A critical discourse analysis of social and structural inequalities that exist between NET and NNETs in South Korea's English Hiring Market

Abstract

English has become a crucial aspect of South Koreans' lives, and there exists a transnational linguistic market where English is a highly prized commodity. Private and public academic institutions, as well as national English programs, make significant financial investments to find Native-speaking English Teachers (NETs) to work in South Korea. Previous studies have revealed employment decisions for EFL teachers in Asia are frequently influenced by a candidate's “nativeness” as opposed to their professional accomplishments, such as their teaching experience and academic credentials. The NETNNET dichotomy in the EFL area is very problematic as it fosters discriminatory practices, yet little is known is known how these tensions play out in the South Korean context. By employing Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional CDA framework, this paper seeks to critically examine the discourses surrounding the native and non-native English language teachers are constructed in the Korean English market. This paper identifies how relations of inequalities, power, and domination are reproduced or produced in discourse. Data include analysis of the texts in hiring advertisements for English language teachers in South Korea. Through CDA, I sought to reveal and confront dominant ideologies and discourses reflected in the texts. This paper concludes with suggestions on how to challenge the inequitable practices and policies widely present in the South Korean English market.