Article about Finland`s success in English

I found this article is worth of reading because it covers English immersion policy of these days and gives one answer for future teachers who are puzzled for the policy. Also, the example of Finland in this article will be helpful for thinking about how to inspire students to participate actively in English classes. I made some sentences bolded cause I thought those parts are especially worth of reading. And in the last 3 paragraphs, the writer wrote about his opinion towards TEE, also.








[ENGLISH EDUCATION(4)] Participation, internet key to Finland`s success in English

Following is the fourth in a series of articles on the government`s plans to enhance English education. - Ed.

Dynamic, participatory language classes and the pervasive internet network have contributed to the success of Finland`s public English education, according to David Marsh, an expert in bilingual education methodologies.

Marsh, a professor at the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland, was here early this month to attend a symposium hosted by the British Council regarding primary school English education.

"Changes have come very quickly in 10 or 15 years in Finland`s English education. One of the reasons for that is good educational practice in the mainstream schools. The other (factor) is the impact of the new technologies," Marsh said in an interview with The Korea Herald.

"Finland is very lucky because children learn to work and study in cooperative groups from the beginning of primary education. We don`t have discipline problems as, at a very early age, they are taught that they are responsible for their actions."

In Korea, the excessive number of students in language classes has been cited as one of the main obstacles to effective language teaching.

"The trouble with teaching groups is that it takes half the lesson just to get the groups organized, and the other half (involves) telling them what to do, and then the time is up. But these students, when they go into a classroom, they are ready to go. The materials are highly visual and directly linked to the thinking skills demanded for the classroom activity," explained Marsh.

He emphasized that the broadband internet, which about 90 percent of Finnish households have, has helped motivate students to learn the international language.

"Students used to see English as something that belongs to Americans. Now, it is their access to the global world through the internet," he said.

Another key factor in Finland`s successful English education is that public schools teach English in a practical way for real-life purposes.

"In Finland, English is not a matter of: `You must reach this level of fluency or this number of words or grammar.` It is taught as modern communication - to, say, learn how to use MP3 players or how to operate a gadget," he added.

In Korea, the pressure to get high grades in English classes and on the annual state-run college entrance exam has had a critical impact on the way students approach the subject. But in Finland, English is not essential to college entrance; students learn it in a more relaxed, natural, and practical way, Marsh explained.

"If (English education) is to be successful in Korea, it needs to be handled in multi-agency ways in the planning stages. Different agencies and bodies need to talk together (to create the best education programs.) It has to start with an understanding between those in charge of school curricula and examinations, and even the university entrance people."

David Marsh is one of the leading experts on Content and Language Integrated Learning, which is a method of using the foreign language as a medium in the teaching and learning of non-language content such as math and science.

He said that so-called "immersion" education, in which students are taught subjects in a foreign language, is very effective if it is methodical, well thought-out.

"Just throwing more English at students is not good enough. Integrating a small number of subjects into the language classes could be a solution (in boosting the nation`s English skills)."

Korean teachers overall believe that the immersion method is not likely to be introduced here anytime soon, since so few teachers and students are prepared for it.

"The first problem is that (teachers) will say, `I am not good enough,` because they will have a picture of themselves as needing to speak like Prince Charles or the Australian Prime Minister before they start using the language in the classroom," said Marsh.

"What you can do is construct good teaching modules with activities, which means teachers do not need to speak very much at the beginning. Teachers become like a conductor of an orchestra, not an opera singer."

He stressed that such education does not necessarily have to be conducted only in English.

"There is no reason you can`t start in Korean to explain the rationale or something, and switch into English to do activities to learn it, and then have some form of assessment at the end, back in Korean," he said.

"What we need to make sure of is that we don`t damage the cognitive abilities of the broad range of children to learn the subjects (by focusing too much on the language itself). We should look at which aspects of math should we teach in Korean and which through English."

According to Marsh, at the initial stage of integrating other subjects with language learning, it is best done on a small scale, and gradually expanded.

"Introducing a new English education program at one grade in a school could take two or three years to put the pieces together to train the basic infrastructure and to design the modules which can be taught in English in such a way that even teachers with weak English can carry them through," he said.

"However, to say, for example, that, by 2010, all children in secondary education will be learning science and math through English - that sounds quite large-scale."

To smoothly carry out such programs, Marsh says that teacher training is essential.

"Teachers just learn two different subjects. They don`t know how to put them together. The best training at the moment is an in-service training which helps a science teacher to go toward the language, and a language teacher to go toward science."

"The ideal scenario is that teachers who are responsible for carrying this out - content teachers and language teachers - work as a team."

Regarding the new government`s envisioned plan to hire thousands of TEE (Teaching English in English) teachers by spending 4 trillion won over the next five years, Marsh said it may be better to train existing teachers, rather than bringing in an influx of new teachers.

"If there is a real problem that English teachers are unable or don`t want to use much English, then we need to look at what goes on in the classroom. It might be better to take English and other subject teachers, and help them learn how to work together to deliver a good education," he said.

"The training money is much better spent using existing English and existing content teachers using them, and designing module structures, which could be used by all of the teachers."

By Song Sang-ho

(sshluck@heraldm.com)
2008-03-24

(from http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=108&oid=044&aid=0000072081)

I read it!

I would write about it here, but you've already done.

Hello, Hyun ae!

Thank you for your beneficial article.

This article indicates informative knowledge about 'immersion English education' and guide the way Korean English teachers should consider.

I believe teacher is a job of ongoing learning because teacher must have superior knowledge than students. Teacher should learn new technologies in order to bring new teaching methodology to the students.

I totally agree that the Korean English teachers need to use English more in the classroom and develop new teaching skills.

I want to know the kinds of INSAT programs for teachers. I'll look for them.

This article is really helpful for me. After reading this article, I was surprised at the English education system in Finland. I like this part- children in Finland watch English programs without dubbing. I think Korea should practice this .
The other thing I can;t believe is that teaching other subjects such as science and math in English. I don't think it is possible in Korea.
Am I so negative?

Young wrote:This article is really helpful for me. After reading this article, I was surprised at the English education system in Finland. I like this part- children in Finland watch English programs without dubbing. I think Korea should practice this .
The other thing I can;t believe is that teaching other subjects such as science and math in English. I don't think it is possible in Korea.
Am I so negative?

Actually, I agree with your idea. I also think that subjects excluding English can't be taught in English. I heard that several years ago, Japan tried the similar policy in their English education and finally it failed. I think teaching subjects excluding English in English needs a lot of infrastructure to be set. Hastening it will make students more puzzled, I think.