English with Fun and Scientific Experiments

Abstract

One of the difficulties of acquiring a language in an EFL context, such as in Korea, is the limited exposure time to the target language; however, equally important is the quality of the classes. Driven by this dilemma, my Portfolio is an attempt at a content-based textbook to make ‘extra’ after school and weekend language classes in Korea more efficient for teachers and students. According to the 2009 revised version of the Korean National Curriculum, students will take approximately 340 hours-45 minutes per 1 hour session- of English classes in their three years in middle school; this is seemingly an insufficient amount of time. Educational Offices encourage middle schools to compensate for the limits of regular classes by adding ‘extra’ classes. In response to this demand, most schools are providing after-school programs. Another significant change to note is that starting from the beginning of March 2012, students will now go to school for 5 days a week instead of the 6 days previously required by the Ministry of Education. This significant change in Korean education has aroused controversy with regards to students having too much idle time, and this has prompted parents to seek more private education for their children. As a result schools are being pressured to open on Saturdays to offer ‘extra’ core classes, one of which could be English. The problem is these ‘extra’ classes have no specified curriculum, textbooks nor teacher’s manuals. If there were a systematic curriculum for these classes, including appropriate textbooks and resources, we could add valuable study hours. To address this problematic situation, this Portfolio suggests a systematic and interesting content-based textbook for teachers teaching ‘extra’ classes such as, after-school programs, Saturday classes as well as conversation classes in middle schools. The target skills in my Portfolio are speaking and writing because these are skills students will be evaluated on the National English Ability Test (NEAT); previously the KSAT only targeted listening and reading. My intention is to help students to improve their presentation skills and to become accustomed to writing various genres with my Textbook.