Dear Editor:
Shocking as it is that a female English teacher from South Africa openly poisoned students in a Korean school, it may be one indicator of some long-standing racist sentiment held by some. It is not something that Korean people can change, but it is a reality about which we need to be aware.
It may be time to review what is being taught by native English teachers to Korean children. While divided Korea's political standing is as shaky as it can be, some may see it an opportunity to exploit and abuse Korean children in one way or another. Some are subtle, while others are brutal like this incident. Among many political concerns, the biggest priority should always be the wellbeing of our children. Korean people work hard so that our children can have the necessary education to be knowledgeable in today's modern world, where more than 80 percent of stored information is in English.
It is difficult not to be concerned about the intellectual safety, security and wellbeing of Korean children. There are many ways to get the opportunity to immerse into a native English speaking environment. For example, certain well-chosen and screened movies may play the role of an English tutor at much lower cost, and with known risks that can easily be identified and dealt with.
Considering the cost of hiring a native English teacher, and the risks associated with it, it may be a time to reconsider; are Koreans hiring more native English speakers than they can actually handle?
While there may be many sarcastic comments about Koreans' efforts to learn English, the truth is Koreans are still quite behind in terms of English speaking and writing skills. Living in North America and as an ESL learner, I have never found learning from individual native speakers an effective way to learn English. The flexibility and fluidity of English speech and pronunciation makes each individual native speaker's version (and teaching) come from a limited perspective. On the other hand, some well-chosen motion pictures are much better evidence of English speech and pronunciation. Meanwhile, many native speakers and teachers are themselves educated and influenced by movies, TV and music.
It is necessary to learn from the best, to get the best and make best use of the time and effort of children and students.
Shocking as it is that a female English teacher from South Africa openly poisoned students in a Korean school, it may be one indicator of some long-standing racist sentiment held by some. It is not something that Korean people can change, but it is a reality about which we need to be aware.
It may be time to review what is being taught by native English teachers to Korean children. While divided Korea's political standing is as shaky as it can be, some may see it an opportunity to exploit and abuse Korean children in one way or another. Some are subtle, while others are brutal like this incident. Among many political concerns, the biggest priority should always be the wellbeing of our children. Korean people work hard so that our children can have the necessary education to be knowledgeable in today's modern world, where more than 80 percent of stored information is in English.
It is difficult not to be concerned about the intellectual safety, security and wellbeing of Korean children. There are many ways to get the opportunity to immerse into a native English speaking environment. For example, certain well-chosen and screened movies may play the role of an English tutor at much lower cost, and with known risks that can easily be identified and dealt with.
Considering the cost of hiring a native English teacher, and the risks associated with it, it may be a time to reconsider; are Koreans hiring more native English speakers than they can actually handle?
While there may be many sarcastic comments about Koreans' efforts to learn English, the truth is Koreans are still quite behind in terms of English speaking and writing skills. Living in North America and as an ESL learner, I have never found learning from individual native speakers an effective way to learn English. The flexibility and fluidity of English speech and pronunciation makes each individual native speaker's version (and teaching) come from a limited perspective. On the other hand, some well-chosen motion pictures are much better evidence of English speech and pronunciation. Meanwhile, many native speakers and teachers are themselves educated and influenced by movies, TV and music.
It is necessary to learn from the best, to get the best and make best use of the time and effort of children and students.
W. Kwon
Minnesota, United States
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