In 2023, South Korea ranked 49th on the “English Proficiency Index” (EPI) ranking published by Swiss English education company Education First (EF).

South Korea's English proficiency rankings have fluctuated over the years, with the highest position in 2020. Overall, South Korea's English proficiency has improved over the past decade as the country has made great efforts to improve its citizens' English proficiency.

Compulsory English Education

In Korea, the government has actively promoted English proficiency as an indispensable tool in affirming the competitiveness of individuals and the country.

In this country, English is taught as a compulsory subject from primary school, usually from grade 3. However, in reality, many kindergartens already offer English programs when parents want their children to be exposed to a foreign language early.

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Despite the efforts of the government and society, Korean English proficiency has not changed significantly.

English is a compulsory subject in high school in Korea. The curriculum is structured to include four main language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.

However, the focus in public schools has historically been primarily on reading comprehension and grammar, as these sections are heavily weighted on standardized tests such as the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT).

The importance of English proficiency is heavily emphasized in the Korean higher education and employment sectors. Exams such as TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) are widely used as benchmarks for assessing English proficiency. High scores on these exams are often required for university admission, job applications, and promotion opportunities.

Young Koreans today find it difficult to get a job without a TOEIC score of over 900. This has led to a test-score-driven culture in which success in English is measured by test results rather than communication skills.

Despite government efforts to improve English education in public schools, many Korean students still attend private after-school academies, known as Hagwon, for extra English tutoring. These academies offer more intensive, personalized English education and focus on improving test scores.

According to The Diplomat , South Koreans spend $17 billion a year and hire 30,000 native English teachers to meet the needs of their parents. Rich families will send their children to schools in English-speaking countries.

Controversial recruitment policy

One of the most important initiatives in South Korea’s English policy is the recruitment of native English teachers. Programs such as the English Language Program in Korea (EPIK) aim to bring native English speakers into public schools. This is part of a broader effort to improve students’ speaking and listening skills – which are often underdeveloped in traditional classroom settings.

However, the country also places strict regulations on who can teach, based largely on nationality rather than teaching ability.

Teachers from developing countries, no matter how excellent their English proficiency or qualifications, are not allowed to teach in prestigious programs such as EPIK or the Teaching and Learning Program in Korea (TaLK). These programs only accept citizens of the Group of Seven developed countries – where English is predominantly spoken in monolingual settings: Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, the United States, and Canada.

While teachers in the EPIK program are encouraged to renew their contracts as long as they wish, other teaching programs are more restrictive.

For example, under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), Indian teachers are only allowed to stay in Korea for one year and are paid less than their counterparts from the seven countries mentioned above. Teachers in the Chinese Language Program in Korea (CPIK) also face similar restrictions, being allowed to stay for only two years.

Teachers from other English-speaking Commonwealth countries, such as the Philippines, India, Malaysia, Singapore, are not allowed to teach English in public schools because their English is considered “non-official”.

Despite a loophole in the law that allows private schools to hire teachers without requiring specific nationality, most of these schools still follow a similar model, prioritizing candidates from a group of seven countries.

This somewhat restrictive view of nationality in South Korea runs counter to research showing that bilingual teachers can bring significant advantages in the classroom. Studies show that bilingual teachers are often more sensitive to the complexities of language, including grammar, semantic nuances, and cultural context.

However, many Koreans believe that speaking two languages ​​reduces the ability to master both. This explains why many Korean parents who send their children abroad to study often try to have their children have little or no interaction with other Korean friends.

According to statistics, there are more than 500,000 Korean families living in a situation where the mother follows her children abroad while the father stays behind to earn money.

Despite the efforts of the government and society, there has been little significant improvement in South Korea's English proficiency. Education experts say that English learning that focuses too much on scores may be the reason for the slow improvement in English proficiency.

"People learn English mainly to get higher scores in exams, rather than to improve their English communication skills. This is the main reason why learners' English proficiency has not improved much, despite the high cost of studying," an expert commented on the Korea Times .

The Netherlands has long been ranked number one in English proficiency, early bilingual education The Netherlands is known as the country with the most English proficiency among non-native English speaking countries. This is not only the result of advanced education but also comes from many cultural, economic and social factors.