The purpose of this research was to examine how Korean college students’ motivation toward English learning has been changed over time as they took technology-utilizing classes. In order to accomplish this, two research questions were proposed; First, how has the students’ motivation changed over the whole school year? Second, how has the students’ motivation changed in terms of their English proficiency levels? Sixty college students were required to take a simulated TOEIC test for their English proficiency levels, and to respond to the ARCS questionnaire developed by Keller (2008a, 2008b) to measure their motivation levels. An independent samples t-test was employed to compare the statistical means from the samples, specifically to find out the relation of students’ motivation and t he e ffect o f t echnology-utilizing c lasses. The r esults o f d ata analysis found out that the longer the treatment period of technology-utilizing instruction, the greater the effect on the learner’s motivation; second, the technology-utilizing instruction has a significant effect on the students’ motivation regardless of their proficiency levels, but it turns out to be more effective in improving the upper group students’ motivation toward learning. Based on these findings, practical implications for the implementing technology-utilizing instruction in the EFL classroom were suggested.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the research trends in Korean education for learners in the Arab region. This paper also suggests directions for the future research on the field of Korean education for these learners. To conduct this study, a process of collection and sorting of research papers was held as the first step. Consequently, 64 papers were chosen. Among 64 papers, 31 academic journals and 33 theses were included. The study then reviewed the research trend by years, publishing types, and topics. Although there were very few studies in the 2000s, the number of studies has steadily increased after 2010. This was related to the Korean Wave in Arab countries and the increase in Arab students who study in Korean from 2013. In the topic analysis by the topics, ‘Teaching and Learning’ accounted for the largest proportion. The second largest proportion was ‘Korean Education Content’. Next was ‘Korean Education in general’, followed by ‘Contrastive Analysis’. Overall, there have been many studies based on contrast or error analysis between Arabic and Korean languages. In terms of contents, there were many studies on phonetics and culture. However, it was found that there are many studies that need to be addressed in each sub-topic. Lastly, based on the analysis in this study, the characteristics and limitations of research trends were analyzed, and future research directions were suggested.

The purpose of this study is to design an instructional model based on CLIL (Content Language Integrated Learning) theory for effective language learning. The study findings reveal the following three points. First, context-oriented foreign language education is possible, if we have well-edited authentic materials that match the level of the students, and implement the relevant materials as classroom activities that covered 4C (Content, Cognition, Communication, Culture) through sophisticated placement of content-language integration methods. Second, changes in evaluation methods can affect the studying style of learners. Since the process of output can only be actively utilized if the input is repeated, if we provide an desirable evaluation method so that the repetition process can focus on acquiring meaningful language information, this will help learners make more active use of the target language. Third, foreign language education could expand learners’ thinking skills. Content-language integrated learning is sufficient to help students to understand other cultures and compare/analyze the educational contents based on respect for cultural diversity. Through this all learning activities based on CLIL theory, language learners can also develop their critical thinking skills.

Learning Chinese through animation can be of great help to balanced language learning as you can access not only language but also culture. This study extracted and analyzed the vocabulary of the July 8th, 2016 Chinese animation [Big Fish & Begonia] as evaluated by HSK grade. Among the total number of vocabularies and expressions observed, the average proportion of the ‘basic HSK’ grade vocabulary is 53.95% and the average proportion of the ‘modified HSK’ grade vocabulary is 96.98%, which is very meaningful in learning. The composition ratio of HSK grade for each section was generally constant and the difficulty was constant. The animation [Big Fish & Begonia] contains various vocabulary for learning Chinese and is an educational content that embodies the cultural colors and characteristics of China well for children and adult learners in the early stages of learning Chinese. A very positive educational effect can be expected for the development of Chinese language skills, and the possibility of its use is also very high.

Este trabajo analiza los errores debidos a la interferencia coreana al escribir/traducir al español. Sostenemos que, cuando los alumnos ingresan una vez en la memoria una forma española α que corresponde preferentemente a una forma coreana A, tienden a equiparar esta correspondencia como ‘A = α’ y la aplican a los casos en los que dicha correspondencia no debería usarse. Para averiguar cuántos alumnos cometen este tipo de error, realizamos un experimento con 42 alumnos. En el experimento, dividimos las oraciones en dos grupos. Las oraciones que pueden producir un resultado apropiado se colocaron en el grupo A si usamos la correspondencia ‘A → α’, mientras que las que pueden producir un resultado inapropiado se ubicaron en el grupo B si lo hacemos. Nuestro análisis mostró que el error más común del grupo B es reutilizar la correspondencia utilizada en el grupo A. Por lo tanto, los estudiantes necesitan evitar una “ecuación excesiva” para reducir errores. Finalmente, para cada oración, sugerimos formas de reducir o evitar errores.

