유럽연합의 외국어교육정책 고찰을 통한 한국 외국어교육의 바람직한 방향 탐색

A study for the improvement of foreign language education in Korea based on language education policy of the European Union

The purpose of this study is to discuss some alternatives which can contribute to the improvement of foreign language education in Korea. For this purpose, we briefly examine language education policies of EU, especially the plurilingual education and the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) (Council of Europe, 2001). European language education policies stress the importance of the individual’s lifelong development in plurilingual competence. In this research, the problems that foreign language education policies in Korea currently face are identified; some recommendations are then suggested to overcome those problems. We recommend, most importantly, planning the foreign language education improvement blueprints based on plurilingualism. The policy makers should realize the value and importance of diverse foreign languages in the global society, and take careful consideration of unequal investment on English education. Conclusively speaking, globalization and internationalization pose not only successful communication skills in foreign languages but also new challenges to social cohesion and integration.