The Changes and Directions of Achievement Standards in the English Curriculum for Elementary and Middle Schools in Korea

This study evaluates whether the changes in the achievement standards in the English curriculum for elementary and secondary schools in Korea, from the 2009 revised curriculum to the 2022 revised curriculum, have progressed in a desirable direction. Through quantitative analysis, the study examines the changes in the number of achievement standards across the curricula. In the 2009 revised curriculum, there were 118 achievement standards, which decreased to 79 in the 2015 revision and 61 in the 2022 revision. However, in reality, the achievement standards have been integrated or expressed more comprehensively, leading to an appropriate balance in both the volume of learning and content. From a content perspective, it is difficult to conclude that this quantitative balance necessarily reflects a balanced provision of opportunities for language input and output exposure. While the 2009 revised curriculum successfully linked input and output opportunities in a balanced way, the 2015 and 2022 revisions show a relative strengthening of the achievement standards for listening and reading (input) compared to speaking and writing (output). This shift raises concerns that the curriculum may neglect the development of expressive skills (output) in English education, potentially failing to improve learners' communicative competence in English. Therefore, further discussion and consideration are required to ensure that changes move in a more desirable direction.