TEFL Yangzhou

Just like anyone learning a new language, Koreans face cultural and linguistic challenges when learning english. Ideas about social interaction can make it harder for a course to take a student-focused approach to learning, exploration, and conversational, rather than "textbook," english. Pressure to excel at standardized tests can lead to stress and lack of intrinsic student motivation. Conventions of english grammar may be entirely new concepts to Korean students, and pronunciation of new sounds can be a challenge. For Koreans, ideas about social interaction are based on Confucian ethics, which suggest that everyone has a rank in society and should be treated according to where they fall in that hierarchy. For example, older people are to be respected by those younger than them. In his paper "Learning english as a Foreign Language in Korea: Does CALL have a place?" (Asian efl Journal, April 2006), Timothy J. O'Donnell notes that in the classroom, this hierarchy means that teachers are regarded as the ultimate authority over students. (O'Donnell, p. 3) For many years, this has led to a classroom dynamic where the teacher instructs and the students are expected to learn by rote. But this teacher-focused model can be ineffective for students learning a new language. While they may learn grammar and vocabulary, they aren't engaging or experimenting with the language. The english these students are learning "is textbook english bearing little relation to the english spoken by native speakers," says Byung-Eun Cho ("Issues Concerning Korean Learners of english: english Education in Korea and Some Common Difficulties of Korean Students" The East Asian Learner Vol. 1 (2) Nov. 2004, p. 1). Cho also notes that because Korean culture places value on group-centered thinking, students may be reluctant to participate or volunteer information in the classroom because they don't want to appear too bold or showy (Cho, p. 5). O'Donnell points out that these dynamics are in play even between students. "Often times, students feel uncomfortable in expressing ideas that differ from the group or previous speaker's, especially when the previous speaker is older." (O'Donnell, p. 4) This emphasis on textbook learning also stems from extreme competition to excel at standardized tests that assess english skills. O'Donnell says that doing well on these tests is important to students because their scores will likely affect their opportunities in higher education and their career, including pay scale and promotions. (O'Donnell, p. 6) While these things can be highly motivating, O'Donnell points out that they're extrinsic. "For the majority of students in the Korean context, english language largely remains an academic exercise with little motivation to learn more than what is required to pass a test," he says. (O'Donnell, p. 2) Due to the high demand for english classes, both Cho and O'Donnell say that class sizes are often large, with 30–45 students. (Cho, p. 1; O'Donnell, p. 21) The competition also puts a lot of stress on students who are striving to meet their parents' expectations and succeed in their careers. O'Donnell cites a source that says even 14-year-old students may regularly get only 4 or 5 hours of sleep. (O'Donnell, p. 6) And Cho notes that this mentality may lead to early burnout for students. "Often, parents' unfounded expectations about their child's english achievement can lead to negative consequences, such as the child's loss of interest and motivation." (Cho, p. 2) Once in the classroom, students also meet challenges with the language itself. First, the english alphabet is different from Korean writing system. Then, students encounter differences in grammar. According to the Frankfurt International School (FIS) website "A guide to Learning english," the Korean language uses verbs differently than english does to convey information about verb tense, mood, and the social relationship between the speaker and listener. Also, subject/verb agreement in english is a new concept for learners. Both Cho and FIS acknowledge other common differences: typical word order, english use of articles, english categories in grammar that have no equivalent in Korean, differences in pronunciation, word/sentence stress in english compared to the monotone of Korean, and more. One other notable difference is, once again, courtesy Confucian ethics: According to FIS, "Korean grammar is heavily influenced by honorifics" based on the status of the speaker compared to the listener. So, the learner may struggle "to convey the appropriate amount of deference or assertiveness in his or her dealings with others in english," the site says. Given all of these challenges, it seems essential to set challenging yet realistic goals for students in order to help them achieve their highest potential while maintaining a healthy quality of life. Sources: Cho, Byung-Eun. "Issues Concerning Korean Learners of english: english Education in Korea and Some Common Difficulties of Korean Students." The East Asian Learner Vol. 1 (2) Nov. 2004. http://www.brookes.ac.uk/schools/education/eal/eal-1-2/vol1-no2-koreanlearnersofenglish.pdf O'Donnell, Timothy J. "Learning english as a Foreign Language in Korea: Does CALL have a place?" Asian efl Journal, April 2006. http://www.asian-efl-journal.com/pta_april06_TJO.pdf Frankfurt International School website. "The Differences Between english and Korean." http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/langdiff/korean.htm