Native English instructors 'not cost effective'

A native English teacher runs a class in Korea. / From Naver

By Oh Young-jin

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.

These views are part of a study commissioned by the education office on how to improve English language education.

Among the primary school teachers, about 71 percent said that the native program was not cost effective. Sixty-one percent of secondary teachers thought likewise.

Primary school teachers said students should start learning the English alphabet early so Koreans could teach them the basics better. About 46 percent thought only the top tier group of students benefited from native English instructors.

Fifty-six percent of the English education-related budget ― or 4.9 billion won ― is earmarked for foreign teachers.

As at the end of last year, Gwangju had hired 125 native English-speaking instructors, who taught an average of 20 hours per week with monthly salaries of between 2 million and 2.5 million won.

The students received one to two hours teaching from them per week.