Who is More Effective in Teaching TOEIC, Korean or Native English Teacher?

Abstract

This study investigates Korean university students' perception of TOEIC courses taught by Korean and native English teachers and test results in an effort to identify better methodologies to teach TOEIC. To find out the student's perceptions of TOEIC classes, a survey was conducted. The one hundred sixty students who attended the TOEIC courses participated in a questionnaire survey at the end of the semester. Based on a survey of students' assumptions toward TOEIC classes and teachers, this paper discusses the skills students feel important to improve their TOEIC scores and what their actual scores show. The research questions were: 1) what are some of the benefits of having a Korean or native English teacher for TOEIC courses? 2) what are some of the drawbacks of having a Korean or native English teacher for TOEIC courses? The results indicated that Korean and native English teachers have an equal chance to become successful teachers, but the methods used by the two groups are not the same in the context of teaching TOEIC courses; in the short term, direct test preparation, dictation and repetition by Korean or native teachers might be good methods for TOEIC courses, however, in the long term, conversation and discussion performed by native teachers may affect scores in a positive way.