This is wrong on so many levels. Korea has sunk to new lows with their obsession on learning English. Now they want to build a brand new city from the ground up just for learning English - forget the English villages, which are already losing money and were originally destined for failure now we’ll spend even more money for even less returns.

who said that the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over but expecting different results?

English’ city lies at heart of Jeju’s development plans

First there were English villages where Korean students could go to practice their language skills.

Now there are plans to build an entire city where the lingua franca, including the medium of instruction, will be English.

Although no definite plans have been agreed upon with any schools at this point, Kim said they need to reach an agreement by sometime early next year in order to proceed with marketing and the admissions process for the targeted 2011 opening date.

Phil Owen, KOTESOL President, wrote the following peice for the Korea Times. I’ve copied the entire piece here as I feel it is worth it. ATTENTION Phil: if you want to guest author here, feel free to do so.

There is a general assumption that one of the problems with English education in Korea is the poor quality of English teachers. Is this true? How do we decide who is a ``quality teacher?’’ How do we define ``qualified?’’

article continues in the extended entry.

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Go read this translation over at Korea Beat. Busan Mom: Hagwons Suck.

Studying isn’t about who makes the kids study, nor is is about whom they do it for. You have to be able to provide for you own needs. To prepare for the betterment of your future this is necessary. The task of parents in the future is to make their kids recognize why they need to study and lead them to be able to do it by themselves.

English villages across Korea are losing money and have failed in their purpose. I’m not surprised. Read the whole story at the Joongang Daily.

Regional governments invested heavily in the villages without much consideration for educational demand.

As a result, half of them are concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area and some are only a two to three minutes’ drive from each other.

Most of them offer short-term programs lasting only a few days, which means they cannot satisfy the original purpose of complementing English education at schools and substituting costly English learning programs abroad.

1 year of university = qualified to teach found at Galbijim via Zenkimchi

The government plans this month to ease the qualifications needed by native speakers to teach English. Instead of having to have graduated from university, teacher assistants will now only be required to have completed one year of their university course.
However, hagwon have to stick to current regulations. The discrepancies in English teaching positions for foreigners are expected to attract complaints from hagwon owners.

I’m too busy to comment, but regular readers will already know my stance on this issue.

Dealing with racism in hagwon (language institutes) is an article in Susan Kim in the Expat Living section of the Korea Herald. This is the same section that I write for.
The article is interesting and since it will go to subscription shortly I will include it in full in the extended entry.

I’m very interested in hearing comments from readers in Korea and outside of Korea about their experiences with this issue.

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An article in the Korea Times today reveals that government is revising regulations on E2 visas to allow foreigners more control over where they work. See thread on Dave’s Cafe as well.

Under current rules, E-2 visa holders sign contracts with hagwon owners on a one-year basis and are required to work at least nine months at a maximum of only two locations.

The immigration authorities told the association on April 16 that it will let E-2 visa holders transfer to other working places after a month and allow them to work at more than two locations. The planned relaxation of the rules is aimed at maximizing the convenience for foreign English teachers, according to the KIS. Hagwon owners, however, are worried that this will lead to a high job turnover rate and jack up wages.

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The Marmot has a story on a 14 year old foreigner who died in a sauna - His mother is an English teacher. It definitely sounds like criminal negligence and incompetence all around.

I sent an email to my editor at the Korea Herald to see about this getting into national media and not just on blogs.

Got a really distressing — and infuriating — email this morning from a reader telling me of the tragic death of a 14-year-old son of a foreign English teacher in a sauna in Daegu. Mike McStay in Daejeon has been covering it on his blog, and all I have to say is I’m completely speechless. To give you the summary I got in the email:

There has been no coverage of this story, and it’s heartbreaking.  A 14 year old boy, Mike, died in a sauna this past weekend.  The sauna staff assumed he was dead and waited almost an hour to notify his mother in the women’s area.  Turns out he WASN’T dead, but because they waited so long to try to revive him, he ended up dying.

The Daegu police are not conducting an investigation.  They started one later, but they won’t even give the victim’s mother, Stephannie, a copy of the police report (I suspect that none exists).

From Mike McStay’s blog:

What do you call it when a room full of men/boys doing their family bathing before the Buddha holiday just turn their backs on someone who’s coughing & retching so bad that there’s extensive damage to his throat, lungs & back of the mouth. What do you call it when ’someone” called him in DOA at 11:02, the mother isn’t notified until 11:45 and she arrives in the parking lot to discover that the DOA is actually alive & NOW doesn’t have proper help because the WRONG type of ambulance was sent.

The mother now has a page open on Facebook with information on this tragedy.

My condolences got to Stephannie White at this difficult time.

UPDATE: I’d be irresponsible if I didn’t point out that so far, there have been no reports on the death, so there are many unanswered questions and nothing you read is “official.” I just called the establishment in question (note to fellow bloggers/netizens: I’d remove the name of the place for legal reasons), and they couldn’t even confirm whether an incident took place (BTW, I don’t blame them for that — obviously, this is not something you discuss with every Tom, Dick and Harry that calls), and the person who might be able to wasn’t in (probably not smoke & mirrors, given I called at lunch). There could very well be more sides to this story; we’ll have to wait to learn more.

