ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the important innovations in secondary English education in Korea which have been made in an effort to globalize Korean students. It reviews some of the innovations in secondary English education such as the National Curriculum of English, the employment of native English-speaking teachers: English Program in Korea (EPIK), and the reinforcement of Teaching English in English (TEE). The chapter inspects the current English teacher employment exam for secondary schools and what kinds of changes have been made to this exam. It discusses the recent effort to develop the national English ability test (NEAT). Moreover, contemporary English teachers who passed the highly competitive English Teacher Employment Exams can also be expected to accommodate the major innovations and upgrade the Korean secondary English education system. The chapter investigates the current practice of teaching English in South Korean secondary schools by examining its past, current and future status and teachers' perceptions on its effectiveness.
