초등학교 영어교육의 현황과 문제점

Abstract

영문초록: p. 76-78|본 연구는 우리 나라의 초등학교에서 영어가 정규과목으로 도입되어 실시된 이후 교육현장에서 어떻게 적용되고 있는지 그에 따르는 문제점에는 무엇이 있는지 그 실태를 조사하여 초등학교 영어 교육의 발전 방향을 모색하는데 그 목적을 둔다. 이를 위해 초등학교 영어 교육의 운영 현황을 제시하고 실제로 현장에서 영어교육을 하고 있는 교사와 학생을 대상으로 설문조사, 분석하여 문제점과 해결방안을 살펴보았다. 제 1장의 서론에서는 시대의 흐름에 따라 영어 회화능력이 그 어느 때보다도 절실히 요구되어지는 요즈음, 영어교육의 필요성과 우리가 처해있는 영어교육 환경에 대해 언급하고 바람직한 영어교육을 위한 방향으로의 문제제기를 해보았다. 제 2장의 이론적 배경에서는 우리 나라에서 초등 영어교육이 실시된 과정과, 초등 영어의 적절한 시작 연령, 현재 진행되고 있는 제 7차 초등학교 영어과 교과과정에 대해 기술하였다. 제 3장의 영어교육 현황에서는 외국의 초등영어교육의 실시 시기 및 수업 시수 등을 살펴보고, 우리 나라의 영어교육에 있어서 행정적 지원 및 운영 현황, 영어교육 담당자로서의 전담교사와 담임교사, 영어 사교육 실시현황 등을 살펴보았다. 제 4장의 연구분석에서는 2장과 3장의 이론적 내용을 기초로 현재 서울의 강남과 강북의 8개 초등학교에서 영어수업을 하고 있는 60명의 교사와 400명의 학생을 대상으로 설문 조사, 분석하여 초등학교 영어교육의 현황과 문제점을 구체적으로 검토하였다. 제 5장의 결론 및 제언에서는 설문조사, 분석한 내용을 정리하고 좀 더 효율적인 초등영어교육이 이루어지기 위한 초등영어교육의 발전방향에 대한 의견을 제시하였다.|The purpose of this study is to inspect the current status of English education and then provide fundamental data on which way the English education should be forwarded. To achieve this purpose, questionnaire is performed to 60 teachers and 400 students from 8 elementary schools located at the northern and southern parts of Seoul. The major findings and results in this study are as follows: 1. Regarding satisfaction degree of teacher about facilities and teaching materials, 51.7% of teachers answered they consider the level as average. It found out that many of them are usually utilizing the web-site and CD-ROM as a assistant teaching material and even teachers with older age are using multi-media such as VTR and Stereo. 2. The highest point as a matter of an administrative support shows that teacher answered they need the full charge teacher system for more effective operation of English education. 43.0% of teachers insist that people who majored English of middle school should be placed at elementary school. They posed some reasons, saying that it reduces burden of elementary school teachers on class, full charge teachers of elementary school currently need more study on English education. Some teachers raised opposite opinions, saying that people who majored English of middle school are not so professional about characteristics of elementary school students and teachers will be made up soon 3. As for teaching skill of teachers, 40% of them themselves consider it as middle and low. The survey said they are study English by themselves level by means of multi-media or books. In addition, regarding attitude of teachers to a class, 70.0% answered that they are enthusiastic for teaching while 21.7% responded their teachings are close to the form. Not a few teachers are devoted themselves to teaching of English and at the same time, they feel burden on their own abilities of English teaching, the number of student a class and the frequency of class a week. 4. The teaching activity that teachers are mostly using, are watching VCR and CD (41.7%) and singing and doing games (28.3%) follows. The survey says that students prefer these activities as well. As far as students are concerned, they are more actively participating in the English class with a variety of activities. However, they are reluctant to speaking what they have learned at a proper situation due to a poor opportunity of usage in a daily life. In addition, they are losing their interests in English, as they become high graders of the school. The reason is that they are not good at expression with various and active gestures as they are careful of others opinions. 5. 91.4% of students had experiences of private teaching. 31.3% of them have been learning English from a Korean teacher at private institute and 31.8% from a foreign teacher at English-intensive school. In general, low graders of elementary school feel more interesting about English class than high graders. As for the reason why the English class, they answered the way of teaching English is boring (36.8%), it is difficult to learn English (25.5%), etc. As some students who are learning English at a private school already learned basic education of English, it is likely that they are not concentrated on class. Some are learning written English first, without getting trained about a practical and spoken English. Therefore, they are having hard time in listening and speaking English. 6. The number of students a class is currently 30 to 40 and more. Teachers think 10 to 20 students, almost half of the current number, a class are desirable and suitable. If not, we can take consideration of 2-teachers-system a class. On the other hand, 76.5% of students said that the number of class is appropriate. It shows that they are familiar with the current situation. Therefore, we need to study more about the ideal number of students a class. Materials for education such as multi-media system are these days being developed every day. Even complaints of teachers are getting lower than before, we have a long way to go regarding the number of teacher per a student, individual difference of learning caused by private school teaching, and so on. In line with the findings of this survey, Id like to propose several suggestions for a highly qualified and more efficient education of English. First, We need a suitable teaching of English by reflecting each level of individual learners. Secondly, we need to re-consider the starting period of English learning as a public education. Thirdly, more full charge teachers of English should be placed at elementary schools.