twisty-turny story

Hwang Yunkyoung

Hi! It's the year 2015. I am a Korean student and I have jsut graduated from high school. I really have to say that I feel very proud of and confident in my English proficiency! I am not a special student. I'm average. But almost all "average" students in Korea these days like English and can use it well. That's because English education in korean public schools is very different now compared to 10 years ago...

First of all, there are about 15 students in a classroom. I heard that there used to be 40 students in one classroom but I just can't imagine that. Now, my teachers know me very well. He/She gives me individualized attention and calls my name. Becuase of that, I feel very special and work hard to impress him/her. All the students in my class have similar level of English. So I'm very comfortable in the class.


Joo Un-Jin

Seond, the test has changed. They used to have written tests focused on grammar and reading, but now it has charged a lot. We have tests dealing with four skills-listening speaking, reading, and writting. People used to say that. Speaking test is not objective to grade. But not now. It is objective by the help of. Computer analysis program. Anyway to get a good grade in tests, we haveto be good at on the four skills.

Kim Ji Young

Third, but for very rare exceptions, the teacher and students use only English during class. I heard in the past a lot of Korean was used in English in the past a lot of in. "English Class" if you don't actually use English?!
In my class, we communicate with each other only on English. Of course there are times of minor communication breakdowns, but we can understand each other by trying to express our ideas with easier words and simple structures.

Kim Eun Jung

Fourth, our English classes are focused on speaking and listening activiteis. Ten years ago, English classes were exclusively on reading part. But now we start from speaking and listening and when we are advanced, we move to more reading and writing. It's a matural order to learn a language.

Kim Bo Yeun

More over, the materials students lean have beem changed the materials usually are related to be authentic. Ir looks like real life. For example, some class teachers students academic subject, others classes teach students real life. In real situation, they are tested and what they practices are watched. These programs repeat every month, so they easilly remember.

Kim Hyun Jin

Nowaday, almost countries use English. So English become the most important language. So we have to speak only in English in our school. Of course, we can speak in Korean out of school. But the rule of speaking English is so strict that I feel hard at first. We learn very easy words in first level, and the words and senteces become more complicated, depending on the level. As I said, we should read more English book. Some students don't like to read books.