evolution

A growing number of North Koreans are learning some English, Reuters reports.

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea may be one of the most reclusive states on the globe, but a growing number of its citizens are taking a common test to measure their proficiency in American English as a second language.

English entered North Korea’s education system in the mid-1960s as a part of a “knowing the enemy” program: phrases such as “capitalist running dog,” imported from fellow communists in the former Soviet Union, were part of the curriculum.

But South Korean officials say that scoring well on a test for English proficiency is now increasingly seen in the North as a way to secure a good job that requires international communication skills.

The number of North Koreans taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) has risen almost fivefold in less than five years, and scores for North Koreans have also improved, the U.S.-based Educational Testing Service said earlier this month.

From my experience in the mathematics departments of two large American universities (Kansas State and Purdue), I can tell you that the TOEFL is quite difficult. So if your college student complains that they can’t “understand the instructor”, tell them to put down the damned crossword once in a while.

The official [that spoke to Reuters], who asked not to be named, said English may soon supplant Russian as the top foreign language studied in North Korea. This comes despite repeated blasts in North Korean official media that vilify the United States, and a lack of native English-speaking instructors.

In the past North Korea’s elite students were taught English translations of its late founder Kim Il-sung’s collected works.

In 2000, the North started broadcasting a 10-minute weekly segment called “TV English” that focused on rudimentary conversation.

One North Korean defector in Seoul said English is also taught in the military, along with Japanese. Soldiers are required to learn about 100 sentences such as, “Raise your hands.” and “Don’t move or I will shoot.”

[crossposted to: The Politburo Diktat.]

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 20th, 2005 at 22:28 and is filed under education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.