[Editorial] Early English Education Bigger Burden for Students

The Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development says that starting in the second half of this year it is going to begin testing a program in which first and second grade elementary students would be taught English. Also, Jeju province and "special economic areas" like Incheon will begin teaching math and science using the English language beginning in 2008. The stated reason is developing human resources to promote internationalization and to do something about the massive amount of money sending young people English study programs overseas.

Put simply, it is very likely this policy will end up doing nothing other than be "policy for show" and be a further burden for children. How well will children learn English when they are going to spend around an hour a week studying it, and in the first grade? One wants to ask officials if they really think that is going to satisfy the families who sent their children overseas to study and get them to stop.

Those who support "early English education" claim that it is "good to learn foreign languages at an early age" and that it is "impossible to achieve fluency if children they miss that critical opportunity." That sounds like there's something to it, but it is a hypothesis that has not been verified. To begin with, linguists say they are have been almost no studies adequately analyzing whether or not early foreign language education is effective. If you look at foreign studies, there is disagreement over whether there is a "critical phase" or not. The results of research into Japanese language education in American elementary schools and Canada's "French immersion" program indicate that the period in a child's life is not what is most important. In other words, the education ministry's policy of continuing to expand early English education is being implemented on vague grounds, without scientific basis. Furthermore, it is an even bigger problem that they want to teach a foreign language to children who are too young to have had previous formal study of Korean.

What is needed right now is diverse research into what teaching methods would be effective, not an education ministry that is forging ahead with an early English education program that is of questionable basis. Officials need to remember that when education policy goes wrong it is young students who suffer the consequences.

The Hankyoreh, 13 January 2006.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]