Globalization and Language Education:English Village in South Korea

Abstract

Discourses of globalization are incorporated into an ambitious South Korean English language education project called English Village, which promotes a unique participation-reinforced English immersion edutainment space for general masses within Korea. Its objectives and visions feature three dominant ideological constructs: (i) global Koreans (ii) economical education alternatives (iii) experiential learning. The findings of the study suggest that English Villages are rhetorically promoted by the language ideology that Koreans need to improve in English to participate in the global economy and that English serves as a practical linguistic tool, not a purpose, to fulfill South Korea’s global ambition. This paper argues that English Villages are part of both processes and discourses of globalization in South Korea.