / English dichotomy will dictate that there is no mixing of nationalities. Whilst KOTESOL mainly caters to the University teacher, there are few opportunities for the hogwan/ private school teacher to get involved in such organizations which tend to be too theoretical for their needs. The Asian EFL Journal, a free web based journal who also holds conferences annually in Korea is starting to gain momentum as the teachers' choice of journal, with over 600 guests attending the last International conference which covered all aspects of teaching, including legal issues associated with the teaching profession.

5. The Future
English education as a business will boom in Korea. Over the next three years it is anticipated another 1000 new private language schools, 10 international schools, and 50 Internet based English programs will begin.5 One area that will open up is the teaching of Business English. From a business standpoint, this is a growth industry with few barriers to entry.

Government control to date is lacking, and programs initiate to provide higher standard of English training (EPIK) 6, have been a failure. Trends will dictate the growth patterns. One barrier that will remain is that which makes the establishing or foreign owned international schools a reality. However with the introduction of three Free Economic Zones across Korea, it is anticipated foreign controlled schools will successfully open there.

Notes:

1. Korean National Congress December 2005. The Private Schools Bill
2. See for example:- www.efl-lw.org/forums
3. Korean National Congress. June 2005. National Congress. Ju Ho Lee presiding.
4. Ministry of Justice. 2004. Crime statistics. Non Korean. KMJ2004-t6789
5. Korea's Educational Future. White Paper. Ministry of Education
6. EPIK. English Program in Korea. A government sponsored initiative to bring
native English speaking teachers into Korean government schools.

Index.

Brett, J. (2002). The Chinese Learner. Asian EFL Journal Vol 4(2)

Kim, R. (2005) Conversation with lawyer in Seoul Law Offices, 13th June 2005.

Oak, S., & Martin, H. (2003). Teaching English to Koreans. Hollyn USA

Robertson, P. (2005). EFL-Law.com. The good, the bad, the shocking. Lulu. NY.

Robertson. P. (2005). Teaching Overseas. The Best Legal Advice. Lulu Sydney

Taylor. S. (2005). Teaching in Asia. The Essential Guide. Lulu. Vancouver

The Korean Herald (2005). The burdon of education June 14, 2005