By Kim Sue-young
Staff Reporter
Two out of every 10 diplomats have been found to possess insufficient basic communication skills in English when dealing with foreigners, a lawmaker said Wednesday.
Citing a report on diplomat language proficiency submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Rep. Hong Jung-wook of the governing Grand National Party (GNP) said 11 or 19.6 percent of 56 senior diplomats received grade five or lower, almost equivalent to a failing grade.
Not a single diplomat received grade one, the highest score in the Test of Oral Proficiency (TOP) and Test of Writing Proficiency (TWP).
``Language skills are the most basic factor when it comes to diplomacy,'' Hong said. ``Diplomats have to enhance their linguistic proficiency in order to survive in the fierce competition of international diplomacy.''
According to the report, 30 diplomats received grade four, meaning they can barely convey messages, and 14 grade three. Only one gained grade two.
Low-level diplomats also failed to show great achievement in the English proficiency tests, as 36 or 45 percent of 80 participants received grade five or lower, it said.
Diplomats who use other foreign languages were also found to lack proficiency. About 20 percent of 121 officials got grade five or lower.
An official in the Education and Training Division of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security said that grades in the two tests are stricter than any other English proficiency tests.
``Second grade goes to people who are as fluent as native speakers who graduated from a university. People who receive the third grade are also considered fluent in a foreign language,'' he told The Korea Times, asking to remain anonymous.
The ministry has offered language classes in a bid to enhance the linguistic skills of diplomats.
They are given two years of study abroad, while morning and evening classes in foreign languages are open to them.
Recently, the ministry began to help them master English through telephone classes.
``Many of the language classes are popular and they tend to be filled quickly when they open, however, due to budgetary constraints we have only opened two or three English classes,'' he said.