Development of Primary English Education and Teacher Training in Korea

Source: Journal of Education for Teaching, Volume 34, Issue 4, pages 383 – 396. November 2008.

In 1997, English became a compulsory subject in Korean elementary schools. The education of English teachers for the elementary school was accelerated. The training curriculum was reformed according to the educational objective to enhance students' oral communication skills in English. Coupled to this change, the introduction of English Teacher Assistants is now also being reinforced to stimulate lively classroom discussions in English. This article is based on the actual situation promoting English education. It explores the characteristics of English education vis-a-vis the Japanese situation, which is said to lag behind Korea's. The article explores various differences of social background and different approaches to equal opportunity. It also identifies some problems of early English education in countries like Korea and Japan where English is not used in daily life.