El objetivo de este estudio es proponer la verbalización metalingüística como una manera de ayudar a los estudiantes de español como lengua extranjera a convertir el conocimiento explícito en implícito. En las aulas de la segunda lengua, la verbalización metalingüística suele ser realizada por los profesores o aparece en el libro de texto. Pero, en este artículo, nos centraremos en la verbalización metalingüística llevada a cabo por los alumnos y analizaremos sus efectos en la adquisición del español como lengua extranjera. En primer lugar, dividiremos la verbalización metalingüística en tres fases (input, reestructuración y output) y presentaremos las acciones del alumno que aparecen en cada fase. En segundo lugar, explicaremos cómo influyen estas acciones en la construcción del conocimiento implícito, basándonos en la reflexión metalingüística, el aumento de la conciencia gramatical, la hipótesis del reconocimiento, el constructivismo cognitivo, el aprendizaje significativo y la hipótesis del output comprensible. Como resultado del estudio, se ha demostrado teóricamente que la verbalización metalingüística realizada por los alumnos es una manera de aprendizaje útil que ayuda a formar el conocimiento implícito. Sin embargo, no se debe olvidar que los alumnos tienen que practicar los elementos lingüísticos meta para que puedan procesar automáticamente el conocimiento adquirido.

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of input- and output-based planning (reading a sample passage vs. writing a draft) on the oral performance of L2 learners with low-proficiency. In this study, 16 Korean female junior college students of low English proficiency were divided into two different planning groups. The reading group was required to read a sample passage of the given topic, designed to encourage “noticing” and “focus on form” using input enhancement, while the writing group was asked to write a draft of their speech, using only their own L2 knowledge. After such planning activities, both groups recorded their assigned speaking tasks using Kakao Talk. Eight planning activities and oral performances were completed over the period of the semester. In order to compare the effects of input- and output-based planning on the improvement of overall proficiency, pre- and post-tests, in which the students produced the same narratives, were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Furthermore, this study explored any difference in speaking performance after each type of planning and what the learners were actually doing during planning time. The results showed that output-based planning had positive effects on speaking performance and its repeated practice led to the improvement of overall proficiency.

This study aims to analyze the types of cognitive process required to perform vocabulary learning activities in Middle School English textbooks. For this purpose, 26 middle school English textbooks were examined, including 13 for the first year and another 13 for the second year of middle school. The results indicated that vocabulary learning activities emerged in the phase of reading, and then were categorized into pre-reading vocabulary activities and post-reading ones. Eight types of cognitive process emerged in the pre-reading phase and three types in the post-reading phase. That is, the number of vocabulary activities in pre-reading phase was larger than that in the post-reading phase. In addition, the diversity of vocabulary activities in the pre-reading phase was higher than that in the post-reading phase. Based on these results, this study suggests a new model of vocabulary learning activity in middle school English textbooks. A few implications on how to teach new words in English classrooms are discussed.

This study investigates the claim that task-induced involvement load has an effect on vocabulary learning and examines the effect of task types and word concreteness on intentional vocabulary learning in the Korean EFL context. This study aims at testing whether productive word-focused tasks lead to equally effective vocabulary learning when the total involvement load index is equal but the distribution of index levels of each component (need, search, and evaluation) is different. The three productive word-focused task types are gap-fillig, sentence writing, and gap-filling through word transformation. In addition, in order to investigate the effect of word concreteness on vocabulary learning, two groups of target words were selected based on the level of word concreteness. In sum, the results of this study generally supported involvement load hypothesis (Laufer & Hulstijin, 2001) and test types and proficiency levels proved to be important variables that affect vocabulary learning. Moreover, the findings also indicated that word concreteness was not a major factor in vocabulary learning. The pedagogical implications and further suggestions are discussed.

