This fall semester I deliver the classes like "Culture in English Speaking Countries & Listening" and "Introduction to American Studies" in English. Last spring semester I offered classes in English again in such subjects as "American Culture and Film" and "Literature in English Speaking Countries." Why do I offer the classes in English? The answer is very simple: I find more advantages than disadvantages in English classes. I wish I could elaborate the merits of classes in English from three perspectives: the high demand for English classes from students, the necessity of teaching textbooks in English through the English language, and helping students to become more competitive in job markets.
I teach classes in English to satisfy the students' strong demand for English. Most students I have met on campus are eager to have high command of the English language. To my surprise, some students spend more time in commercial English institutions than on campus only because of improving their capacity in English. Other students are so anxious about their inability to express themselves orally that they feel too frustrated and hopeless to find prospect in their life. And some other students stay out of school temporarily to study English abroad. In spite of their painstaking efforts and high financial expenditure, students still feel they lack something, either in speaking or writing. Whenever I find students mentioned in the above, I always suggest that they'd better find 'blue birds' not in some other places but on campus. They can save time, money and energy by registering classes in English.
Most materials, audio-visual and written, I deal with in the classes are expressed in English, so that it is really natural for me to deliver the classes in English. Of course, you can find merits in classes delivered in Korean to study English texts. In my opinion, however, students can take more advantages by studying English texts in English. Why? When we study English texts translated in Korean, we lose something in the process of converting the original texts into Korean ones.
Lastly, I am fully confident that the students taking classes in English have higher possibilities of finding jobs more easily and quickly. I would have visitors who once took my classes  and succeeded in getting jobs. After saying hellos, we usually talk about job markets and any strategies that might be helpful to future job seekers. Among their different ideas and experiences, they unanimously agree to a single point: Thanks to the classes in English on campus, they could succeed not only in finding jobs but also in getting promotion.

Rho Heon-gyun  hgrho@hotmail.com

<저작권자 © 동국포스트, 무단 전재 및 재배포 금지>