English-Only Classes Not as Effective as Claimed

What is the difference between trust and confidence?”

A university student Kim (20), who took an English class taught by a U.S. teacher at Yonsei University last semester, felt helpless when learning the subtle differences in the meaning of words.

The teacher explained the difference in the meaning of the above two words for 10 minutes, but Kim failed to grasp the point, just nodded his head and quietly looked up the words in a dictionary.

Only after consulting the dictionary did Kim come to understand that the two words are the same in terms of belief, but that the word “confidence” implies a stronger belief or conviction rather than the word “trust.”

Repeatedly experiencing this kind of predicament, Kim signed up for an English class conducted by a Korean professor this semester.

A newly released report says that a method in which Korean and English are used together in accordance with the subject is more effective since many university students find it hard to study in English-only speaking classes.

According to a report on the development of a model for foreign language education released by Yonsei University’s Specialization Committee of the School of Humanities on April 21, English-only classes are not seen as producing a high learning effect in students.

While universities are employing a growing number of native speaker teachers based on the perception that speaking only English in a foreign language class is better for students, the report offered a different view, saying that conducting a class in only English is not necessarily helpful for the students.

Yonsei University surveyed its 345 students who took “English reading” classes last semester and found that 264 students or 76.5 percent of those surveyed replied that a class with Korean-English speaking was a more efficient model than English-only classes. A mere 10 percent of those polled said that a Korean-only class or an English-only class was more useful.

Out of the 20 specific learning areas, students preferred a class conducted in Korean in 11 areas where a professor’s detailed explanations and cultural background or knowledge were needed such as grammar explanations, explanations of subtle differences in the meanings of words, connotation meanings, and descriptions of reading skill and paragraph structure.

However, students still preferred English-only classes in eight areas such as learning about synonyms, grasping the general tone of writing, finding the general idea in writing, answering questions based on the content of writing, and using similar expressions. Regarding group activities, students chose a method in which they were allowed to speak both Korean and English.

Lee Byung-gyo, who analyzed the data and is a lecturer in an English Literature department, noted, “English teachers should be good at understanding both the languages and cultures of Korea and English-speaking countries if they are to effectively teach students.”

dnsp@donga.com