The end of Native English teachers

[Morticae]

This doesn't classify as an "alert" -- people have been saying this for years now, yet the number of native teachers continues to increase overall. Eventually it will fall, obviously, but a sudden 50% cutback isn't going to happen.

[aemann]

the idea has been to get NETs to raise the overall level of Korean English teachers so that we eventually won't be needed. 

Haha that's a good one. It's a nice theory. But I haven't seen or heard NET's raising the KET's English levels.
All my Korean English teachers have had only a basic level. (Experienced English teachers)

If this really was their intended idea then it wasn't a very well thought out one. (Having zero experienced NET come over and train up the Korean teachers.)

The idea isn't that NETs are raising the English skills of current KETs. NETs are raising the English skills of future KETs who are still in grade school. That's why it is on a time scale of several years, to let that new generation of KETs grow up.

[Lexington]

they'll phase us out eventually... aka they don't have a set date yet. aka my school asked me to renew my contract with them for next year.

I don't think aka means what you think it means...

But yeah, this one has been doing the rounds for a while now.  The way I understand it is that the public school EPIK programme was never meant to be permanent.  It's a step in a wider picture, like aemann said.  The students learning English now will be the ones teaching it - alone - in the future.

I'm pretty sure Hagwons are going to be around for a while yet though.

[annakadabra]

pardon my inappropriate use of the abbreviation ㅠ.ㅠ
sometimes in moment of great excitement and distress (on occasion, simultaneously) i transgress -- and use it to introduce relevant and/or consequent ideas and notions - instead of pseudonyms, etc.

they'll phase us out eventually... aka they don't have a set date yet. aka my school asked me to renew my contract with them for next year.

I don't think aka means what you think it means...

But yeah, this one has been doing the rounds for a while now.  The way I understand it is that the public school EPIK programme was never meant to be permanent.  It's a step in a wider picture, like aemann said.  The students learning English now will be the ones teaching it - alone - in the future.

I'm pretty sure Hagwons are going to be around for a while yet though.

[Burndog]

Heard that last year. Old news. GEPIK are all for it.

You've made what is a very common error here...in confusing GEPIK with the GPOE.  GEPIK aren't all for the removal of foreign teachers in Korea...because if there are no foreign teachers...then there is no GEPIK!  The 'English Conversation Teachers' are not hired by GEPIK or part of the GEPIK program...so if they do take over from us...it will be the end of GEPIK.  Not something that GEPIK wants! 

You're right about this being old news though! 

[Browncoat Japhy]

This doesn't classify as an "alert" -- people have been saying this for years now, yet the number of native teachers continues to increase overall. Eventually it will fall, obviously, but a sudden 50% cutback isn't going to happen.

I agree. If you have been here a few years then you will hear this type of thing all the time. GEPIK does seem to be cutting quite a few positions at the moment, but a bunch of people I know have already been asked to resign for EPIK in August. There will be jobs in this country for a long time. Maybe they will get less sweet if more of us start having to hagwon it, but the demand for English is still super strong here.

[Brian]

I'll lock this and direct your attention to one of the other threads on the topic, to reduce clutter.  Please use the search function before starting a new thread on a common topic.

http://waygook.org/index.php/topic,2783.0.html
http://waygook.org/index.php/topic,7380.0.html
http://waygook.org/index.php/topic,5157.0.html