Abstract

English education in Korea is important because English is a tool to a better future for Koreans. For about two decades, there has been an influx of foreign English teachers to Korea invited through either government or private sectors. Vast amounts of resources in terms of time and money have been invested in learning English. As of 2007, approximately 40,000 English teachers among the seven recognized English-speaking countries were residing in Korea. Officially recognized countries for English teachers include: The United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland. The distribution of these teachers are as follows: The United States 44%; Canada 33%; England 10%; Australia 4% and New Zealand 4%; South Africa 3% and Ireland 2%. Of the 40,000 E-1 and E-2 English teachers in Korea, statistically 95% of these foreign teachers teach for less than 2 years before leaving; 4% stay for between 2 to 5 years; and 1% have stayed for more than 5 years. How is this group influencing the multicultural landscape of Korea? This study surveyed 118 Native English teachers to see what they are doing in terms of language teaching and culture in their classrooms.