Towards a Sociocultural Perspective on Korean English Villages: A Reply to Stephen Krashen

Abstract

The increased education-related migration of Korean school-aged children has prompted educational policy makers to develop alternative sources of English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction. In response, so-called 'English villages' have been developed as a novel, though controversial, alternative to overseas English immersion. But reaction to the English village phenomenon has been mixed, with some questioning the ability of such programs to deliver on their ambitious mandates. The controversy has drawn the attention of prominent stakeholders both within and outside Korean EFL education. Among these, Stephen Krashen - a major figure in second language acquisition (SLA) theory and bilingual education policy - criticises English villages on several fronts. In doing so, however, not only does Krashen contradict his own theories (Krashen 1982, 1985; Krashen & Terrell 1983) but also he disregards the novel ways that English villages are attempting to reconstruct Korean EFL radically to meet the challenges of increasing globalisation (Kellner, 2004). This paper addresses each of Krashen's criticisms, and argues for a more holistic, sociocultural perspective (Lantolf, 2002) about English villages. Future research directions are also suggested.