The Influence of the Current National Curriculum on Pre-service English Teacher Education in Korea

Abstract

The seventh national curriculum reform in Korea emphasizes communicative language teaching (CLT), which brings various controversial issues such as whether pre-service teachers are ready or whether CLT is fully applicable in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context like Korea. The issues are still out there in the current curriculum, the modified seventh national curriculum. In this study, the 108 syllabi of the required courses in the fourteen pre-service teacher education institutions in Korea were analyzed to examine (1) what kinds of required major courses are offered and (2) to what extent these courses reflect the major principles of the current national curriculum. The fourteen schools showed differences not only in the number of the required courses but also in the dispersion of these required courses’ characteristics—English Skills, ELT Pedagogy, Linguistics, and Literature. However, they demonstrated some general trends in terms of reflecting the principles of the seventh national curriculum. Whereas communicative competence/ functions and oral language skills were emphasized, learner-centeredness, proficiency-based curriculum, and process-based learning principles were reflected relatively weakly. Based on the findings, the recommendations for pre-service teacher educators are suggested in regard to the curriculum design and the relationship with policy makers.