Survey Claims Native English Teachers in South Korea Have “Low Competence” and Poor Attitudes
This sounds more like an attempt to get more teaching jobs for Koreans instead of to native English teachers:
Most English teachers in primary and secondary schools do not believe that having native-speaking assistants is beneficial in cost-effective terms, a recent survey shows.
Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education surveyed 312 teachers ― 212 elementary school teachers and 100 middle school teachers ― who have been partnered with native English-speaking instructors.
More than half of those surveyed cited the native speakers’ low competence, poor attitude, lack of experience and mediocre education benefit. They said the number should be reduced or the program should be abolished.
They said it would be better to train more Koreans to teach English. [Korea Times]
You can read more at the link.
While I don’t want to appear like I’m biased one way or another, this survey of Korean teachers is also rather interestingly timed.
Maybe South Korea should be allowed to reunite with the Norks. They might get to like those forced labor camps, not having meat unless you’re a high-ranking Party official, and watching their children die of rickets, scurvy, and measles.
OTOH, if hagwons are going to offer crap wages, they should not expect Ph.D. English professors queuing up to be disrespected, lectured about politics and morals, have their contracts rewritten after being signed, and made to live in “apartments” that often resemble pigsties.
There is much to critique about both “sides” of this argument. The only thing this type of “news” (i.e., agitprop) will do is enflame passions and hurt South Korean children. There are many places in East Asia that offer young ESL teachers a place to feel exotic and alive.
The other side of the coin: A native Korean teaching Korean. Can be an equally horrible experience. Upon my first arrival at the Kun in 1982, I immediately took Univ of Maryland’s KORN 110, 111, and 112 back to back in hopes of learning the language as fast as possible. To my disappointment, all three courses used the same book, and most unfortunately, the same useless instructor. The book sucked and the instructor was horrible — even though he was a PhD (chemist). After three semesters I was no better off than the first class.
His English was near non-existent and accent so damn thick none of us could understand a fraction of what he tried to say and vice versa — he didn’t respond to our questions. Repeated requests to slow down or repeat were like talking to a brick wall. He just kept right on going. One young female airman in our class would slam her book and scream at him — to no effect, she would just walk out of class fuming most evenings. For some reason this guy was stuck on the word conjugation. Every freaking Korean word or phrase had conjugation. He said “This has conjugation” a thousand times every class — even though he could never explain what he meant and never elaborated. This has conjugation.
I just endured thinking it’s going to click one of these classes. Yeah, it never did. I later took a free one week course at the rec center and learned a helluva lot more than those three wasted semesters.
I think like in all other Korean cases that the best and brightest go to Seoul. Bet that survey turns on its head in Seoul.
A matter of getting what you pay for, and Korean program pay is cr*p so you get cr*p teachers. Not to mention that the “teachers” only need a degree in anything, no teaching credentials required (if they wanted actual teachers Koreans would have to pay more….).
Some teachers are crap but most try with the limited tools and training they are given.
The drug test/background check/diploma verification GREATLY improved the quality of teachers over the last few years.
Also, chain hogwons are getting better and better… with standardized curriculum and training for foreign teachers.
And to he fair, Korean education is different from western education… so being a trained teacher Back Home can actually be a bit if a handicap.
In the end, there is a growing number of Koreans who grew up outside of Korea and speak English perfectly.
In a few more years, whitey will only be teaching English as decoration… but will need some more advanced qualifications.
“Whitey”? Like in the student-teacher video that caused the kerfluffle a while back? Seems like even I met a rainbow assortment of ESL teachers.
But you’re right. Hermit kingdoms gonna hermit.