Well it looks like starting this fall the only qualification that one will need to teach in Korea is a heartbeat and youthful looks. Having a degree is no longer necessary. See this post from the GalbiJim blog and news article (Korean language). see also this thread on Dave’s Cafe.

Lowering the already low standards is not going to help things - the Korean media already vilifies foreign EFL instructors due to a small minority of miscreants but now new teachers won’t even have completed a degree and can arrive younger and stupider in greater numbers. - it appears that Korea really does not value English Education.

It’s time to get out of this industry and out of this country - they don’t want professional teachers.

Hat tip to Graham via twitter. First the article about Crazy English which I’ve heard about before. 20,000 people in class, guess it puts it in perspective when I complain about having 30 students in a class that should only have 20.

every day, in a clearing on campus, he read English exercises, texts and books out loud. The effect was magic. In the TEM4 exam he attended four months later Li Yang finished all the questions within 50 minutes and won the second highest mark in his college.

This success inspired Li Yang. He summarized his experience and gradually forged a unique method of English study that consists of listening, reading, speaking, writing and translating, and named it Crazy English. This is an effective way of improving English pronunciation, speaking, listening and oral translation.
...After his graduation in 1990 Li Yang got a job at the Northwest Electronic Equipment Institute in Xi’an in Shaanxi Province. He went on with his Crazy English by reading English on the way to and from his office, and standing on top of the office building every morning shouting out English

...Vexed at the thought of over 300 million Chinese people still studying English dumb and mute, Li Yang quit his job in 1994 and founded the Li Yang Cliz English Promotion Studio. In the past years his Crazy English has been accepted by 20 million people in over 100 cities in China, and inspired millions of people in their study of English..

Now the video - 20,000 people doing Crazy English. Crazy is correct!

Korea does not value English. Really it’s true. I know that Korea spends milliions and millions of dollars (billions of won) on English education, but it’s just for show. If Korea were truly interested in quality then there would be a focus on quality language instructors. However the government is now considering loosening the already loose academic regulations for English teaching visas. Currently to get a teaching visa in Korea all you need is a degree. Your degree could be in basket weaving and you are qualified to be a language teacher.

According to the Korea Times this is all going to change in order to meet growing demand in rural areas that are shunned by foreign teachers. I have a better idea, why not offer a salary that would attract a qualified professional teacher? Another option, hire qualified Korean English teachers. I know several who would be better teachers than most native speakers with a degree in basket weaving.

For the past few months I haven’t been commenting on or linking to other blogs very much. I’m not sure why, but instead of saving posts in order to comment/link to them later I’m going to try and get on it right away.

First off, Larry Ferlazzo has been doing some serious high quality ELT blogging for some time now and there are so many posts that i have failed to comment on or link to it’s a shame. Be sure to check out his archives. I submitted an entry to the Fourth ELL/ESL/EFL Carnival that Larry posted including this comment EFL Geek from Korea, who might be the “dean” of ESL/EFL bloggers. I don’t know about that, but I like the sound of it. Thanks Larry. Another recent entry is The Best Websites for Learning English Pronunciation

The Marmot (47 comments and counting) also links to an op/ed piece in the Korea times - Foreign Teachers need to be given a Stake in the System. I agree with the basic premise that foreign instructors need to be given a stake in the system, but the author shoots himself in the foot when he writes:

Candidates should be selected from the top 50 universities of English-speaking nations with a demonstrated ability to deliver knowledge in a confident, meticulous, and courteous manner.

The author has a B.A. in Sociology and an M.A. in Asian Studies, how does that qualify one to be a language teacher? Sure it meets the visa qualifications, but I would take a teacher with education and linguistics degree from an unknown university over a teacher with an unrelated degree from Harvard.

The Marmot (9 comments and counting) also links to an article stating that SMOE will send foreign instructors to a 2 month training program.

According to this article in the Korea Times foreign teachers are starting an association. The organization is called The Association of English Teachers in Korea (ATEK) see also this thread on Dave’s cafe for further commentary.

This has been definitely been needed for sometime, but has always met with the response that this type of organization/union is illegal for foreigners in Korea to participate in. I’m not sure about this as ATEK may not be a union. In any case I am 100% in support of this. Below is a quote from the Korea Times article.

ATEK aims to solve difficulties and troubles that many foreign teachers now face. He enumerated the issues; unpaid salaries, pensions, taxes and health insurance, unsafe and inadequate housing arrangements, arbitrary changes to employment contracts and employers’ refusal to provide letters of release as well as unfair banking practices.

Rainey-Smith, serving as a media relations officer for the association, said it will also encourage cultural diversity by campaigning against sexual, racial and other forms of discrimination such as advertisements of hagwon that say they only want ``white teachers.’’

In the long run, ATEK will pursue ``visa flexibility.’’ The Japanese government allows visa flexibility whereby teachers can enter the country and work for any employer unlike Korea where educators must remain with their sponsors and are not allowed to transfer to other workplaces.

