TESOL Law Journal: January 2006 Vol 1.

March 2008, Volume 2

Vol 2 Index

Title
Corruption and Other Distortions as Variables in Language Education

Author
Thor May

Bio :
Thor May has been teaching English to non-native speakers, and lecturing linguistics, since 1976. This work has taken him to seven countries in Oceania and East Asia, mostly with tertiary students, but with a couple of detours to teach secondary students and young children. He has trained teachers in Australia, Fiji and South Korea. At the moment he is teaching in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. Many of his papers, essays and stories may be seen on his website at http://thormay.net . His PhD, “Language Tangle - Predicting and Facilitating Outcomes in Language Education”, is currently being examined at an Australian university. Chapter summaries and the conclusion can be viewed at http://thormay.net/lxesl/teach1.html .

Abstract:
This paper examines some of the ways in which foreign language education has been affected by corrupt practices and various other distortions of best teaching practice. Particular attention is paid to South Korea. The nature of corruption and its social origins are identified. Pressures affecting students, teachers and institutions are all seen to play a part. It is noted that mass education is a simulation which leaves space for fraud, whereas actual live language performance is its own test. Perhaps as a consequence, the gradual insertion of a new language code like English into a speech community might succeed over the long term even where immediate educational practices suggest failure.

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