Seoul to launch new English aptitude test

SEOUL, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will begin administering a new domestically developed English aptitude test to reduce the country's dependence on foreign exam materials, the education ministry said Thursday.

"The new test, tentatively named the State English Aptitude Test, has been
developed to evaluate students' English proficiency in speaking and writing as
well as in reading and listening," the Ministry of Education, Science and
Technology said in a statement.
"It is expected to replace other tests such as TOEIC and TOEFL in college
admissions and job applications."
South Korea has been planning development of the test in 2007, hoping to minimize
reliance on foreign-made exams in measuring English fluency. Scores on those
tests are weighted heavily in college admissions and in reviewing job candidates.
The ministry will hold preliminary exams starting next year and officially begin
using the test in 2012.
The government also plans to recruit English-speakers with teaching licenses
beginning in 2010 to co-teach English classes at elementary schools, the ministry
said.
Elementary students in third and fourth grade will have two hours of English a
week instead of one, while fifth and sixth graders will increase their weekly
English class hours to three from the current two, according to the ministry.
There has been intense debate over how to ease a frenzied demand for private
English education, but past government policies have rarely achieved tangible
improvements.
"We expect that English education at public schools will be strengthened and will
absorb the demand for private schooling," the ministry said.
brk@yna.co.kr
(END)

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