Saturday 9:30 - 10:20 AM
Azalea, Olympic ParkTel
EFL Teacher Training in Korea 

A quick glance at the curricula of EFL teacher training institutions shows three major categories of  courses: literature,  linguistics, and   some EFL theories  and techniques.   Some colleges offer language skills courses taught by English native speakers.  Few 
institutions, however, teach content courses in English.  The content courses, especially those of literature and linguistics, seldom have bearing on pedagogical implications either 
in theory or in practicum. Upon earning 140-156 credits in the above courses, plus some general education courses, college  students are licensed  to teach English  in secondary schools. 
I have insisted that a professional EFL teacher, wishing to facilitate language learners to reach at certain  level of  the English language  use ability,  needs three  qualifications: English proficiency, teaching techniques, and  knowledge of  SLA principles  related to language teaching and assessment.  Those qualifications are not required of traditional teachers who view foreign language ability as that of grammar analysis and translation. The reason why EFL teacher education is filled with literature and linguistics, is that the majority of the concerned  faculty holds such a  traditional view.  Consequently we 
produce EFL teachers  who can talk  about English "academically,"  but not necessarily those who can use English as  communication or use various pedagogical techniques  to 
facilitate EFL acquisition in the classroom. There are three groups which campaign for change: Secondary School Teachers of EFL, 
the Ministry of Education, and  University EFL Majors. The teachers meet and talk in English, exchanging ideas.  The Ministry has kept pushing communicative English teaching since the early seventies. University EFL majors have tried to revise curricula 
so that the courses become relevant  to EFL professionalism.  All those efforts are not expected to achieve substantial  success unless a drastic  change is made to  implement the three conditions  mentioned above,   preferably in  the form  of a  state policy  for teacher selection. I propose that newly employed EFL teachers ought to demonstrate a certain level of  English proficiency,  maybe ACTFL  ADVANCED in  all four areas, 
satisfactory teaching techniques, and basic knowledge of second language acquisition and assessment.  What about those already on the job?  They can learn and change as they work with new teachers. The new selection policy will naturally motivate the university faculty as well.  Without this kind of policy change, we will keep seeing EFL education inefficiently conducted.