Consider other ways of teaching

The negative reactions to English classes in Korea documented in “What English means for children” (July 22) are not limited to Korea. They are found everywhere in the world where traditional methods are used, methods that are painful and not supported by any research. Educators in Korea might consider trying methods that are not only supported by decades of scientific studies, but are also much more pleasant for both students and teachers.

Students in beginning level classes who utilize TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) and other comprehension-based methods, and intermediate students in classes that include interesting subject matter and provide an opportunity for students to do self-selected reading in English, develop much better second language proficiency, and, most important, develop a positive attitude toward English language acquisition.

Many of the scholars investigating these more successful approaches are in Asia, including Prof. Cho Kyung-sook of Busan National University of Education, who has published numerous studies documenting the positive effect of pleasure reading on English language development.

Stephen Krashen

Professor emeritus at University of Southern California