Given the crucial role of teachers’ forming and modifying a curriculum in a school system, it was questioned if the results obtained from an analysis of learners’ needs could serve the ultimate goal of meeting students’ needs and desires in their language learning. For the grand research question, needs were sought from both parties (111 students and 5 teachers) through the survey and interview research design and elaborated for the potential differences and their underlying reasons. The research findings indicated that, first, needs for the current curriculum were not agreed upon between the two education agents. Students wanted to have more practical characteristics of a curriculum with an addition of courses improving communication skills and an increased interaction with foreign teachers. However, teachers were on a different agenda in the pursuit of a program renewal. The distinctive themes found from the interviews with teachers were in the following: 1) doubts over the worthiness of students’ needs, 2) tenacity to their specialty in the teaching, and 3) anxiety and pressure for changing needs in institution and society. It was concluded that teachers’ needs were better met with students’ needs being left outside the decision-making process, which has been a long-lived ideological problem at a university.
The study investigated the effects of text, task, and L2 reading ability on Korean college students’ English reading strategy use. The participants performed Word Translation, Theme Summarization, and Question Generation tasks while reading either narrative or expository passages. The strategy use was examined through a questionnaire and thinkaloud protocols. When investigated by the questionnaire, the students’ strategy use patterns were not very different between the two text type groups and between the two L2 reading ability groups. The task type seemed to affect the strategy use to some degree, but the difference was not extensive. Overall, a few particular strategies were used very often regardless of the text type, the task type and L2 reading ability. The results of the verbal protocols suggested that the task types affected the strategy use to some degree, but the influence was limited as was shown in the results of the questionnaire. Based on the findings of the study, pedagogical implications were presented.
This study examines the effects of learning conditions (implicit learning condition and explicit learning condition) and task types (comprehension and production task) on the learning of an easy rule (subject-verb inversion in the sentence with location adverbial) and a hard rule (pseudo-cleft clause). One hundred thirty first-year university EFL students with low proficiency were divided into four groups based on the combination of learning conditions and task types. After that, pre-and post-test data on the grammaticality judgement test and controlled written test were analyzed by using the two-way Multiple Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA). Results showed that the effects of learning conditions are not statistically different on the comprehension of easy and hard grammatical rules whereas the explicit learning condition has more effects on producing easy and hard rules than the implicit learning condition does. They also revealed that the effects of task types are statistically different on the learning of an easy and a hard rule. In addition, production task has more effects on the learning of both an easy and a hard rule than the comprehension task. It could be suggested that the results of this study could be applied in designing more effective instructional condition for the EFL adult learners with low proficiency.
This paper investigates key discursive practices constructed in English language teaching (ELT) in Korea and calls for the necessity of ‘criticality’ in theorizing, researching, and pedagogical practices. Utilizing a new qualitative research orientation of ‘bricolage’ (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005; Kincheloe, 2004) and critical discourse analysis (CDA; Fairclough, 1995), this paper engages in multi-methods of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting the data. More specifically, some current issues related to ELT in Korea are juxtaposed critically with various historical, political, sociocultural, and economical factors. This is to investigate how these factors influence the formation of discursive practices regarding the NS-NNS dichotomy and ownership of English, teaching English for practicality, relationships between language, culture, and power, and neutralizing and depoliticizing key concepts in ELT. This paper suggests that ELT in Korea is a site in which multiple discourses are contesting to delineate particular ways of teaching and learning. Accordingly, this paper argues that ELT practitioners should be aware of the role of English as symbolic power and understand what is implicated in current discursive practices in ELT in order to possibly engage in more progressive pedagogy in line with Freirian consciousness-raising or problematizing practices for Korean learners of English.
