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South Koreans and North Koreans record similar TOEFL scores, despite trillions spent on private English lessons in the South. Radio Free Asia on Thursday said according to a study of TOEFL scores between September 2005 and December 2006 after the TOEFL went online, South Koreans on average earned 72 points out of the full 120 points, compared to 69 for North Koreans.
North Koreans score higher than the Japanese, who record 65 points -- mainly because North Korean applicants are mostly from the elite, like students studying abroad or staff of the Foreign Ministry. Some 6,000 North Koreans took the test during the period.
The North has already focused English teaching on speaking and listening rather than grammar since the 1970s, when it adopted policies to strengthen English teaching. Several North Korean colleges like Kim Chaek University of Technology use English in some major classes. Schools for gifted students teach English as a second language.
According to a study by the Korean Association for the Study of English Language and Linguistics, South Korean students spend four hours a day learning English for 10 years, from middle school to college. South Koreans account for 19 percent of TOEFL takers worldwide, spending more than W700 billion (US$1=945) a year on the TOEIC and TOEFL. However, in terms of scores, South Korea ranked 93rd out of 147 countries on the TOEFL in 2004 and 2005. Since the test went online and speaking and writing sections were added, the ranking has fallen to 111th. South Korea comes 134th in the speaking section.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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