1. Welcome to this series of eight Introductory learning modules for new
students, current ESL teachers, and senior persons wishing to become ESL
teachers in Korea or China. These learning modules represent an overview of
the instructional material found in Australia City College's accredited TESOL
111 and TESOL 1V courses.
ACC4300-1 learning module “An overview of teaching in non English
speaking countries”
Welcome to this series of non accredited introductory learning modules
designed to give an overview of teaching English as a second language in
Korea and China to ESL teachers currently residing in Australia, young
persons who are seeking to embark on a career path in ESL teaching, and
senior persons interested in changing the current direction of their working
lives to become ESL teachers, who might also like to teach ESL in China or
Korea.
In more advanced TESOL course work there exists a myriad methods of both
assessing and teaching the English language to second language (L2)
students. Described here is the most prevalent of all of the methods which is
still the main method, by choice,of State, and private schools (Hagwons) in
Korea. Korean students learn English through a system of teaching cited by
academic scholars as the Grammar translation method.
The presentation of the English language in State and Private schools in

2. Korea is by a two teacher method, where the core English grammar based
coursework, and the rudiments of the English language, are presented
to students by bi-lingual Korean teachers. Bi-lingual classes are often
in conjunction with the student use of a language laboratory, which is
also generally supervised by senior Korean bilingual teachers. This
teaching system has a lot of merit where the students belong to a single
nation. Student in a multilingual classroom similar to those found in
Australia, can be much more complicated for an ESL teacher.
The bi-lingual Korean ESL teacher is able to present English grammar
structures to Korean students, and then is able to reinforce the sense
of the grammatical structures with examples from the Korean
language. Coupled to these classes are the language laboratory
activities where the L2 student is then able to, with the use of
language software, study many vocabulary lists and use vocabulary
comprehension testing sections, with word insertion into language
passages via multiple choice selection. For these activities, obviously,

3. the student must be advanced enough to take the classes. Grammar
classes and language laboratory classes tend to go on in the
background of the visiting Western ESL teacher's own timetable.
For the Australian ESL teachers then, there is a timetable that covers
prescribed text books, both for the teacher and the students, together
with a students homework workbook. Homework is generally set at
the end of each lesson, which allows the teacher to get the students
to complete any outstanding work from the lesson, or, to handout
fresh homework using topics that will form part of the next lesson.
The ESL teaching syllabus is a teaching progression based on the
textbook's chapters. At the end of each chapter there are the
grammar structures that cover the completed chapter work. These end
of chapter grammar sets run concordant with the background grammar
lessons being taught by the Korean teachers. They give the ESL
teacher a chance to teach some extra “off textbook” grammar

4. examples if required, and at the same time test the students
comprehension of the any grammar structure that has been used in
the chapter. Important here is that the ESL teacher does have a solid
working knowledge of English grammar because there is a continuous
need to reinforce the schools bilingual English grammar teachers, not
all L2 students get grammar in the first pass.
Having tested the students grammar, reading writing, listening and
speaking abilities at each chapters end, the ESL teacher has to
compile a progress report for each student, and hand it into the
school's administrator. The report will contain the attendance record,
the students learning progress, and an attributing score mark for each
learning category. The general report is also use by the Korean
teacher during a daily/weekly curtsey telephone conversation with each
students parents giving a general report about each students attitude
in the classroom, their learning capabilities, their attention span, and

5. their contribution to the daily lesson.
The ESL teacher then, is managing his/her Korean classroom and
using a daily lesson plan to present the lesson parameters. The
dynamics of each classroom generally bring the classroom alive as
the students start to respond to the lesson plan. Lesson plans will be
cover in the ACC4300-3 learning module.
Where the ESL teacher is contracted to a state school the programs
can be quite different. The permanent Korean teaching staff conduct
meetings to formulate lesson plans for the different age groups in the
student body (e.g Korean Elementary state schools have six grade
levels). State schools are generally very well equipped with
presentation electronics text books, and classroom supplies. They
emphasise a much more hands on active approach to teaching and
have English syllabuses that include both general English classes, and
drama classes (lots of fun). Classes tend to have larger student

6. numbers than private schools, up to thirty students per classroom. Co-
teaching, two teachers to a classroom, one bilingual Korean teacher
and one Western ESL teacher. Class Lesson plans are provided to
the Western teacher, by the Korean teacher, on a daily basis. State
schools sometimes also employ a full time English teacher who has
his/her own English classroom, and private office. They prepare and
conduct their own syllabuses and lessons.
After school programs, which are run by private ESL contracting
companies, are similar to Hagwons but after school programs are
awarded to companies by the State school headmaster, and attract
government contracts. After school programs usually run for two to
three hours after the normal daytime school finishes. Classes are run
on the general English floor of the school, with each ESL teacher
having their own classroom and text books provided by the private
After School Program contractor. The daytime co-teaching, and the

7. State school after school programs are part of the same contract and
generally run for thirty hours a week.
Most fun of all is teaching ESL in an English Village type private
school, which are popular in Korea. Many of the classrooms are
constructed as stage sets of various shops types. There may be a
restaurant, a book shop, hospital ward, a full blown theatre, and cafe
that become interactive roll play classroom scenarios. The English
village school is general set on two floors with one floor for normal
general English classes. The interactive shop complex floor is used by
several staff teachers on a time allocation, timetable activity lesson
block, basis. The theatre is used for whole school student acting
competition with teacher/student story skits, and minimal student prop
manufacture.
Last but not least are the Summer and Winter camps that all Korean

8. school and students take part in some form or another. These can be
conducted in the actual state school, or as private fee paying venues.
Often a summer camp will be held in a Winter ski resort. Wide
games, and lots of artistic activities like making posters, clay
modelling are the fare, with whole camp, (over 100 students)
competing in knock-out musical mime pieces, often as good as SBS
POP Asia performers, (some of the ten year olds have all of the
mime moves for their favourite pop group, amazing!) Golden Bell
vocabulary knock-out competition, and treasure hunts, water slides are
also very popular.
Well, that's all for now for learning module ACC4300-1 “Overview of
teaching English in non English countries”. I hope you have gained
some insights what to expect as visiting Australian ESL teacher
teaching in Korean Private schools (Hagwons), Korean State schools
and English international Village type schools.

9. See you next time in ACC4300-2 learning module “Language
teaching methodologies.
This lecture gives general information about Korea's cultural profile, its
culinary attributes, some reference to its Historical sites and the current
exciting and youthful expressions its economic and technological verve