What makes a student globally minded? While the question is broad and ambiguous,
universities around the nation responded, “Exposing students to English is one essential element.”

The number of university courses being offered in English increased rapidly since 2005. Universities in Korea are urging for more lectures to be given in English regardless of the content of the courses. The new trend caught the public’s attention following a series of student suicides at KAIST University. KAIST University’s administration converted all lectures from Korean into English in accordance with the dean’s bold vision of a ‘globalized university.’ Although the new change seemed harsh, KAIST is not the only university to undergo such a change. UNIST University also proudly announced that the university is now based 100% on English lectures. Other schools have taken less provocative actions compared to the former two schools but are starting to require students to take required courses in English. At Kookmin University, the number of courses offered in English jumped from 1.26%, or 68 lectures in 2008, to 7.71%, or 433 lectures in 2011. Moreover, according to “KMU’s 1010” vision statement, students who enrolled in KMU after 2011 are required to take at least 3 courses within their major in English before graduation.

English in Korea

This flood of English lectures reflects Koreans’ thoughts about the language. The importance of English, even to those opposed to English lectures, cannot be denied. It is true that one’s language abilities develop through frequent exposure to that language. It is also true that speaking English is crucial in this current era of internationalization. One study estimates that 70% of all information on the Internet is in available in English, while only 7% of the world’s population actually uses this language. Turning back to Korean society, during 2004 and 2005, 18.5% of worldwide TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam applicants were Korean according to ETS (Educational Testing Service), the company which administers the TOEFL exam. In addition, 6 out of 10 university students responded that they previously attended a private educational institution for the purpose of preparing for the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) or TOEFL exams. Based on the numbers above, it is clear that the importance of English is undeniable.

It has been proven that simply listening to a language can improve one’s language ability. Given this fact, the purpose of encouraging and providing students with English lectures is evident. By directly demanding students take courses in English, universities seek to equip students with higher English ability. However, when universities establish English lectures, critics suggest that schools are just increasing the numbers of lectures in English without concern for quality. The primary criticism is that universities utilize English lectures to gain higher scores on university evaluations rather than as a means to support students. Nevertheless, the abrupt change in favor of English lectures is not expected to stop any time soon.

Voices from Students and Professors

A student named Park (a fictitious name) started our interview by saying, “To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short,” a saying that comes from Confucius. Park expressed that the school consciously moves forward with measures to look good on the outside without caring about the students. As striking as the statement may be, two other interviewees felt the same way.

Due to professors’ autonomy over class content, which allows lecturers to manage courses in various styles, each lecture has distinct characteristics. In this sense, it is wrong to state that all lectures have the same problem. The most frequent problems students experienced varied from unprepared lectures to lecturers’ poor English ability, which are issues heavily dependent on the professors. However, while students put the blame for inadequate English lectures on the professors, professors’ views differed. “Often enough, the professor’s work and effort seem to be ignored by the students as the semester proceeds,” said one professor. He explained that students attending English lectures should put more effort into understanding the lectures, rather than complaining.

As stated above, nearly all students realize the importance of English. One professor said, “Korea relies highly on an intellectual workforce. There is no doubt that pursuing a higher level of universal language ability is necessary to gain a competitive advantage in the world market.” While students strive for higher scores on TOEIC exams, students lack a fundamental element necessary to succeed in the workforce. The benefit of a strong foundation in a professional area should be acknowledged. “Students should think long term rather than next semester or year. By experiencing English lectures, students can benefit from learning how things are said and done in the Western world, which might be necessary for their future careers,” added another professor. Moreover, being able to function amongst foreigners in English is another advantage.

Regardless of how this universal language is perceived by students and professors, voices are rising in protest. Many critics referred to English lectures as inefficient. In those courses consisting of complicated subject matter, students feel they are better off learning the material in Korean. Ever since the boom in English lectures, several departments at Kookmin University established major courses in English. “Last semester I had no choice but to take a course in English because it was a required course. It was very uncomfortable being in an environment I never wanted to be in,” complained one student. She added the situation was made worse by the fact that there were no suitable textbooks written in English. “I had to use 3 textbooks due to insufficient information in the English book, two in Korean and one in English. This was extra and unnecessary work since I had to interpret everything back into English to write the exam.”

The grievances went on. Another student commented, “The only reason I took my major courses in English was for the grades, though there are useful English lectures offered by our department.” He also mentioned that some fields of study are difficult enough to learn in Korean, and there is no point to learning them in English.

On the other side, one optimistic student stated, “I think it is sometimes useful for students to take English lectures. For example, mass media and business studies were first established in English. In that sense, it is easy to understand the concepts, terminologies and case studies related to the course.” Another student felt he killed two birds with one stone. By having an interest in the course, he was able to improve his knowledge of both the course content and English. However, none of the students denied that English lectures were a source of easy As.

Truth, as the word suggests, leaves no room for argument. Kookmin University’s policy is that lectures in English are subject to the absolute grading system, under which there is a possibility that all students might receive As. The policy’s intent is to alleviate students’ problems with the language. However, this policy leads to another problem, passive class atmosphere. Being in a room without competition lowers the efficiency of the course. Professors only concentrate on PowerPoint and textbooks, and students are expected to do a certain amount of quality work, just enough to receive a ‘good grade’. Moreover, one student indicated the tendency of some professors to cater towards the minority. “My last English lecture was a mess. The professor catered the lecture to students who were good at English, such as those who had experience studying abroad. Other students felt very awkward in the lecture room. We had no choice but to be silent and watch only a few students speak during class.”

