The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    Woman killed in stopped car struck by bus on highway

  • 3

    Koreans wish to work less than 40 hours per week: survey

  • 5

    Yoon faces strong political backlash after Tokyo summit

  • 7

    Video footage highlights details of stepmother's fatal abuse of 12-year-old

  • 9

    Actor Yoo Ah-in to appear for questioning Friday over alleged drug use

  • 11

    INTERVIEWNorth Korean-born chef delights Southerners' taste buds, breaks down cultural barriers

  • 13

    New EU trade policies unnerve Korean firms

  • 15

    North Korea fires ballistic missile as US bombers join drills

  • 17

    Whisky sales at E-Mart outlets exceed soju sales in Jan.-Feb. period

  • 19

    Could Doosan Robotics be valued at 1 trillion won in IPO?

  • 2

    Korea sets record of half million economically inactive youth

  • 4

    Mask mandate on public transportation to end Monday

  • 6

    Apple Pay's imminent launch in Korea draws mixed responses

  • 8

    Centre Pompidou's Korean branch to open in 63 Building

  • 10

    Commuters still wear masks despite end of mask mandate on public transportation

  • 12

    KAIST student becomes first Korean recipient of Apple Scholars fellowship

  • 14

    ANALYSISYoon-Kishida summit may 'raise ceiling' for trilateral cooperation with US: expert

  • 16

    Land minister fortifies city building cooperation with Indonesia

  • 18

    UBS eyeing swoop for Credit Suisse, sources say, amid fears of banking contagion

  • 20

    Trump expects to be arrested Tuesday as DA eyes charges

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Tue, March 21, 2023 | 20:28
Groups Call for Scrapping of `English-Worshipping
Posted : 2008-01-30 17:41
Updated : 2008-01-30 17:41
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Civic groups for Korean language preservation called for a balanced policy between Korean education and English, claiming too much focus on English education will not help boost the nation's competitiveness.

Koh Kyeong-hee, head of an association for hangeul culture, speaks at a press conference to denounce the current and incoming governments' ``English-worshiping'' policy in Seoul, Wednesday.
/ Korea Times Photo
by Won You-hon
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

Civic groups for Korean language preservation called for a balanced policy between Korean education and English, claiming too much focus on English education will not help boost the nation's competitiveness.

Thirty-three civic groups and some professors urged the current and incoming government to scrap their policies which they claim ``worship'' English language, in a press conference in Seoul Wednesday.

``In the policy the new government seeks, the only aim of primary and secondary education is English learning. The English-worshiping education will lead to broken Korean, unbalanced education between English and non-English subjects, and new types of private education,'' the groups said in the statement.

According to the transition team's plan English classes will be expanded at schools, teachers will teach English classes using English only and a state-run English test will be introduced.

``If too much weighting is given to English, other various fields will lag behind, ultimately weakening the nation's competitiveness. Why should all people of the nation be good at English?'' said Jung Jae-hwan, vice head of an association for hangeul culture.

Lee Keon-bum, director of the association, also said that the government first needs to grasp the nation's demand for people good at English, and then make policies about public English education.

``It is said that only some 5 percent of positions at companies require fluent English skills. If everybody is forced to master the language, it is a waste of time and resources,'' he said.

``English is not the only key factor for the nation's competitiveness. By attaching too much importance on English, the importance of other subjects could be neglected,'' he said. ``I won't call it `development' that middle school students read English fairytales instead of Korean classical literature,'' Lee said.

The groups also denounced the central and local governments for abusing English in their projects and slogans. Among such ``Konglish'' slogans they cited are ``Hi Seoul,'' ``Colorful Daegu,'' and ``Dream Bay Masan.'' At the same time, they said slogans such as ``Justice 1st'' by Justice Ministry and ``Home Tax'' by the National Tax Service and project names such as ``Han River Renaissance'' do not make sense and should be replaced with some more reasonable Korean slogans.

``Globalization and consequent economic and cultural exchanges are essential, but it does not need to change administrative terms into English. It is a flunkeyism and a misunderstanding that making English slogans is globalization,'' Jung said.

rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr
 
LG Group
Top 10 Stories
1Woman killed in stopped car struck by bus on highway Woman killed in stopped car struck by bus on highway
2Korea sets record of half million economically inactive youth Korea sets record of half million economically inactive youth
3Commuters still wear masks despite end of mask mandate on public transportation Commuters still wear masks despite end of mask mandate on public transportation
4[INTERVIEW] North Korean-born chef delights Southerners' taste buds, breaks down cultural barriers INTERVIEWNorth Korean-born chef delights Southerners' taste buds, breaks down cultural barriers
5KAIST student becomes first Korean recipient of Apple Scholars fellowship KAIST student becomes first Korean recipient of Apple Scholars fellowship
6COVID-hit Myeong-dong bounces back as tourists return COVID-hit Myeong-dong bounces back as tourists return
7Public officials reluctant to dine with coworkers Public officials reluctant to dine with coworkers
8Brides in early 40s outnumber those in early 20s Brides in early 40s outnumber those in early 20s
9OTT service providers negatively impacted by illegal streaming website OTT service providers negatively impacted by illegal streaming website
10[ANALYSIS] Yoon-Kishida meeting raises expectations of 3-way summit with China ANALYSISYoon-Kishida meeting raises expectations of 3-way summit with China
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Centre Pompidou's Korean branch to open in 63 Building Centre Pompidou's Korean branch to open in 63 Building
2Celebrities head back abroad to film K-food reality shows Celebrities head back abroad to film K-food reality shows
3Park Sung-woong talks about filming 'Woong Nam' with comedian-turned-director Park Sung-woong talks about filming 'Woong Nam' with comedian-turned-director
4Lee Se-young to lead MBC's new series 'The Story of Park's Marriage Contract' Lee Se-young to lead MBC's new series 'The Story of Park's Marriage Contract'
5From sky to deserted islands, two artists' documentation of nature adds surreal touch to reality From sky to deserted islands, two artists' documentation of nature adds surreal touch to reality
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group