The Debate About English Only Classes
Before you read
Have you heard about this subject?
What do you already know about classes being taught using only English in Korean universities?
The debate rages about non-English teaching classes at some Korean universities that use only English as the medium of communication in classes. Perhaps universities must do this because Korean companies have spread out around the world and the world has become a smaller place. And as a result, English has become an even more necessary medium for doing business and staying competitive.
In reply, universities say that they are clambering to keep in step with their competitors, and so to attract more foreign students they need to use more English in class. In addition to this, it is important to have professor’s research published internationally to help to raise the university’s rankings. For these reasons, more and more English will be used and required in lectures. In fact, it is reported that universities in Seoul conduct between 20 to 40% of their lectures in English in order to remain and become more competitive.
On the other hand, Korean students complain that they can’t understand the English only lectures and that some professors English is not easily understood. Furthermore, these classes put undue stress on Korean students as we have recently seen in KAIST as an example. Another point is that it reduces the quality of the classes and reduces the ability of students to clearly understand all the ideas and concepts. And the lecturer could better explain him or herself using Korean.
It will be interesting to see what happens in the future and who will win out in this debate.
Guessing Meaning From Context
Now, match the letters of the phrasal verbs/words with the closest numbered meaning in the right column. The meanings here are based on the way the words are used in this writing. The answers are at the bottom
|
medium |
A |
1 |
Go wider and wider |
|
spread out |
B |
2 |
Keep up, not get left behind because too slow |
|
clamber |
C |
3 |
Not necessary |
|
keep in step |
D |
4 |
victory |
|
undue |
E |
5 |
Something between 2 groups that joins them |
|
On the other hand |
F |
6 |
Anger, speaking angrily and emotionally |
|
rages |
G |
7 |
The opposite view or thinking |
|
win out |
H |
8 |
Trying to get out of or to get somewhere in a fighting way or style |
A=5, B=1, C=8, D=2, E=3, F=7, G=6, H=4
Some questions to help you use the new words/phrases
1. Which medium do you prefer for contacting other people, phone, email, or personal meeting? Why?
2. Describe a Korean product that has spread out around the world? Why?
3. What do you think would cause people to clamber to buy shares in a company that you know? On the other hand, what would cause them to sell?
4. How important is it for Korean universities to keep in step by using English only in classes.
5. Do you feel that using only English in university classrooms is unduly stressful? Why?
6. Do you feel that it is right that some students’ rage about the cost of university fees in Korea?
7. Who do you think will win out in the debate about using only English in university lectures? Why?
Some example sentences using the new words/phrases
1. The government had to act as a medium between the unions and the company.
2. Korean popular television and music has spread out around Asia.
3. Investors are clambering to buy shares in the company’s IPO (initial public offering of shares for sale on the stock market).
4. If you want to stay competitive in business and your job you have to keep in step with new technology.
5. Spectators were angry because they felt that the referee’s decision to yellow card the player was undue.
6. We should enjoy our lives now, but on the other hand it is important to prepare for the future.
7. The fire raged through the forest.
8. It will be interesting to see who will win out in the phone market of new smart phone contracts between KT and SK.
ECK Education
