[OP10] Opinion on possibility of implementing effective English instruction

Koreans compare the class packed with students to mung bean sprouts. When I was an elementary student, there were 70 students in a class. When I graduate high school, we had almost 60 students in a class. My mother has worked as an elementary school teacher since 1960s, and she says in those times she taught 100 students in a class. The amazing number even scares us, making us doubt whether the normal teaching and learning could have been in that situation. Nowadays there are almost 40 students in a class. A simple mathematics shows that it takes more than 10 years to reduce 10 students in a class. The most efficient teaching method for many students in a class is regarded as lecturing and we have been taught so. On the contrary lecturing is considered as least effective teaching method in language learning. Korea is in a dilemma in the middle of large teacher to student ration and effective English instruction.



Firstly, in language learning interaction between teacher and students is a necessity. Language cannot be learned alone. Reading and grammar may be self-studied. However, as Koreans who have studied by GTM method, it produces crippled language learners. In a big class, it’s hard to even listen to each student’s saying, not to speak of giving a feedback.



Secondly, it takes a lot of time to take control of the whole class. There are many activities to have students speak more but they can lead to a chaotic atmosphere. Then teacher should spend lots of time on quieting students down and the 20-minute main activity is reduced to 10 to 15 minute.



Thirdly, lots of students mean as many as different levels of them. Language class can never be effective without grouping by levels. In most Korean schools, more than half students in a class are beginners and 2 or 3 students are advanced. Whether teacher focuses the level on beginners or advanced, the class doesn’t help any part of them.



We often think that the most important factor in teaching is teacher’s skill, but the environment cannot be placed after teaching skills. We choose here whether we are going to teach students like before and wait until the right time comes or we are going to introduce better teaching method anyway and put up with some failures.

Your essay reminds me of my school days. I also had almost 50 classmates. It was just like a sprouts pot like you said. This class size definitely not suitable for the English class. I guess students at the back of the class even hardly hear the teacher. We didn't feel whether that class size was not effective or not. However, it makes sense that the class size should be smaller as the society changes.

100 students in one class!? I can not imagine how teacher can manage whole students and teaching in this big class size. I heard from English teacher that the 2 classess in secondary school are going to divided into 3 classess based on proficiency level of students. If this plan is implemented in the future, teachers may be incapble of offering higher education in better teaching environment