ENGLISH educational institutes for preschool children, which mostly refer to themselves as English kindergartens, have been taking advantage of English fever in South Korea. This is a new trend sweeping the country — exposing children to English as early as possible, the JoongAng Daily has reported.
According to the South Korean Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development, this recent trend is rooted in the theory that a second language is best acquired within a critical period extending from early infancy to puberty. Art-One Society, an English kindergarten set up this March in Yangjae, southern Seoul, represents this trend. What distinguishes it from other kindergartens is that it creates a natural environment for English learning. “Our priority is to balance English education with extra-curricular activities,” claims its principal Lee In-sil.
While such kindergartens are advocating advanced education theory, many South Korean educators have expressed concern about the teaching quality, even the side effects.
In fact, South Korean law does not support the use of the term “English kindergarten”. The Education Ministry classifies such schools as hagwon (cram schools), so they are not considered formal early childhood educational institutes. This means these so-called English kindergartens don’t follow a formal kindergarten curriculum. Currently, English kindergartens typically adopt an English curriculum similar to that of cram schools for middle and high school students. Experts warn that the teaching mode may cause a variety of problems in children’s psychosocial, linguistic and academic development. Korea University professor Jin-Kyu Park pointed out in a paper that “English fever” may have dangerous consequences for children. When pushing them to learn English, parents and teachers should be aware of the need for a balanced approach to bilingual learning, Park said.
