The Development of English Immersion Education in Korea

Abstract

Ever since immersion was first introduced to ELT in Korea, a variety of English immersion programs have been developed and implemented. They include ‘English camp’ or ‘English village’, ‘Teaching English in English (TEE)’, 'Content-based English instruction (CBEI),' and a total immersion school. The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of these English immersion programs in terms of their current state, the characteristic features, and the major issues and challenges. It was suggested for a successful implementation of English immersion education in Korean ELT context that a general consensus should be made on the goal of teaching English in general and immersion education in particular. Developing additive, balanced bilingualism was suggested as a more desirable goal than focusing on L2 acquisition only. Proper teacher education focusing on teacher collaboration was also emphasized.