Professors offered several insights. One professor measured the participation rate of her courses as a 6 or 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. She said that Kookmin University students were not any less likely to speak in class than students at other universities. Another professor explained that the class atmosphere depends highly on the individual students. “From my experience, despite the cultural differences around the world, there are always passive students and active students. I believe that professors are obligated to respect the individuality and personality of each student,” said one professor. One cannot be blamed for being shy. However, another shared a rather different perspective. “I felt like I was talking to a wall when giving lectures in English. Even those students who were active in my Korean lectures became speechless. Also, when asked a question, students stare and wait for someone else to speak up.” This leads to a situation where the professor was also discouraged from interacting with students. 

Regarding Assignments

Among various assignments given by professors lecturing in English, all professors expressed the importance of reading. “Only through reading can one accumulate a wide vocabulary and learn how to use it correctly. Only through reading can one hope to acquire knowledge and put it to the test,” said one professor. Even though the students understand this logic, there were complaints about the overwhelming amount of reading. “I am fed up with reading assignments every week. Although I try to finish them, they are endless,” commented one student. Another issue among the students was complicated reading materials. “In one lecture, the professor asked us to read 20 pages worth of essays. The words and expressions that the writer used were too difficult for us to understand. I think most student did not finish that packet,” another said. The struggle stretched from overflowing amounts of papers to complicated reading material. Yet, during interviews, some professors said they were willing to or have actually reduced the amount of reading assignments. “I try to give out important parts of the reading. This way, students are likely to be motivated to finish the work rather than to read just the first few pages,” one professor added.

As to the assignments where students must engage in ‘speech’, for example group discussions and presentations, students tend to avoid on such matters. “Although group discussions supplement the parts of the class I could not understand, the discussions are usually led by a ‘fluent’ student. The same is true for team projects,” said one student. She also said that although team members are evaluated, no one bothers to stir up conflict. One professor offered advice on this matter.  In his courses, he uploaded a post which students are to comment on. “By having small discussions online, students were given time to be prepared for the lecture. Also, in my ‘Seminars in Special Topics’ course, students drew lots and were asked to speak during the following class.  Using both methods, every individual can speak at least once without feeling embarrassed or as if they were being ostentatious.”

Dilemma

Notwithstanding that every professor is an expert in his or her own field, English ability seems to be another problem. In one case, one renowned Korean lecture was available in English. However, students left the lecture room greatly disappointed. While the administration established the course as an ‘English lecture’, the course proceeded mainly in Korean. Some Korean students were happy to benefit from the absolute grading system, whereas the situation was the reverse for students who expected to benefit from improving their English. Additionally, students sometimes frown upon professors with poor English ability. “It does not matter where the professors received their degrees. There should be an evaluation to determine if the professor is ready to teach in English,” suggested one student. Another included, “I was shocked by my previous lecture. I knew the professor for one year and he gave amazing lectures in Korean. However, when it came to English, I have nothing more to say.” Although this problem well known around the nation, it seems that the administration is not taking any action.

When this problem was articulated to one professor, he expressed surprise. He explained that the school has a procedure where professors are to hand in reports at the end of the semester along with samples of the students’ exams to the school. The policy is meant to supervise whether the lectures were properly administered in English. Moreover, lecturers teaching in English are given financial incentives to encourage quality lectures.

Suggestions

While there is optimism for the motive behind English lectures, professors agreed there are structural problems. Starting with improper class evaluations to weak monitoring systems, further improvements are needed. First, at the end of the semester, students are asked to fill out a survey and evaluate their courses. However, at times, some of the questions in these surveys do not make any sense. “Although many sections in the class evaluation are necessary, they are sometimes out of the blue,” said one professor. In addition, some have suggested setting standard requirements for certain courses. In lectures where the contents require knowledge of advanced English, students who lack preparation are likely to fall behind. “I understand students are enthusiastic and willing to take on a challenge. Despite their enthusiasm, sometimes there are students who should not be in my lecture room,” commented one professor. The professor also recommended the school set up prerequisite English language courses before allowing students to enroll in advanced courses so students can become familiar with basic terminology and ideas. Another issue was from the newly hired professors, or at least those hired after 2009. According to “KMU’s 1010” report, all professors (excluding lecturers), were required to give lectures in English.

The problems suggested do not mean that Kookmin University is not stepping up improvements. Last semester, several workshops were held on campus. The workshops were intended to guide professors and have them share ideas about teaching in English. “The workshop that I attended helped. Actually, I received wonderful feedback from students because of the ideas that I got from the workshops,” said one professor.

Currently, pursuit of the universal language is inevitable. Whereas the trend in favor of English lectures is well established, it also is said to be taking baby steps. Where there are problems, there needs to be interaction between the administration, students and professors. Slow and steady wins the race. Rather than rush hastily towards an ‘international’ or ‘globalized’ school, the school should first meet the needs of students and professors.

Further, students who are afraid of English lectures should acknowledge the fact that they are at university; the place to dive into new experiences. Students who complain should look back on their actions and consider how they have behaved. One professor advised, “University is all about learning and should be a rewarding place for those seek to learn and excel.”

Choi Yun-Seong(Reporter)

Paulc0615@kookmin.ac.kr