Historical Overview of English Learning in South Korea: The Nineteenth Century and Japanese Colonization

초록

This chapter presents the progress of English education before August 15, 1945, when the Korean people were liberated from the former Japanese Empire. The chapter begins with the Western influence in Korea during the nineteenth century and the first encounter with English speakers. The rapid spread of English education is explained with reference to the concept of modernization and the desire to “get rank” or be employed in the public sectors in Korea. Based on these historical accounts, a discussion on the nature of English learning motivation in the late nineteenth century and the subsequent Japanese colonial period follows. © 2021, Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.