TEFL Dengfeng

Learners in South Korea encounter many difficulties when learning english. The significant differences between Korean and english do not help matters. Both phonetic and syntactic differences cause problems for Korean learners of english. Korean private and public organizations bring in many foreign teachers to teach english. The cultural differences between these teachers and the students can also cause issues with learning english. One of the biggest challenges for Korean learners of english is the substantial differences between english and Korean. The differences in the phonetic system of the two languages can be a real challenge. In the Korean language each letter corresponds to a sound unit. However, an english letter does not have one sound and can be pronounced several different ways depending on the word. More problems are caused by the differences in consonants and vowels of the two languages. Many Korean students have trouble pronouncing voiced consonants such as b, d, f, and v. They also have to make extra effort to pronounce labiodentals consonants such as f and v because the Korean language does not have them. Koreans also have trouble hearing the difference between l and r. Differences in stress between english and Korean contribute to the difficulty in learning english. english is a stress timed language, whereas Korean is a syllable-timed language. Korean has neither word nor sentence stress. Every word is pronounced with the same prominence in a sentence. There is no distinction in pronunciation between function words and content words. Koreans have to gain familiarity with the english stress and rhythm. In addition to the phonetic system, the syntactic differences can cause trouble for Koreans studying english. The world order in english is SVO (subject-verb-object). Korean on the other hand follows a SOV (subject-object-verb) pattern. Korean students have to put some effort to change the word order from Korean to english. This causes slow responses to their teachers’ questions. The Korean language also has neither conjugation nor inflection. Verbs in the present tense do not take ‘-s’ in the third person singular. A common error a Korean learner makes is that they fail to ensure there is subject-verb agreement, by missing inflected endings in writing and speaking. The Korean philosophy of education differs significantly from the western approach. The Confucius style of learning is still prevalent in Korea. The Confucian style focuses on obedient listening. Korean students view themselves as a vessel into which the teacher must pour knowledge. This approach to education has led to a focus on bookishness, memorization, and grammar. Students will likely have a solid foundation of english grammar rules and vocabulary. However, getting them to use can be difficult at times. Students tend to be afraid of making mistakes and being ridiculed in from of their fellow students. They are unaccustomed to discussion and debate. Korean learners may appear timed, defensive, and shy when asked to express their own views. Western teachers tend to foster an atmosphere in the classroom that Korean students are not used to. Western teachers try to cultivate a more casual environment in the classroom. Koreans are used to looking at the teacher as the authority. Western teacher tend to have a laid back approach and might even see the student as a potential friend. Korean learners might see this experience as an exciting one. However, this excitement might transform into a feeling that they can get away with anything especially with young learners. . This can be compounded by the Western teaching style. young learners expect a more fun classroom experience from foreign teachers, often a break from the boring and pedantic Korean curriculum. Sometimes it may be necessary to adopt some aspects of the Korean style to help Korean learners focus and learn. Works Cited Cho, Byung-Eun. "Issues Concerning Korean Learners of english: english Education in Korea and Some Common Difficulties of Korean Students." East Asian Learner. 1. (2004): 31-36. Web. 16 Sep. 2012. . Specht, Allegra, and Jay Freeborne. Korea Calling: The Essential Handbook for Teaching english and Living in South Korea. 2nd edition. Kindle, 1996. 238-262. eBook.