Phonics와 영어 발음 지도 방안

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to find the advantages and disadvantages of using phonics when teaching English. This method is used to teach young students to read in America but has not been used much in Korea. Many Korean English teachers are therefore unfamiliar with the teaching of phonics. The methods used in Korea to teach students to read the Korean language are different from those used in America to teach students to read the English language. Korea students are taught the pronunciation to learn how to say the word. Students in America however are taught the separate sounds that make up the word. If we apply the same method used in America to teach English in Korea, we will be able to attain excellent results. In the past, phonics has not been taught in many schools. Students have usually studied English in order to pass university entrance exams and have therefore focused on grammar and writing because they did not need to speak English to pass the exams. The importance of correct pronunciation has been neglected by students and teachers due to the focus on grammar and writing. Nowadays English education in Korea is changing from a reading and grammar-centered education toward a listening and speaking-centered education. As these aspects of English education are becoming more important we need to reduce the number of affective filters holding back Korean students from improving their English speaking ability. Until recently, the teaching of phonics has been largely ignored in English education in Korea. This has led to it being unfamiliar to many people and not many books or materials related to phonics have been developed in Korea. We need to correct this by studying phonics more and developing new books and materials to help Korean students' comprehension. In conclusion, the teaching of phonics is an efficient method for improving students' communicative abilities which should be incorporated more in English education in Korea.