C&T 598 RR5 Hazara Leon

Dr. Cho & Annette

June 20, 2017

Choi The impact of EFL testing on EFL education in Korea

The majority of Korean people are not equipped with adequate productive (speaking and
writing) English skills in spite of all the time, money, and energy they invest in learning
the language (Choi 42)

Throughout this article Choi discusses the various tests that are used to test English skills
all around the world. In particular, Korea uses TOEFL as a requirement for admission
into a school and for graduation while the TOEIC is used for hiring employees at Korean
corporations. These two major EFL tests are highly valued in the Korean sociopolitical
spheres as well as in the educational sphere. Due to their importance in society, much
time, money, and energy is put into Korean students learning English. Kyunghwa Girls
School is a prime example of this emphasis towards building schools specialized in
teaching English. The girls are put into courses all three years that will improve their
English grammar and syntax while their studies are complemented by conversational
classes, after-school English clubs and English morning broadcasts. As a teacher at the
EB high school I really do see the extent of this quote. Many of these girls travel from
places hours away, attend hagwons, and participate in English clubs to learn English. At
the end of the day these girls are only preparing for business English that will prepare
them for a company position. Third year students who have gotten to the very end of their
time as students, even after all the time and effort, still seem to lack conversational skills.
During their final, a mock interview, they find themselves at a loss for words. They are
unable to respond to anything off script. To them memorization is key. Although Dionne
stresses the need for them to speak naturally, they still find themselves memorizing
everything that is needed for their tests. This skill has been instilled in their teaching
curriculum, so having a teacher like Dionne who encourages organic conversations is
something that they find hard to grasp. A conversation class with teachers that encourage
and promote speaking freely is something that is needed in more English classes in
Korea. In addition, it would really help to encourage mistakes as part of regular speech
rather than emphasizing the need for perfect English.

Question: How can EFL tests be changed to encourage the teaching of productive English
skills?

Byean English, Tracking, and Neoliberalization of Education in South Korea

It seems that under the yoke of neoliberalism, English plays a more crucial role in
boosting intra-national competitiveness for local competition in Korea than it does inter-
national competitiveness for global competition worldwide (Byean 875)

Before joining the practicum we were told of how much the students enjoyed
competition. They highly enjoy playing games where rewards are on the line (this can
mean anything as small as stickers to anything as big as a food item). Although on a
different level, Koreans love for competition links to something as big as neoliberalism
C&T 598 RR5 Hazara Leon
Dr. Cho & Annette
June 20, 2017

and English is its driving force. The uses of tests like the TOEIC and TOEFL at work and
school, are examples of how English has become another tool for measuring someones
skills and quality as a student or employee. Rather than preparing students and employees
to work in a global society and promoting the teachings of conversational English skills,
English is only being taught in the context of test taking skills. It is more important to
learn test-taking skills for the English portion of the exam, thus students are taken
through years and years of grammar and syntax classes that will prepare them for
choosing the correct answer on their exams. When confronted with a situation that
requires real conversational skills, the students are left unprepared for the situation.
Therefore, the Neoliberalization of education that has pushed for competition for the best
school, the best student, the best employee, etc., can be seen as a hindrance to the
learning of English. The push for Neoliberalization has prompted divisions in English
classes and even the lack of qualified teachers for lower level students. This push for
competition can be positive but if it means nurturing those who are only doing well, then
the system is being used the wrong way. The division of classes based on levels can be a
good tool for helping students at different levels, rather than throwing them into a mixed
pool where they might sink while those who are doing well float on by without ever
having to swim. All in all, I can see the good and the bad that comes with
Neoliberalization, but if used for good, it is possible for this to be a tool for English
learning.

Question: How can Neoliberalization of education be seen as a tool for English learning?