The Computerized Enhanced ESL Placement Test (CEEPT) at a public university in the US reflects a new academic writing assessment as test-takers are given sufficient time to plan, produce, and revise a short, academic essay. This study examines the authenticity of the CEEPT, will illuminate the potential of the computerized process-oriented writing assessment. The authenticity was examined based on both logical and empirical analyses. A close examination of a checklist with test and Target Language Use (TLU) tasks reveals relatively good correspondence between the characteristics of CEEPT tasks and of TLU tasks, which indicates high authenticity of the CEEPT. Test takers’ responses to the open- and closed-items on the CEEPT survey also show positive evidence in support of the authenticity of the CEEPT. Students perceived a close match between the academic tasks and the CEEPT tasks, and this high authenticity contributed to eliciting their true writing abilities. The CEEPT as one possible model for process-oriented writing assessment can provide alternatives to timed-single draft essay tests. The findings in this study can advance our understanding of writing assessments and may be applicable to the Korean context.
This study investigated how adult second language learners negotiate their social, relational identities in real-life communicative interactions within professional, institutional social settings. Based on the sociocultural approach to identity formation (e.g., Lantolf & Pavlenko, 2001; Penuel & Wertsch, 1995), this study examined five Korean graduate students’ experiences with and perspectives regarding their real-life communicative interactions within U.S. academe. The study findings suggested the importance of English learners’ enactment of positive, relational identities in enhancing their agency in order to actively participate in English communicative practices and continue to improve their English proficiency. Pedagogical implications for enhancing Korean students’ agency in learning English were also discussed.
This study investigates the effects of focus on form on the acquisition of the tense-aspect system in English by comparing two different instructional techniques, implicit and explicit focus on form. Furthermore, it examines which class of lexical aspect use is more applicable to each method of instruction. The implicit method is intended to produce the synergy of input flooding and typographical enhancement technique. The explicit method provides learners with pedagogical statements, corrective feedback, and some exemplars which are neither flooded nor visually enhanced. The subjects were Korean junior college students enrolled in two basic English writing classes. One class was assigned to an implicit group and the other to an explicit group. They received instruction for 10 weeks under two different learning conditions and were tested on the target structures. The results showed the overall effectiveness of implicit and explicit focus-on-form instructions on facilitating the two target structures, the simple past and present perfect, and on the lexical aspectual system as well. Although the implicit group made some progress, the gain was not statistically significant. The explicit group, however, made a significant progress in the learning of the present perfect. As for the lexical aspectual system, the implicit instruction somewhat influenced appropriate use of telic verbs, whereas the explicit instruction was more effective in facilitating the appropriate use of atelic verbs. The results indicate the importance of acquisition order and learners’ readiness in the learning of the present perfect.
This paper is a case study of the strategic behaviors of younger Korean students. Three Korean elementary students are examined in this study. An interview was used to collect retrospective verbal data on listening processes as well as listening strategies, and a listening strategy questionnaire was used to gather additional information regarding general listening strategic behaviors. A coded strategy report was tabulated, and the mean and percentage were used to render a strategy profile for each participant. The results of this study revealed that the participants, in most case, used all four groups of strategies: cognitive, compensation, metacognitive and affective strategies. However, they differed in their use of strategies within each group of strategies as well as in how often they used each type of strategies. The differences in the strategic behaviors were closely related to listening proficiency level, text difficulty and listening situation. A highly proficient participant used more strategies compared to less proficient participants. The highly proficient participant typically used top-down strategies more often. In contrast, the less proficient participants used bottom-up strategies more often. They typically relied heavily on familiar words and translation when they listened to a more difficult text. Cognitive strategies were reported the most in the interview and compensation strategies were marked as highest in the LSQ.
This case study examines the role of scaffolded prewriting activity in accelerating English writing development. Two Korean elementary students were engaged in a journal writing activity after they had read the first part of an informational trade book. During the next session, they had read the second part of the same book and then engaged in a scaffolded prewriting activity and a journal writing activity. The paired journal writing products without or with scaffolds were compared. The outcome of interest in the study included quality of writing and was assessed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The two students produced better writing in terms of focus, support, and organization when they had the scaffolded prewriting activity. This study suggests that the instructional method of providing strategic writing scaffolds may foster English language learners’ writing skills development.