Bill Kapoun is an ELT instructor in Korea. He was in an apartment fire resulting in third degree burns to over 70% of his body. His employer did not provide health insurance and no Bill’s family is left with medical expenses estimated at $130,000. Visit the links below to find out how to donate to help pay his bills.

EFL teacher burned in house fire (korea times article)
update Korea Herald Article

facebook group

Official Homepage

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The extended quote below is a direct copy and paste from the Marmots Hole. Looks like there is a survey for native teachers in Korea to post their thoughts on a proposed English immersion plan that I have not blogged here. anyhow fill out the survey, and read up more on the proposed changes at the Marmots Hole and elsewhere. Translation of an interview with native speakers at Korea Beat.

So, where are all the native speaking English teachers in this whole debate, asks the KT’s Jason Lim:

Accordingly, everyone has something to say on the proposed English immersion plan. English could possibly be the only topic in Korean society that can trump the latest juicy celebrity gossip on the ubiquitous portal sites. Countless viewpoints, ideas, complaints, and arguments are merging together in dynamics waves and striking fiercely against the shores of cyberspace.

Except for the voices of the native English-speaking teachers actually teaching English in Korea today. Their silence is deafening.

As one of the principle stakeholders in this public debate, native English-speaking teachers seem to be a natural resource and partner in informing this policy direction. After all, they are the people on the frontlines interacting organically with the children and fellow Korean non-native English teachers on an everyday basis.

They are the ones living this argument today. And if the proposed outsourcing of 23,000 native English-speaking teachers were ever to be realized, experiences of today’s native English-speaking teachers in Korea would have significant value-added impact on today’s discussion. Yet, amazingly enough, their voices are silent.

Where are they? What do they think? Has anyone asked them?

Well, Yonhap did, but that’s besides the point. Mr. Lim wants to help provide you — the native speaking English teacher — with a venue to express your collective opinion.

Then I thought: Why not create a tool in which the native English-speaking teacher would come together to voice their collective opinion in a fair and representative fashion? Therefore, I designed a simple online polling tool to do just that, much like I did for the Leadership Crisis Survey a few months back:

The questions would explore what native English-speaking teachers think about the current proposal, including points for improvements. Further, it will not be limited to the merits of the proposal; it will also ask simple questions about their experience as teachers in Korea.

Admittedly, this survey won’t be comprehensive in that it won’t cover all the various aspects of teaching English in Korea as a native English-speaker. However, it will be flexible enough to allow individual responses and opinions.

It will only take a few minutes. It is anonymous and non-attributable. I will share the results in my next column. Although I obviously can’t guarantee that someone in a policymaking role will actually pay attention, I can promise that you collective voice will be faithfully collected, compiled, and reported.

Please participate by clicking on the link below and forwarding to colleagues and friends who may want to participate.

If you’d like to participate, his online survey can be found here.

Another good column in the Expat Living section of the Korea Herald for which I am a contributing author. This piece comes from Lucy Johnson. All aspects related to English teachers are things I’ve been saying for years - not here, but with my friends over coffee. I’ve cut and pasted the whole article in the extended section as it will shortly go behind the subscription wall. The Indentured Foreigner - all emphasis mine.:

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Hat tip to the Marmot.

meet Mark Thomas, a Briton who next month will graduate from the English education department of Hanguk University of Foreign Studies. The Hankyoreh reports that Thomas — who has completed his practicals and will become the first foreigner to graduate from a Korean teaching program — spotted an ad on the Seoul Department of Education homepage last December looking for native speaking English teachers. He applied, even taking an interview.

For Christmas, he returned to Britain full of hope. Then came the news. Seoul Department of Education told him he fulfilled the requirements to become a teacher, but — sit down for this — the Immigration Bureau would NOT give him a visa.

Why, you ask?

Because current E-2 regulations state that you must have graduated from a university in an English-speaking nation to be eligible for a visa. Poor Mr. Thomas, however, attended university in Korea.

So you can teach in Korea with a degree in basket weaving provided it’s from one of the recognized native speaker countries, but if you graduate with a degree in English Education from a Korean university it’s worthless. Sparkling, very sparkling Korea.

Former EFL Instructor now U.S. Ambassador to South Korea
Looks like some teachers can make a very successful transition upon returning to their home countries. Found via dave’s cafe - this thread.

A woman who as a member of the Peace Corps in the 1970s taught South Korean students English will arrive in Seoul as new U.S. ambassador this summer…
...Stephens has a special relationship with South Korea. She taught English as a member of the Peace Corps in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province for two years from 1975. She watched the process of South Korea’s democratization as a political counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul from 1984. At the time, she established ties with South Korean political leaders, including former presidents Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung and other government officials.

Immigration Logic is an Opinion piece written by Sean Hayes in response to an Opinion piece by immigration official titled Misunderstanding of New E2 Visa. See also threads on Dave’s Cafe here and here.

I am copying Mr. Hayes opinion peice into the extended entry since it will disappear behind a subscription wall soon.

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The Yangpa* has the low down on some new visa rules specifically for Jeju Island. These rules will definitely separate the men from the boys.

* for the uninitiated yangpa = onion.