By J.R. Breen
Contributing Writer
``As far as I understand, computers still have difficulty distinguishing 'time flies like an arrow' from 'fruit flies like a banana,''' said Tim Dalby, a professor of Jeonju University.
He was responding to a recent claim by an economist that within a decade robots may replace native English teachers in Korea.
At a robotics forum in Seoul last month, Kim Shin-hwan of Hyundai Research Institute stated, ``By around 2015, robots should be able to help teachers in English classes. By 2018, they should be able to teach on their own while communicating with students,'' adding that they will eventually replace the need for native English teachers.
Those in the firing line mostly hail from Canada, America, the United Kingdom and Australia. Some 30,000 are estimated to be in Korea.
Dalby, who is the president of the Jeonju, North Jeolla chapter of Kotesol (Korea Teachers of English to Speakers of other Languages) doesn't rule out robotic English teachers, but he believes there is still a long way to go and many questions to be figured out.
``This is certainly an interesting idea and one that could work, so long as the inventors could overcome the obvious issues of real interaction, and the complexities of English ― or any other language,'' the four-year resident of Korea said.
``As far as I understand, computers still have difficulty distinguishing 'time flies like an arrow' from 'fruit flies like a banana,' and until they can handle this, as well as 'appropriacy,' correct connotation and pragmatics etcetera they will be no more than pre-programmed voice recorders with Pavlovian responses to expected stimuli,'' Dalby continued.
Dalby, a Briton, said the nature of English language education in Korea is in some way suited to teaching by robots.
``English is traditionally taught as a subject in Korea, rather than as a tool for communication which is why many high school students can parse complex sentences, but can say little more than 'Hello, nice to meet you.'''
``For subject teaching, an interactive robot may be an ideal tool,'' he said.
``With the right kind of investment, support and training it would be possible to put one of these in every school by 2018.''
Australian Andrew Cater, a professor at Korea Polytechnic University's Language Education Center, sees the takeover of technology as inevitable.
``Technology is always going to be creeping in to society,'' the Australian said. ``Video teaching is now used in some parts of the world.''
However, he sees the nature of teaching language as something that could hold off the horde of robotics.
``Learning a language is fundamentally human'', Cater said, ``I think the human element is going to win out over technology in the end.
``(Robots as teachers) would make studying a cold experience,'' he added.
Jason Cresswell, president of ASK Now-ETO, a recruitment agency which finds English teachers for Korean schools, dismisses the idea of robots completely.
``I think it is funny,'' the Canadian said. ``I don't think it is realistic, I don't think people's jobs are at risk.''
``Personal interaction is a lot more important than just repeating things over and over again ― if you want that then you can just use a tape recorder,'' he said.
``It has got a lot of people talking, a lot of people feel insulted, because (it shows that Koreans) think teachers are just machines,'' Cresswell said.
``We are not changing our business model anytime soon.''
The idea of robots teaching English is comical, says Dann Gaymer, spokesperson for the Association for Teachers of English in Korea.
``I find it amusing. We can make a robot to do anything in the world and Koreans chose to make it teach English,'' he said.
``Robots replacing teachers is not one of our major concerns.''
Patricia Tamless, from Texas, who teaches at an institute, believes that technology may get to a stage where robots could teach, but thinks they could not replace Western teachers' cultural values.
``While technology may eventually evolve to a point where robots could teach grammar and vocabulary, they will never be a viable replacement for foreign English teachers because they will not be able to offer the window into Western culture that we provide,'' the 24-year-old said.
American Jeff Potter, an English teacher at Hancheng International School, is open-minded but skeptical.
``It's all about the education,'' he said. ``If they are better than us then I am all for it. (But) I seriously would have trouble believing there could be a robot who could keep children under control. Their ability would be limited. I understand how they think and learn. A robot wouldn't be able to do that, to adapt.''
Also, he said, ``Robots would have a uniform way of teaching. Children don't all learn in the same way, you can't have a uniform way of teaching.''
Not everyone was a complete naysayer, however, as Canadian English teacher Jennifer Boyd, a six year resident of Korea, has a positive outlook on robots for learning.
``In my opinion, using robots as assistant teachers and for interactive English games in the classroom is a great idea,'' Boyd said.
However, she feels that computers may lack the ability to understand slang and appropriate use of language.
``I know from my own experience of attempting to learn a language through a computer program that some expressions and proper language taught via the computer are not useful in the real world,'' she said. ``Without a real teacher to explain some slang and expression uses, you may end up with an eighteen year student in first year university explaining to his friends how he wasn't paying attention in class because he was `playing' with himself.''
``Will a robot be programmed to deal with this sort of situation?'' Boyd wondered.