How can we (as teachers) help our Korean learners get over the anxiety of speaking English in class...?

It's probably one of the most often-mentioned issues when it comes to Koreans and speaking proficiency.

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts...


Take care,

~ Jason


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Actually, it is very big problem in Korea.

As I mailed to you, I read an article about this topic.

In Finland, students can enter university without English score.
So they can learn English more comfotably in school.
And in school, they learn English very realistically.
Students also use internet. They can get international information/culture with it and have interest in it. They think foreign languages is also contained in international culture.
Therefore, they can learn foreign languages interestingly.(not only English but other languages)

However, it is impossible in Korea.
Most of students get depressed and stress very easily due to English score!
not English.
In this situation, teachers have to teach English more realistic and even if they make some mistakes, teachers have to encourage them. not punishiment.
Teacher can also use internet or creative activities for students to relax in English class.

Students have to be in enjoyable environment, wenn they learn English or other foreign languages. This environment! teacher can/have to do that.

I think that the anxiety comes from the fear for making a mistake or getting indifferent responses. So I think when the student tries to speak in English in the classroom the teacher should listen to what he/she says carefully and give them a compliment or a positive message which shows respect for the idea itself.

And also, the peer pressure is one big reason for the anxiety, I think. So the teacher should give the students equal chances for speaking in English in the classroom(surely, more chances for naughty students and the students who are not confident for English!)


I want to share more idea with the forum members ^-^

When I was young, I was also afraid of speaking English especially in front of Korean teacher.
However, when I talked with foreigner teacher, I was rather comfortable to speak without any concern of grammar or pronunciation.
I think most Koreans have tendency to care about other's eye much. Therefore, whenever they speak English with Korean, they get nervous about strict judgement. Also, when we speak or listen the other man, we usually care some grammar point or pick a problem. For that reason, even teacher gets on student's grammar point, they should try to cheer him up and give him a praise.

I think it isn't limited just in English class.
Most Korean students are tend to be quiet in class.
After graduating elementry school, they try to keep quiet in class.
I think that it is kind of Korean culture. Or teachers make them keep quiet in class - they usually give them a boring class and never let them participate to the class. They just use the lecture method which need no response from the students. BUT, in elementry school, teachers encourge to speak out in class and they give the students the chances as many as they can. I heard that there are many students who eagar to speak out in class.
I think we should stop being quiet in class.
To solve this matter, I think it's good to make talking enviornment in class.
I mean teacher encourage the students to talk in class.
For example, ask questions as many as possible, make them express their thoughts in class.

In my opinion, little "forcing" is needed to be done in order to solve this matter.
(cause, this "be silent in class" tendency is almost tradition in secondary schools. To break the tradition lots of effort will be needed.)

As Abby said above, the problem is some of Korean students are pretty comfortable with being quiet in class. And they are very afraid to be confident about their own opinion. Of course, it's a sort of not-good-attitude to learn in class.

however!
Since teachers make students keep quiet during class, students should be absolutely quiet. The most common ways to learn in classes in Korea are just listening to what the teacher says, and making a perfect notes for preparing the mid-term & Final exam. Students are just sitting down in the class, and try to memorize what teachers taught them.

To improve the condition of this boring classes, it'll be good to make a 'interacting-converstation enviornment'. As Abby said above, teachers encourage students to talk in class about the topic realted to its own subject. For example, ask questions as many as possible, make them express their thoughts in class. Although the answer was wrong, teachers avoid to make the student embarresed, but feel confident.

I totally agree with Abby's thought.
Keeping quite and focusing on a teacher's speaking have been considered as a good student in Korean classroom.
If students have something to ask teacher, they even don't ask teachers a question immediately during class though we, who study in the university, are much better than middle or high school students.
It's one of Korean cultures which is not good as Abby said.

Some of you already mentioned the above, I think that the key problem is related to a fear of making a mistake. Back in my secondary school, I didn't want to speak in English unless I was confident of correct grammar structure. Mostly, teachers wanted us to speak correctly, it was better to keep silent in a class.
So, I believe the first thing that we need to do is to encourage our students to speak without fear of making mistakes. In my opinion, the best way for this is to encourage student, even though they make a lot of mistakes while they are speaking. Moreover, it's good to listen to the speaker carefully(Though it doesn't make sense) so that the speaker can keep trying to express his/her idea or feeling. Well, this is a small think that I got. I guess that MB(Lee Myung Bak) will be angry again, because the national weather forecasting center said today would be cloudy and rain but the weather outside is just awesome as yesterday! Hope you guys enjoy the wonderful spring scene for the rest of weekend!