Early English Education in Korea - With Reference to CPH and Bilingual Education

Early English Education in Korea

  English has become one of the regular subjects in elementary schools in Korea as of March 1997. And now, a growing number of parents are more concerned than ever about their children"s English education. At present, English is taught to children from third grade and on, but increasing number of children are taught English at private preschools or at private institutions called "HakWon" before they enter elementary schools, and as a result there would be a big gap in-between. This study attempts to approach this problem by reviewing the relevant theories and examining the current status of early English education in Korea. Although the Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH), one of the major theoretical basis for starting English education in elementary schools in Korea, is still a controversial issue, fully convincing counter-example has not been presented. And many recent researches support the "younger-is-better" Position in second language acquisition, at least in the area of pronunciation. And considering the myths about bilingualism will enable us to dispel some common misconceptions and may reveal the possibility of adapting effective bilingual programs to early English education in Korea In fact, many private English institutions for children have already implemented bilingual immersion programs. Based on these, it seems desirable to start English education earlier in Korea from preschools in both public and private.