This study examines the English curriculum in South Korea, which has been influenced by Western educational models, and compares it with the revised English curriculum in China and Japan, countries sharing similar cultural backgrounds. Analyzing South...
This study examines the English curriculum in South Korea, which has been influenced by Western educational models, and compares it with the revised English curriculum in China and Japan, countries sharing similar cultural backgrounds. Analyzing South Korea’s 2022 Revised English Curriculum, China’s English Curriculum Standards (2022), and Japan’s Revised Course of Study (2017), the present study finds distinct educational priorities in each context. South Korea adopts a six-function framework aiming for integrated goals, while China introduces viewing as a comprehension skill, and Japan focuses on dialogues and presentations. Each approach reflects the countries’ unique educational priorities. While South Korea and Japan have maintained or increased English learning hours, China has reduced its emphasis on English relative to other subjects. The study further highlights the divergence in content structure and objectives. South Korea emphasizes comprehensive skills, China advocates for a detailed, challenging framework, and Japan focuses on grammatical knowledge and communicative abilities. Despite their shared cultural heritage and the EFL context, the respective curricula manifest differing perspectives on English education. These findings underscore the need for further comparative research focusing on curriculum structure, integration with overarching educational goals, and detailed exploration of curriculum components such as linguistic forms and achievement standards.