The Korean public education system is renowned for placing special importance on English proficiency tests. And it seems the government of incoming President Lee plans to follow in that tradition. This week, the President Transitional Committee announced plans to reform the English proficiency tests for all levels of education to take effect between 2012 and 2014. Some grades will see more lenient tests, like Middle schoolers, who will only be expected to take a listening and reading exam and forego the intense pressure of a major written exam. This format closely resembles a TOEFL style test. University entrance exams will also being revised along the same lines as the TOEFL, although a writen component will remain for these tests.
For further information please read:
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200801/200801290025.html
By Korea Jim
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
New English Tests for Korean Children
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2 comments:
I am somewhat disappointed and belwidered at this decision by the Korean Government. I would have thought it would be more beneficial to include speaking in the new testing procedures. I taught middle schoolers for two year at a training center where only the top ten percent of English students were chosen to attend the camps and the skill they lacked the most was speaking. Students have no opportunity to practice what they learn because of the rote system of learning and large classes. My greatest concern is that the Korean Government's desire to make English a second language or the language of business may not be achieved as fast as they would like or hope. Thank you for reading my comment. I'm coming back to Korea in six weeks so receiving your electronic newspaper is of great assistance to me. All the best!
In my personal belief I think that the lack of English in Korea has nothing to do with government and its policies. In my experience, Koreans do not see the direct impact of English in their lives. Tests that matter are only written once or twice, but once they are done they are done. English? the only English people in Korea are English teachers. As long as I am not studying English, I don’t have to confront them. Changing the tests or changing the education system in Korea, I personally think will not have a huge impact on the majority of students English ability. Yes, it will improve some students, but at the same time it will also have serious side effects to the weaker students. Changes such as increasing English teachers, and making immersion classes are not practical and would require changes that would take more than 2 years. Don’t want to sound too negative, but I would have to argue that Korea has more serious problems other than English education. Korea should focus more now on Chinese education, creative thinking, manufacturing and other facets of education that would help them compete with the booming Chinese economy.
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