Surviving the Rat Race

In the fasting changing society, the demand for English language education has increased rapidly in non-English speaking countries due to the value of the English language as linguistic capital. Through the narratives of various educational stakeholders in Korea, this book investigates how English education, particularly early English education, has been perceived and practiced in the society under the influence of Segyehwa (globalization) discourse. The study reveals that early exposure to English education has influenced educational and sociocultural development of children. In addition, diversified English education experiences through commercial programs are causing a wider educational gap among students from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Furthermore, the competitive educational culture has placed enormous pressure and workload on students, which may result in physical or psychological problems. This critical, qualitative inquiry will be appealing to educators and the general public who are concerned about current educational trends that competitively pursue excellence without considering the well-being of students.