Teaching English to Korean Teaching English to Korean StudentsStudents

Understanding Their Particular ProblemsUnderstanding Their Particular Problems

Korean language is Korean language is totally differenttotally different from English from English in structurein structure. .

English, Spanish, French, German and most English, Spanish, French, German and most other western languages are other western languages are conclusion orientedconclusion oriented language and use language and use Roman alphabetsRoman alphabets, while, while

Korean and Japanese languages are Korean and Japanese languages are situationsituation orientedoriented language and use their language and use their own writing characteristicsown writing characteristics..

Chinese also have their own writing Chinese also have their own writing characteristics, but as Chinese language is characteristics, but as Chinese language is conclusion oriented language like English. So, conclusion oriented language like English. So, for Chinese students, English is easier to learn. for Chinese students, English is easier to learn.

In EnglishIn English, conclusion of a sentence, , conclusion of a sentence, verb comes firstverb comes first in the predicate clause. in the predicate clause.

In KoreanIn Korean, , verbs come at the endverbs come at the end: so the : so the structure is totally reversed. structure is totally reversed.

Native Spanish speaking students can speak Native Spanish speaking students can speak English without so much difficulty if they could English without so much difficulty if they could only convert Spanish words to English words. only convert Spanish words to English words.

Korean studentsKorean students can not speak English well can not speak English well even though they know the English words, even though they know the English words, because they because they need some delay timeneed some delay time to convert to convert the sentence structure before they utter out a the sentence structure before they utter out a sentence.sentence.

Here is the table of comparison;Here is the table of comparison;

( English ) ( Spanish ) ( Korean )( English ) ( Spanish ) ( Korean )

writing characteristicswriting characteristics Roman Alphabet Roman Alphabet Korean Alphabet Roman Alphabet Roman Alphabet Korean Alphabet

back ground/ customsback ground/ customs Europe Europe Asia Europe Europe Asia

language origin/rootlanguage origin/root Greek/ Roman Greek/ Roman Korean/ Altai Greek/ Roman Greek/ Roman Korean/ Altai

language structurelanguage structure conclusion oriented conclusion oriented situation oriented conclusion oriented conclusion oriented situation oriented

accent/ stressaccent/ stress frequent frequent none/ rare frequent frequent none/ rare

So, we So, we need to understand the difference in need to understand the difference in language structure and customs between language structure and customs between English and Korean language.English and Korean language. We have to be We have to be cognitive that Korean students have to learn not cognitive that Korean students have to learn not only the semantic and lexical English words and only the semantic and lexical English words and phrases, but also the new sentence structures phrases, but also the new sentence structures which are totally reversed to their native which are totally reversed to their native language.language.

And this means that when we deal with new And this means that when we deal with new Korean students, we have to Korean students, we have to speak more slowly speak more slowly and have to have patience waiting longer timeand have to have patience waiting longer time until they start to say in English.until they start to say in English.

It usually It usually takes about takes about one yearone year until the new until the new Korean students start to say a sentence in Korean students start to say a sentence in EnglishEnglish even still with much mistakes and wrong even still with much mistakes and wrong pronunciations. It would take about pronunciations. It would take about 2-3 years 2-3 years until they can speak English without so much until they can speak English without so much difficultydifficulty/ hesitation but still with some mistakes. / hesitation but still with some mistakes. It It takes about takes about 5-7 years5-7 years for Korean students to for Korean students to speak English fluentlyspeak English fluently with immediate code with immediate code switching(*) ability.switching(*) ability.

(*) code switch – ability to switch from one (*) code switch – ability to switch from one language system to other language systemlanguage system to other language system

Most ELL programs and books are focused on Most ELL programs and books are focused on teaching native Spanish speaking students teaching native Spanish speaking students because the because the majority of ELL students in America majority of ELL students in America are native Spanish speaking studentsare native Spanish speaking students including including Mexican students. While Spanish is similar to Mexican students. While Spanish is similar to English in language structure, Korean language English in language structure, Korean language is totally different in structure.is totally different in structure.

I want the teachers who have Korean students in I want the teachers who have Korean students in their classes to understand that their classes to understand that Korean students Korean students have more difficultyhave more difficulty than other ELL students in than other ELL students in learning English.learning English.

Thank you for your effort in Thank you for your effort in understanding and teaching understanding and teaching Korean students with peculiar condition.Korean students with peculiar condition.