Effectiveness of using Korean replacements questioned



By Bahk Eun-ji



Seoul and Gyeonggi Province are reducing the number of native English teachers.



Education authorities say they want to replace them with Korean teachers, but some experts doubt this will be effective.



The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education (GPOE) has halved its 2014 budget for foreign English teachers to 12 billion won from 23 billion won this year. It will hire a total of 746 native English teachers next year from 1,207 this year.



The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (SMOE) and its district offices plan to hire 655 foreign teachers next year, compared with 682 this year.



"Apart from costs, more ultimately, Korean English teachers are capable of providing as decent a quality of education as foreign teachers do," a Gyeonggi official said.



A Seoul education official agreed, pointing out that class sizes are getting smaller so Korean teachers will be able to teach better, foregoing the need for native teachers.



"It is part of long-term plans to eventually reduce the number of foreign teachers and replace them with Korean teachers, as we have trained Korean teachers to cover the classes foreign ones have been taking care of so far," said the official from the GPOE.



The official said that Korean teachers also have opportunities to learn from native teachers so as to offer better English classes to students. Korean teachers' English ability is getting better, so there is less necessity to hire foreign teachers at schools.



Some Korean English teachers in public schools, however, are doubtful if they will be able to cover the role of native English teachers especially for conversation classes.



"I think foreign teachers and Korean teachers have different roles as English teachers. If we can teach reading and grammar more thoroughly, they can teach conversation better than us," said a teacher named Chang working at middle school in Seoul.



"That's why we still need them in a school. I'm sorry the foreign teachers had to go when the system was about to be stabilized," Chang said.



Native English teachers agreed.



"If we go back to the original intention of having native English teachers in public schools, then we can see if expectations have been realized," said a foreign English teacher at a high school in Seoul, asking not to be named.



"With respect to the practical use of English, there is very little time during the week for students to express themselves or opportunities like after school programs and club activities. One class a week taught by a native English teacher gives the students very little time to practice skills," he said.



He said there are students who are proficient in the use of English, but for many others a native English teacher in school is an opportunity for them to use "real" English.



