Solution to Painful Engllish

C6 The solution to the painful quest to English language proficiency could be simple. Learning languages is easier the younger you start. English pre-schools and kindergartens are therefore growing in popularity, but are prohibitively expensive for a lot of families. So here's a solution: heavily subsidized government English kindergarten for every child in the country. Yes it's ambitious, it would be expensive, but one can fairly expect that the rewards would far outweigh the costs.

Korea's struggles with English language learning can be divided into three major areas: anxiety, time and expense. This approach would address all three areas.

The unease many Koreans approach learning English is both a source of anguish and an impediment to learning. English proficiency is a requirement for many forms of employment and is necessary to gain acceptance to prestigious overseas schools. It can go a long way to determining a person's standard of living. The nervousness of many is therefore understandable but not inevitable.

Early childhood education introduces the language in a stress-free setting. The kids don't worry about grammar; they play games, sing songs and learn. They're too young to understand the importance of what they're learning. They don't yet know the hiring practices of conglomerates or what TOEFL stands for. The innocence of childhood is a defense against these worries.

Learning a language necessarily involves a huge time investment. The earlier you start, the less time over the long run would need to be invested. Implanting young children with English would reduce the time they would need to study in later years, allowing students more time to work on other subjects. This would increase the country's skills in mathematics and technology, which would in turn.

The English classes offered in public schools aren't enough to build a strong base. The current model of private academies being able to charge whatever they want is a huge strain on family budgets in difficult economic times. A public option is the only viable alternative.

Families would still have to contribute to the costs by paying a flat rate roughly even with the current cost of Korean language institutions. If parents would rather their children study in their native language, they could do so at no extra cost.

If President Lee Myung-bak wishes for his rule to leave Korea with something valuable and visionary, this could be it. Inherent English capability in all children regardless of class or location could, within a generation or two, truly transform the country into the business hub its leaders are trying to create.

Like the current health care debate taking place in the United States, this is the kind of common sense solution that seems far more radical than it really is. Like that example, it would undoubtedly be protested by "small-government" simpletons who fatuously believe that the way to improve a society is by not investing in it.

Korea wants to be visionary, to lead its region and the world. Allowing the nation's youngest members to comfortable and affordably learn the global language would be a step toward that.

Discussion:

1.) What does the article all about?

2.) What are the three major reason why Korean find it difficult to study English? 

3.) How important is studying English in relation to the country's development?

4.) What do you think of the plan that the government will subsidize the learning of English to kindergarten student?

5.) Do you think if would be better if the government will try to review the educational curriculum of Korean school to give more emphasis on English?

6.) What is your view in the idea that in school students will strictly speak English during class hours.

7.) What is your experience of learning English?

8.) When did you start learning English?What are the things that you did to make you become good English speaker.

9.) In your own words, what do you think are the reasons why Koreans find it hard to study English?

10.) What are the reasons why some, if not all, Koreans chose to study English in the Philippines.