This study investigates the effects of indirect and direct error feedback on Korean college students’ accuracy improvement in writing and their responses to the feedback they received. The 32 participants of the study were divided into four groups of different error feedback conditions: indirect feedback, indirect feedback along with metalinguistic feedback, direct feedback, and direct feedback along with metalinguistic feedback. Direct feedback was full, explicit error correction, while indirect feedback was coded error correction in which errors were underlined and marked with code. Metalinguistic feedback was marginal explanations about errors. Analysis of error rates in the students’ first and last essay writing did not show statistically significant difference in the accuracy improvement of the four groups. In other words, indirect error feedback was not more effective than direct feedback. However, the gain score in each group showed that indirect feedback and direct feedback were more effective when they were combined with metalinguistic feedback. In particular, the students’ learning diary clearly indicated that the students valued error feedback on their writing and that follow-up feedback was crucial in providing indirect error feedback.
Grounded in the positioning theory and the notion of transaction, this study examined two first grade English language learners in the ESL classroom in a North American elementary school. The research aimed at exploring 1) how the two children participated in the ESL classroom and developed positioning, and 2) what the patterns and paths of the students’ positioning told about their learning English. Observation of the two children in the classroom and extensive field notes were the main data for the study. The analysis of the data revealed contrasting paths of positioning the two children took up in the process of making transaction with the teacher and the classroom lesson acts. The study has several suggestions for researchers, educators, and parents.
This paper is concerned with the ongoing influence of in-service teacher education upon teachers’ instructional behavior and attitudes. Thus the purpose of this study is to trace attitudinal and instructional changes after in-service teacher training and thereby identify either favorable or unfavorable factors affecting such changes in classroom settings. First, a survey was conducted to see which teacher training programs teachers preferred, uncover any changes in instructional behavior and attitudes as well as factors related to said changes, and gather suggestions for prospective teacher training programs. For additional data, four teachers’ reflective journals and interviews were analyzed. The results of the study were as follows: 1) teachers believed that a teacher’s techniques rather than their English proficiency have the most direct influence upon effective English instruction; 2) changes in both behavior and attitudes are observed for only a short period right after in-service teacher education; and 3) a major factor impeding change is the discrepancy between the English language curriculum and actual classroom instruction, which is largely due to the washback effect of the requirements of the Scholastic Aptitude Test required for college admission.
The purpose of this study was to investigate to what extent Korean college students can acquire vocabulary from reading course materials. The participants were 32 college students who enrolled in a TEFL methodology course. A vocabulary test was administered at the beginning and the end of the course, and the results showed that the participants were able to recognize meanings of an average of 3.6 new words, suggesting that small but significant amounts of incidental vocabulary learning can occur as a result of reading course materials. The findings also showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between the number of times each word occurred and its relative learning gain. The results of this study suggests that incidental vocabulary learning is possible from reading even though the amount of such learning is not large. Implications for vocabulary learning and teaching are discussed.
This is an interdisciplinary study based on Library and Information Science and English Education through the examination of scholarly communication on English education objectively. For this study, three scholarly journals English Teaching, Journal of The Applied Linguistics Association of Korea, and Foreign Languages Education were selected through surveys. A total of 1,091 research articles were analyzed in terms of the pattern of article production and writers, research topics, research methodologies, and research participants. Content analysis was performed to clarify the distinction between these three journals. The results showed that topics on language skills were the most examined out of the 16 categories in ET and FLE. On the other hand, topics on SLA ranked first in AL. In terms of methodology, quantitative research was conducted more frequently than qualitative and mixed methods research from the three journals. And in terms of participants, college students, including graduate students ranked first from the three journals. The findings suggest that scholarly communication needs to be extended to a broader context including students, classroom teachers and more researchers from the public and private sectors.
