English Language Education in Korea

Korean society has put much emphasis on educating students on the English language. I believe that this is because in Korea, business is one of the more prosperous career fields and English seems to have become a universal language of communication. Therefore with English, Koreans are able to communicate with other professionals on a global scale. The Korean government continues to hire more native English speakers to teach in Korea. I believe the reason behind this is because this gives students a more immersive and collaborative learning experience. We also learned that many parents send their children to private after school programs called hagwons, where they can study a specific subject. In a lot cases, students are able to study more English in addition to their regular course load. In addition, students are able to attend public after school programs. Our class was able to visit a rural elementary school that consisted of 36 students through grades 1-6. Hearing the experience of the  native English speaking teacher's perspective was very enlightening because he definitely made the time spent here more relatable. I definitely think that people in America overlook the importance of knowing a language like English. Since we use it everyday and it may be our first language, other places around the world are trying to catch up to our capability. When doing anything on a global or international scale, the English language is quite useful and understood by most. Once again, having the opportunity to explore the English Language Teaching Institutes, I definitely need to reflect on my personal beliefs of the English Language. :)