[OP7] Personal experience as an English Language Learner

Jongwoo Tue May 13 2008, 11:30

Think about your own experiences as an English language learner. Based on this experience, what would you like to implement and achieve as a teacher of English in the Korean public school context?

For the past twelve years, I have struggled to master the English language. Compared to the time and efforts I have put into the study, the outcome seems overwhelmingly trivial. I am capable of express myself both in written and spoken English, but it takes great deal of conscious efforts. Even up to this moment, I feel uncomfortable especially when I speak in English. Such discomfort made me a silent person. Obviously, The first to be blamed for my relatively disappointing English proficiency is not other than I. However, it is certain that my English must be far better than what it is, if my past English learning experiences at schools had been more timely and appropriate. Among many wrong practices I have experienced within Korean public schools as an English language learners, three need immediate correction and improvement: boring and irrelevant lesson contents, grammar-translation instruction. and excessive punishment.

One of the biggest problem of English education in the Korean public school context is that textbooks and other learning resources provided by schools are tedious and irrelevant to most young Korean students. They are highly academic and instructional, but not interesting enough to attract students' attention and promote their willing participation. During six years' learning of the English language in Korean public schools, I found no single topic appealing. If I am to teach English in a Korea public school, I would first look for topics that are relevant to my students and can easily draw their attentions. In most cases, the textbook does not contain such topics, so I would dedicate more time to my preparation, and construct my own passages and activities. It would be a lot more effective if I team up with other English teachers at my school for this extra endeavor. With more attractive lesson contents, students will be more active in their language acquisition, and develop English skills more easily and pleasantly.

In addition to the improvement in lesson contents, the current teaching strategy centered on grammar instruction and bilingual translation must stop and be replaced with more communication-oriented one. For many years, my English teacher at public schools have forced me to analyse complicated grammatical data, and memorize the rules and exceptions of English usages, yet they never told me what practical values they have. Throughout my entire school days, not even once was I given an opportunity to use what I have memorized in actual conversation. Had I been encouraged to practice my English during the classroom activities, my command in English could have been better. As a teacher of English, I would minimize unidirectional teacher-centered instructions. Instead, I would implement a variety of pair or group activities in which students can learn new ways of expressing in English and immediately practice them with their classmates. Although I will be teaching grammar, I will try my best for it to done inductively by encouraging them to make self-discoveries.

Furthermore, current level of punishment at Korean public schools is too high to the extent that it hampers students' learning. English is a language and can only be learned through an active use. Punishment only discourages this process, increasing students' anxiety. Making mistakes in language acquisition is natural, and can actually help students internalize new concepts. During my school days, however, I used to be punished harshly whenever I made a mistake without any word of encouragement. I became more reluctant to take a risk and tried to avoid using English as much as possible. As a teacher, I would be more sensitive to my students' anxiety, and provide them with supportive and comfortable environment in which they can freely practice using English. Undoubted, lowered inhibition is the key to success in any form of language education.

From what I have experienced as a student, English education in Korean public school context has many problems. English textbooks used in Korean schools are boring and totally irrelevant to the students' interest. Moreover, grammar-translation method of teaching English is still prevalent in most Korean schools and hinders young Korean students from acquiring practical language abilities. Besides, excessive punishment intensifies their anxiety and discourages them to take a risk. If these had been resolved, I could have become a more effective user of English. Once I become a teacher at Korean public school, I will put all my efforts to make sure that all my students will have positive English learning experience.