Understanding the Importance of English Education in South Korea and Exploring the Reasons Why South Korean Students Come to a University in the Midwest

Average hours spent on English in South Korea from elementary to high 
school.  Twenty-four out of 30 Korean students spent less than 10 hours per week 
studying English when they attended the elementary schools in Korea.  However, there 
were 4 Korean students, Robert, Richard, Margaret, and Donald who spent between 10 
hours and 20 hours per week studying English through the public elementary schools and 
the private institutes.   
 
Nineteen out of 30 Korean students spent between 10 and 20 hours per week 
studying English when they attended the middle schools in Korea, and there were 
3 Korean students spending between 20 and 29 hours per week on the subject of English.  
Furthermore, 7 out of 30 Korean students spent less than 10 hours per week studying 
English through the middle schools in Korea.  
 
Twelve out of 30 Korean students spent between 10 and 20 hours per week 
studying English when they attended the high schools in Korea.  There were 9 Korean 
students spending between 20 and 29 hours per week studying English.  In addition, 
4 Korean students spent more than 40 hours per week studying English.  Through the 
interviews with 30 Korean students, the main reason why the number of hours studying 
English significantly increased when Korean students attended the high schools in Korea 
is that they have to receive the highest score in the university entrance exam, especially 
on the part of the English test.  Furthermore, all of the 30 Korean students mentioned that 

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they took a great number of English courses through both the public schools and the 
private institutes.