Twisty Turny

kiera Wed May 28 2008, 12:58

by Jeong Ok-Sun, Nam-Suk, Kim Jin-Young, Jeong Mi-Jin, Kim Hyo-Jin, Jeong Ji-Eun and Kim Sun-Young

Hi! It's the year 2015. I am a Korean student and I have just 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 students. 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...

I used to be a students who had no interest in English. I wasn't fully convinced why we should learn English. My English teacher led us to think about the importance of English as a second language. Why second language? Because we students were exposed to English-speaking environment all the time at school. At the beginning, we had a hard time practising English all day long. I made errors and mistakes, but my teachers encouraged me to try to speak out more.

While I was practicing, teachers never made us embarrassed by correcting all mistakes that I made. English education focuses more on practicing and developing students' speaking abilities. That change made students get more chances to speak in English in schools, for instance, regular speaking courses.

Another important factor in English education is the evaluation system. As the evaluation system changes and focuses more on speaking skill, students also have to turn their interest to speaking and listening skills. Those two sections were once neglected in Korean English education system. Meaning and content are emphasized than grammar. There is no harsh grading system, which was once an oppressive ruler of Korean students.

In addition, every semester, students can participate in the English camp for free. The government supports the program as the English-focusing project made about 10 years ago. Every high school student must get 2 English training courses every year. Thanks to this program, we don't need to go to private institutes and to learn English at a great expense.

You may wonder if there are really no students who have problems with English. Of course, there are! However, there is also something fascinating to settle the problems. Each school offers them extra classes to learn and practice more. And, when they don't seem to be actually getting better, they can have a tutor who's studying English at university for free. Therefore, we can catch up on classes with no problem.

English Speech Contest is an other attractive event that motivates us to work harder. I can't forget that moment when I got a first prize in English speech contest. Our school held a English speech contest every month. In order to prepare for the contest, we make a script for ourselves and practice the speech with great passion. Of course, if we get any prize, it is connected with our records. I bet I could get confidence in English through these experience.