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

    Chinese hackers attack 12 Korean academic institutions: KISA

  • 3

    Homeless women struggle to find place to spend night

  • 5

    From period to action: different genre series set for February

  • 7

    More than dozen chaebol scions indicted on alleged drug use

  • 9

    Cold wave warnings issued across Korea; Seoul witnesses coldest day

  • 11

    Netmarble debuts virtual girl group MAVE:

  • 13

    Korea's move to cut subsidies on imported EVs faces backlash

  • 15

    ANALYSISChina's reopening to help ease inventory woes

  • 17

    Major Korean banks' overseas branches sanctioned by foreign authorities

  • 19

    People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions

  • 2

    Koreans stunned by spike in heating costs

  • 4

    Heavy snow hits Seoul, surrounding areas

  • 6

    Chinese hackers threaten to attack S. Korean cybersecurity watchdog

  • 8

    Campaign launched to respect multicultural families, foreign nationals

  • 10

    Why Korea imports so much kimchi from China

  • 12

    Center offers free STI testing to foreign residents of Korea

  • 14

    Cargo ship carrying 22 sinks off Jeju, 14 rescued but 9 unconscious

  • 16

    Lawmaker pushes for bill requiring women to join civil defense training

  • 18

    Seoul subway, bus fares to rise by 300 or 400 won

  • 20

    Yoon calls for adjusting regulatory, labor systems to global standards

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
Fri, January 27, 2023 | 16:20
Native English teachers face bumpy jobs road in Korea
Posted : 2016-10-11 16:33
Updated : 2016-10-30 16:52
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
A native English teacher reads to students in his classroom at Myongwon Elementary School in Seoul in this photo taken in April 2013. / Korea Times file

A native English teacher reads to students in his classroom at Myongwon Elementary School in Seoul in this photo taken in April 2013. / Korea Times file


By Lee Jin-a


The number of native English teachers at public schools has dropped nearly 42 percent over four years and is expected to fall further in the face of government funding cuts over alleged poor results.

Incheon, a port city west of Seoul, had the biggest drop of 71.8 percent, followed by Gyeonggi Province (63.1 percent), North Chungcheong Province (54.6 percent), South Chungcheong Province (47.3 percent), North Gyeongsang Province (46.8 percent) and Seoul (43.2 percent), according to education ministry figures.

As of early October, 4,962 native English teachers worked at public schools, down from 8,520 in 2012, according to the data. The ministry and regional education offices will soon decide the number of native English teachers to be hired next year.

"One of the main reasons for the decline was that municipal and provincial offices of education no longer have enough money to recruit foreign teachers," said Kim Jeong-keun, deputy director of the ministry dealing with the matter, pointing out that more money was needed for student welfare.

Another reason, the director said, was the lower than expected efficiency of classes involving native English speakers in improving students' English ability.

"We believe placing the teachers with the right talent in the right position is more efficient than merely increasing the number of foreign teachers," he said.

His claim was supported by 2012 research by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education that English-speaking Korean teachers played a bigger role than native English teachers in polishing students' ability.

A native English teacher reads to students in his classroom at Myongwon Elementary School in Seoul in this photo taken in April 2013. / Korea Times file
/ Graphic by Cho Sang-won


Should English be a mandatory subject at school?
Should English be a mandatory subject at school?
2017-08-02 17:06  |  Society
English educators to attend KOTESOL conference
2016-10-11 17:53  |  Multicultural Community

An official at the North Chungcheong Province Office of Education said the sharp cut in native English teachers in the province was attributable to the increasing availability of well-educated English-speaking Korean teachers.

"We used to recruit native English speakers as teachers to give students who couldn't afford a trip to an English-speaking country first-hand learning from native English speakers," the official said. "But now it's easy for children to meet native English speakers through social clubs and other casual and affordable ways. So we have decided to increase the number of Korean teachers who will be able to improve students' proficiency with various training and tests."

During the 2008-2013 Lee Myung-bak administration, the government expanded the number of native English teachers to improve the quality of public English education.

In 2009, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said it would place at least one native English teacher in every primary and secondary school in its precinct by 2012.

But since 2012, Seoul has significantly reduced the number of English-speaking teachers, based on its survey of the effectiveness of the English education policies. The survey still serves as a theoretical backbone for the nationwide reduction of native English teachers.

In the survey, students (53.7 percent of 28,761) and parents (62.2 percent of 12,150) favored Korean teachers with high English-speaking skills over foreign teachers. It suggested students who had low English skills found it difficult to communicate with native English teachers and lost motivation to study English.

But there are experts who oppose the policy. Choi Hyung-jai, an associate professor at Korea University, claims the country needs more native English-speaking teachers to ensure fair education for students.

According to his 2013 study, high school students with mid-to-upper grades improved their scores in English tests while studying with foreign teachers more than students with lower grades did.

He said students who were confident in English and had better English-speaking skills could learn more from native English speakers.

He said the government should increase the number of foreign teachers and create special programs for students who lacked English-speaking skills to reduce the gap between students with upper and lower academic levels.



Emailja9631@gmail.com Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
wooribank
Top 10 Stories
1Koreans stunned by spike in heating costsKoreans stunned by spike in heating costs
2Homeless women struggle to find place to spend night Homeless women struggle to find place to spend night
3People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions People attempt to cut surging heating costs with creative solutions
4Inflation weighs on households Inflation weighs on households
5Netflix series 'The Glory' draws focus to real school bullying Netflix series 'The Glory' draws focus to real school bullying
6'I was a stock investment addict': psychiatrist seeks to help addicted people through his book 'I was a stock investment addict': psychiatrist seeks to help addicted people through his book
7[INTERVIEW] Partnerships with Korean companies help Delta Air Lines' post-pandemic recovery INTERVIEWPartnerships with Korean companies help Delta Air Lines' post-pandemic recovery
8Korea's GDP shrinks 0.4% in Q4, 1st contraction in 10 quarters Korea's GDP shrinks 0.4% in Q4, 1st contraction in 10 quarters
9Gov't to double subsidies for vulnerable households as energy bills soar Gov't to double subsidies for vulnerable households as energy bills soar
10S. Korea to increase joint air defense exercises following N. Korean drone incursions S. Korea to increase joint air defense exercises following N. Korean drone incursions
Top 5 Entertainment News
1From period to action: different genre series set for FebruaryFrom period to action: different genre series set for February
2Miguel Chevalier's psychedelic digital universe takes audience participation to next level Miguel Chevalier's psychedelic digital universe takes audience participation to next level
3Shunsuke Michieda overwhelmed by Korean fans' support for his coming-of-age film Shunsuke Michieda overwhelmed by Korean fans' support for his coming-of-age film
4Yun Hyong-keun's hanji works come under spotlight in Paris for first timeYun Hyong-keun's hanji works come under spotlight in Paris for first time
5Kim Hyun-joo says humanity is at heart of action film 'Jung_E' Kim Hyun-joo says humanity is at heart of action film 'Jung_E'
DARKROOM
  • 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

  • World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

    World Cup 2022 France vs Morocco

wooribank
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