Naomi Waterhouse-Johnson

C&T 491 : May 26, 2016

Dr. Manuela Gonzales-Bueno
English Fever in South Korea: its history and symptoms by Park Jin-kyu
In English Fever in South Korea author Park Jin-kyu details the history of South
Koreas English education curriculum and standards, and analyzes the effects of the English
learning frenzy which plays a significant role in South Koreas difficult college entrance process
and competitive job market. Parks analysis of the South Korean focus on English education
takes into account many factors, namely the high cost of supplemental education, parents
willingness to send their young children (often elementary school students) abroad for immersive
language training, and lastly the growing fear of Korean among parents and linguists.
Concerning the cost of English education, Park observes that in the year 2005 Koreans
spent nearly 15 trillion won (about 15 billion in American dollars) on the subject, while they
spent only 20 trillion won in 2006 across all areas of core curriculum.
Park also describes the motivation behind pure early study-abroad, or the sending
abroad of much younger students either alone or with a single parent and the role of the fear of
Korean in decision-making. Pure early study-abroad embodies the Korean idea that the
younger and more isolated a person is in a new language, the quicker they will become fluent
and the more natural they will speak later on. Often times, parents and linguists ascribe to the
idea that the presence of a Korean-speaking environment (whether at home or school) is
detrimental to the learning of English, causing wide spread attempts by so-called Korean soccer
moms to lessen or even eliminate (through study abroad or English language schools) Korean as
a commonly spoken language. The elimination of Korean is a manifestation of this fear of
Korean which grows as the prevalence of English proficiency standards and testing grows.
Concerning the desire to speak naturally with good pronunciation, some of the most drastic

measures taken by parents are physical, as some enroll their children in linguistic surgery, a kind
of cosmetic surgery meant to modify the flexibility of the tongue and improve pronunciation.
Overall, Parks view of the English education phenomenon seems to be overwhelmingly
negative, taking into account the effects on the general health of students subjected to such
measures as study abroad and linguistic surgery. Despite the risk to students mental and physical
health (isolation at a young age, consistent pressure to excel, effects of surgery), South Korean
society seems to accept radical measures as the most effective path to success.
In my view, as well, the willingness for parents and other influential figures to disregard
risks concerning their own childrens health (mental and physical) is astounding. In addition, in
the grand spectrum of teaching and language learning methods, the actions taken without the
choice of the students, whether involving surgery or purposeful isolation are not proven to be
successful. As we discussed as a group, languages are best retained when the learner is
intrinsically invested in their study (have their own reason for learning, or are genuinely
interested for other reasons than academic or career success), while extrinsic pressure to learn a
subject often seems to decrease general interest and therefore make retaining information more
difficult. This principle is applicable beyond the field of language, and can be observed on a dayto-day basis. Even at Kyunghwa, the pressure to succeed is exemplified, as students spend
almost their entire day studying, even until late in the night. I more than question the soundness
of these practices. I would go so far as to denounce their long-term effectiveness.