Globalization of English teaching and overseas Koreans as temporary migrant workers in rural Korea

One of the most prominent impacts of neoliberal globalization on language is the rise of the importance of English ( Heller 2003 ; Phillipson 2003 ). In today's globalized economy, struggles over the resources of English language education tie English to processes of construction and reproduction of social differences and inequality ( Heller 2002 ). Korea's newly launched Teach and Learn in Korea (TaLK) program is one such example. The TaLK program recruits native speakers of English, including overseas ethnic Koreans, as temporary immigrant workers to teach English to rural elementary students. Using the concept of ‘language management,’ this article demonstrates how the Korean government views transnational Koreans’ ethnicity as an asset, while treating their linguistic resources as manageable commodities. Analyses of policy documents, media coverage, and essays by and interviews with TaLK participants reveal how the TaLK program may contribute to sustaining social differences and inequality in multiple ways, although the program's main goal is to provide equal opportunities to rural students. ???? ??? ??? ?? ? ?? ??? ?? ? ??? ??? ???? ????. ????? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?? ??? ?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ?????. ??? ??? ?? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?? ?? ???? ??? (TaLK) ????? ? ? ??. ? ????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ????. ‘?? ??’?? ??? ??? ? ??? ??? ?? ??? ?? ?? TaLK ????? ???? ????? ???? ????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ????. ?? ??, ?? ??, ???? ??, ????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ??? TaLK ????? ??? ??? ??, ?????? ???? ??? ????. [Korean]