Schools Matter: A suggestion for increasing English proficiency in Korea

Schools Matter: A suggestion for increasing English proficiency in Korea:

A suggestion for increasing English proficiency in Korea

by skrashen

A suggestion for increasing English proficiency in Korea
Sent to the Korea Herald, October 10, 2012

According to one parent, many Korean families pay about a half million won per month (about US $450) for private English lessons for their children. Meanwhile, a Korean provincial government spent 10 billion won (about US $10 million) to support the establishment of new international school. International schools serve a tiny percentage of Korea’s students and charge high fees (“Foreign schools show Korea’s social divide,” Oct. 10).

I have a suggestion: Invest the 10 billion won in English-language public libraries, accessible to everybody, filled with exciting books and magazines that young people really want to read. 

Study after study tells us that the amount of self-selected reading young people do is the best predictor of their scores on standardized English tests. Those who read more for pleasure read better, write better, know more