In a move that will be both lauded and derided by English teachers across Korea, ETS (Educational Testing Service), the maker of the TOEIC and TOEFL, announced a voluntary test for assessing the teaching ability of those who teach English. (more…)

Sounds like the crux of the Lee Myung Bak government’s argument is: “It’s 10pm, do you know where your children are?” As the debate grows between hagwon groups and the government, most teachers seem to favor the idea of having dinner at least by 11pm. What do you think?
[Korea Times]

For those of you ESL teachers who teach upper level academic English, note-taking is an essential competency. Here is a useful site with a variety of note-taking (or, as the site owner states “note-making”) tools available for teachers, students, and anyone who wished they learned this stuff sooner!

[English Companion]

ATEK, the Association for Teachers of English in Korea, officially launched yesterday at a Seoul Global Center press conference.

According to recent press, the organization aims to represent over 25,000 English language teachers in Korea and while not a union, it offers similar services such as access to a labor attorney, temporary housing assistance to those deemed wrongfully terminated, and what we love, “an employer rater”.

In the [Korea Times]

It seems all things Korean are finding their way across the great puddle and landing in either L.A. or New York. A few years ago it was Korean frozen yogurt. Then fried chicken. Then we can’t forget the saunas known as jjimjilbang. Now, the time has come for crazed American parents to get in on the hagwon scene by sending their children to private schools that help them get into even more elite private schools! (more…)

The JoongAng reports today that hagwons are falling on hard times due to the economic downturn.

Excerpt:

“I tried everything not to have to cut my children’s education expenses. For two months, we stopped eating out and I didn’t go grocery shopping that often,” Cho said.

Such decisions by parents have forced many hagwon out of business. No hagwon in Gangnam, Yangcheon or Nowon, Seoul’s most popular education districts, is safe.

(more…)

It would be a kid’s dream hagwon. Inside the school there are no teachers. It is a comfortable space with no schedule whatsoever, and the pc’s are filled with games and English language simulations. In order to play they will have to ask their friends, but this is all in good fun. Could this be the future of English education technology? (more…)

The Kyunhang Shinmun reports that the demographics for English teachers is shifting away from North America and towards South Africa.

Due to the collapse of the won, many North Americans are now going to work in Japan and China, as hagwons across Korea struggle to place fewer and fewer available teachers. There is rise among teachers from New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. (more…)
HT [Marmot]

In a bid to improve the quality of English language instruction at public schools and reduce private education costs (hagwons), district education officials have begun to implement English immersion classes with native-speakers, such as at this school located in Gangdong District in eastern Seoul. The continuing debate over President Lee Myung Bak’s drive for English-immersion education can be found here [Korea Beat] and here [Korea Times].

photo: [Korea Times]