Understanding the Importance of English Education in South Korea and Exploring the Reasons Why South Korean Students Come to a University in the Midwest

Average hours spent on English in South Korea from elementary to high 
school. Twenty-four out of 30 Korean students spent less than 10 hours per week 
studying English when they attended the elementary schools in Korea. However, there 
were 4 Korean students, Robert, Richard, Margaret, and Donald who spent between 10 
hours and 20 hours per week studying English through the public elementary schools and 
the private institutes.
Nineteen out of 30 Korean students spent between 10 and 20 hours per week 
studying English when they attended the middle schools in Korea, and there were 
3 Korean students spending between 20 and 29 hours per week on the subject of English.
Furthermore, 7 out of 30 Korean students spent less than 10 hours per week studying 
English through the middle schools in Korea.
Twelve out of 30 Korean students spent between 10 and 20 hours per week 
studying English when they attended the high schools in Korea. There were 9 Korean 
students spending between 20 and 29 hours per week studying English. In addition, 
4 Korean students spent more than 40 hours per week studying English. Through the 
interviews with 30 Korean students, the main reason why the number of hours studying 
English significantly increased when Korean students attended the high schools in Korea 
is that they have to receive the highest score in the university entrance exam, especially 
on the part of the English test. Furthermore, all of the 30 Korean students mentioned that 

---

54 
they took a great number of English courses through both the public schools and the 
private institutes.
The level of importance of English in Korea. In the interviews with 30 Korean 
students, they stated that English proficiency is the most important factor for them to live 
in Korea. The following reasons were found through the interviews. First, 21 out of 30 
Korean students discovered that a high level of English proficiency is the essential key 
for them to obtain their desires; in other words, they think that good English skills help 
them to find better jobs and to be admitted to top universities and colleges in Korea.
Second, 15 out of 30 Korean students thought that English is a global language. These 
students found that English skills are really valuable for them to connect with a foreigner.
In addition, some of them mentioned that using English helps them to have more diverse 
experiences when they communicate with a great number of foreigners. Third, 7 out of 
30 Korean students said that it is very important for them to learn English because the 
United States is the most powerful country economically and academically in the world, 
so they thought that it could be extremely valuable for them to have English proficiency 
due to that reason. Fourth, 5 out of 30 Korean students indicated that knowing English 
allows them to be full of confidence when they meet with foreigners. Furthermore, they 
strongly felt that reaching the level of native English proficiency is really essential for 
them to compete with the other candidates before or after they work for companies in 
Korea.