This study aims to investigate the effects of various types of input modification on English listening comprehension by Korean high school students. The participants of the study were assigned to three different types of listening input: one time listening, repetitive listening, and elaboration. They listened to five types of genres such as descriptive, narrative, comparison/contrast, causal/evaluation, and problem/solution This study examined how these different types of input and genres affect the students’ listening comprehension in terms of comprehension of main ideas and details, and inference, The results of the study revealed that different types of input modification and repetition influenced the students’ listening comprehension. For instance, repetitive listening and elaboration did not have a significant effect on the high-level students’ listening comprehension, whereas these types of input resulted in improvement in the low-level students’ listening comprehension. In addition, different input types had effects on the students’ listening comprehension according to the students’ proficiency levels. On the basis of the results, some pedagogical implications on the teaching of listening skills are presented.
This study investigates elementary school parents’ perception concerning the starting age for early English education. Four hundred and eighty-four parents located in Seoul and Kyonggi province areas participated in this study. The questionnaire for exploring parents’ perception was used and the major findings revealed that: (1) the children who started to learn English before the official school year tend to learn English from native speakers of English; (2) about 90.9 percent of children learned English before the third grade of elementary school; (3) most parents reported that the proper starting age for learning English is 5 or 6 years although they perceived that it was not an important factor in enhancing their children’s English proficiency. These results indicate that the current status of early English education should be restructured to meet the parents’ perception and needs. Major implications will then be discussed.
There is little research on the users of dictionaries in Korea. The user research, however, is essential to developing better dictionaries. Hence, this study aims to explore the actual conditions regarding Korean English teachers’ general use of English dictionaries. English teachers were chosen as the subjects because they instruct the use of dictionaries to other users, especially students, as well as use dictionary themselves. Thirty teachers from elementary, middle and high schools respectively (total 90) participated in this research. The research was conducted using questionnaires that consisted of two main parts: The first part was designed to analyze the teachers’ use of dictionaries and the second part aimed to investigate the teachers’ instruction on the use of dictionaries. The data were coded and factors were examined by means of quantitative analysis. It was found that English teachers in Korea used Korean-English and English-English dictionaries which are well structured and easy to use with full contents in order to prepare teaching materials and develop handouts other than text books. In addition, most of teachers said that students must be taught how to use dictionaries in the first grade of junior high school.
The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the acquisition process of the ellipsis at the end of sentences for Koreans who learn Japanese through the contrast of Chinese and English native speakers. The sample of analysis comes from OPI data. The two results below are described in detail: First, Koreans who learn Japanese use more frequently the ellipsis at the end of sentences under the “Existing-Verb-Clauses” than Chinese and English native speakers. However, the acquisition level goes up, the frequency of usage is getting higher to the point where the acquisition process is inclined to be equal at both side (Koreans who learn Japanese vs Chinese and English native speaker). Second, the formality varies more than Chinese and English native speakers, as well as it appears at the beginning level. The formality includes “「けど」,「から」,「て」,「ので」”.The formality of Chinese and English native speakers is similar to Koreans who learn Japanese at the end of the learning stage.
There was a significant difference in Japanese"s consciousness among region, age, and job. Although traditional and conservation trend is strong in Tohoku and Kyushyu, people in metropolital areas tend to stick to old customs rather than those in non-metropolis. The difference of consciousness between suburban and rural areas is getting weaker. Depending on the character of research, however, the difference in consciousness was shown between Kanto and Kansai. People in big cities exhibit different consciousness, and people in Kyushyu show entirely different consciousness even in the same area like Kagoshima. There was a significant difference in consciousness regarding morals, politics and tradition. In particular, there was a conspicuous difference in awareness among people who have different jobs. People in agriculture and fishery showed strong conservatism while peolpe in technique and business showed openness. If this research findings show the difference of consciousness in region, age, and occupation, it might provide a model of stereotype. The purpose of this study, however, is to help Koreans to reconsider the stereotype of Japan, It is hoped that this research help people to be aware of a variety of Japanese.