Based on the multilingual perspective that emphasizes that non-native variants of English need to be recognized as having values equivalent to the native speakers’ English, this study aimed at discovering elementary school teachers’ perceptions and beliefs of native-speakerism, multilingualism, and monolingualism in English education, and the contradictions and questions they had as they reflected on the language ideologies. Nine elementary teachers participated in the study, and two written reflections on language ideologies and two follow-up group interviews were used as the data source. The findings were as follows. First, the teachers confirmed, consolidated, or realized how native speakerism and monolingualism were deeply rooted in English teaching and learning. However, they showed that they had agency in their own teaching, and also showed changes in their perception through reflecting on their experiences. Last, the teachers had questions and contradictions about implementing a multilingual approach in teaching English, which provides the issues and challenges to be solved for the transformation of English education in the multilingual world. This study has implications for primary English education.

For nearly two years, virtual learning has been employed by most Korean university instructors and students in online teaching environment. A major negative result of prior research on this issue has been a feeling of isolation and desire for more interactions by students. Therefore, this study was conducted to elicit student insights and feelings related to their satisfaction, self-ratings, and advantages and disadvantages of online Teacher-led (TL) versus Student-led (SL) team activities in their online learning environment. A total of 53 freshman students in two general English classes took part in four Zoom group meetings. The surveys and reflection essay were analyzed through qualitative methods. Major findings included: students from both the TL and SL groups reported relatively higher satisfaction and self-ratings of English skills through the four team activities. However, the TL group indicated that there was a lack of emphasis on reading skills, and an overreliance on teacher interventions led to a lack of team cooperation. While the SL group reported that a lack of teacher interaction led to confusion, poor time management, increased Korean use, and fewer listening comprehension opportunities. Implications and a discussion of team activity use in general English programs are included.

The study investigated the individual coaching effect on TOEIC learning among college students. The participants were the 145 college students in Incheon who had taken TOEIC reading comprehension classes for two semesters. Two series of simple TOEIC tests were executed to measure the students’ English proficiency on the first day of each semester. Individual coaching was conducted through counseling and learning guidance for 25 students with the lower scores (3~7 points out of 25 based on the first simple TOEIC test). Among them, eight students participated in the in-depth interview at the beginning of each semester. When comparing the simple TOEIC test results of the two groups, the difference between the averages of the two groups was clear only with regard to the first semester. The t-test showed no proven statistical differences in the second semester outcomes. The results of paired-sample t-test on the change in the simple TOEIC scores before and after individual coaching in the individual and class coaching mixed group was also statistically verified. Individual coaching in this study was to find an appropriate learning process for the students with low language fluency, and it took place for a relatively long time. The interaction between the students and the professor in individual coaching created a special rapport between them.

This study aims to investigate how multicultural aspects are dealt with in current elementary English textbooks. The cover pages, dialogues, main readings, and culture sections of a total of 10 elementary English textbooks for 5th and 6th graders were closely examined in terms of (1) the races and genders of the characters, (2) the cultural backgrounds of the contents, and (3) Bennett’s (2010) core values of multicultural education. The results revealed that each gender was equally represented and the textbooks present diverse cultural backgrounds in a balanced way. It was found, however, that there was an imbalance in terms of racial backgrounds. With respect to the core values of multicultural education, acceptance and appreciation of cultural diversity, and respect for human dignity and universal human rights were the top two values that appeared most frequently throughout the textbooks. Responsibility to a world community was the value that was comparatively hard to find in them. Detailed findings are discussed in greater depth, along with implications for elementary English education in Korea.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of English learning through social media on the perception and affective factors of college students. To this end, researchers examined whether the educational use of YouTube and KakaoTalk, popular among college students in Korea, differs according to English improvement, affective factors, and English level. The subjects of this study were 63 freshmen majoring in Medical Convergence, who were taking college English at C University located in Gangwon-do. An online questionnaire was used for data collection. The collected data were analyzed using Jamovi, a statistical program. The results are as follows. First, the participants positively changed the perception that the use of social media had on the overall improvement of English. Second, the affective domains such as self-confidence, attitudes, values, beliefs, and interests of the participants also changed positively. Finally, it was confirmed that social media has educational value regardless of English level.

The English language textbook for classes XI-XII, currently in use nationwide in Bangladesh, has drawn numerous reactions from multiple corners of the country. Bangladeshi teachers, major stakeholders, have been noticeably concerned about the effectiveness of the design of the textbook based on their teaching experiences (Hani & Siddika, 2018). It is important to know their perceptions of the textbook, since their perceptions have a significant influence on students’ learning English through the textbook. The current study, therefore, seeks to provide information about the participant teachers and their teaching contexts in order to judge the value of the textbook design in terms of contents selection and organization. For that research purpose, interviews were conducted with 10 teachers who were, at the time of research, teaching the textbook at different colleges in a district of the country. Based on the data, the study discusses the teachers’ first-hand experience with the textbook, providing a revealing insight into how well it facilitates students’ learning in the classroom. Finally, implications are suggested that are expected to guide the design of the next applicable version of the textbook.

