Korea: Transition team rolls back English-language policies; Public sentiment was influential in bringing about reversal

[Francis Hult]

Via lgpolicy...
 

Transition team rolls back English-language policies
Public sentiment was influential in bringing about reversal

 Incoming President Lee Myung-bak¡¯s transition team announced that it
has reversed its position on English-immersion education. It will not
implement its plan to initiate nationwide English-immersion programs,
under which all classes would have been taught in English by 2010. At
a briefing on January 28, Lee Dong-kwan, the spokesman for the
transition team, said the incoming administration has no plans to
pursue English-immersion education at the national level. ¡°Some
schools that operate autonomously, such as independent schools or
those in special zones, have already adopted English-immersion
programs voluntarily but there has been, and will not be, any
assistance from the state,¡± Lee continued. New educational courses to
be launched in 2010 will focus on strengthening English-language
speaking and writing skills only within the context of classes that
teach English as a foreign language, but classes in other subjects
will not be taught in English, according to Lee.

Full story:

 http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/266275.html


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