The purpose of the study is two-fold: (a) to investigate L2 learners’ receptive and productive collocational knowledge concerning the learners’ lexical proficiency levels, and (b) to explore the degree of their productive collocational knowledge. A total of 358 Korean university students participated in this study and completed a Vocabulary Size Test, two receptive collocation tests, and one productive collocation test. The results revealed that there was significance among the scores of three collocation tests. It is also observed that receptive and productive collocational competence tends to increase as L2 learners’ vocabulary size develops. Regarding productive collocational knowledge gains, significant differences were found among collocation combinations but no interaction effect was found between combination types and vocabulary levels. The findings indicated that L2 learners need to be aware of the importance of learning collocational knowledge while teachers need to attempt to help them notice high-frequency collocations that regularly occur in various contexts.

With the wide availability of mobile devices, efforts to accommodate these technological devices have been made in pronunciation training. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mobile apps in improving the perception and production of the English vowels, /o/ and /ɔ/, which are difficult to discriminate and produce for Korean learners of English. The participants were 24 college freshmen enrolled in a general English course. They shadowed the model pronunciation from the application and corrected their production after instant feedback from the automatic speech recognition application. Their perception was evaluated in the preand post-tests, and the production was visually examined on the formant chart. The training was held for 5 minutes each day, for a month. The results showed that the training made positive effects on improving students’ perception of the target vowels. There was also some progress in their production although the improvement was not as noticeable as in perception. A discrepancy in the production was discovered between male and female participants with the latter performing better.

The purpose of this research is to examine the significance of peer-peer interactions on L1 discussions for L2 reading tasks. This research was designed to see how college EFL students interact during a L1 group discussion assigned as part of an L2 reading task by a means of CA (conversation analysis). Five college EFL students engaged in an L1 group discussion on L2 reading comprehension questions and their conversations were video-recorded for transcription. The peer-peer interaction CA analyzed discussions through a turn-taking system and contextualization cues and has provided pedagogical implications. Observed interactions among students showed that a team leader playing a role as a mediator attempted to focus on the issues arising during the discussion to solve and foster the engagement from other team members. The findings of this study suggest that students effectively find the best ways of reaching desirable conclusions through negotiation-driven interactions. Group discussions with L1 can encourage students to use their linguistic resources to perform the L2 task effectively, which leads to successful completion of the given tasks.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the mediating effects of mentoring functions in college students and motivation levels in virtual, web-based, constructivist English classes. It is also intended to analyze the effects of web-based interactions on constructivist learning. For this, a survey was conducted on 210 college students all of who participated in a ‘Media English’ class. Correlation analysis, simple regression analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were conducted to verify three research hypotheses. This statistical analyses showed the results that 1) the mentoring function turned out to influence interactions in the virtual constructivism learning framework; 2) the mentoring function turned out to influence learning motivation in the virtual web-based constructivism learning framework; 3) mentoring function as an independent variable in the virtual web-based constructivism learning turned out to influence learning motivation as a dependent variable of college students through the media of interaction as a parameter. Therefore, the results indicated that the mentoring function influenced learning motivation levels of college students through interaction in the virtual web-based constructivist English learning framework.

This study provides step-by-step suggestions for expanding the foundation of Korean language education and the systematic teaching and learning of the Korean language in New Northern Policy countries. To this end, a literature review was undertaken to explore the existing knowledge in the field, and surveys and online interviews were conducted with local experts. According to the surveys, the New Northern Policy countries were highly accepting of multilingualism and multiculturalism, currently using the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) to accommodate the global standard education model and seeking to strengthen English education in accordance with the de-Russian trend. Also based on CEFR, achievement standards are systematically presented. Korean language education is divided into curricular and extra-curricular, with the Korean language curriculum further subdivided according to the development of the Korean language curriculum. The extra-curricular stream is mainly conducted in after-school programs. The proposed development phase of the Korean pro-language curriculum should establish a reference system including goals and grades that connects with the CEFR. Moreover, to develop the Korean language curriculum further, it is necessary to establish and analyze the Korean language profiles of Korean learners.