The study aimed at examining native English teachers’ and Korean EFL teachers’ understanding and teaching experience of epistemic modals. For the study, a total of 51 teachers participated in the online survey, and 11 of them had a follow-up interview. The results revealed that Korean teachers’ understanding was surprisingly low, indicating 10.94% of accuracy rate on average while native English teachers showed 94.74% of accuracy rate. The two groups’ mean score was statistically significant (p<.05). Concerning both groups of the teachers’experience of epistemic modals, while 78% of them had teaching experiences, both groups of the teachers merely focused on forms and meanings, not semantic system, which concerned a hierarchy for logical meanings. Finally, significance of understanding and using functions of epistemic modals was discussed.

According to the taxonomy of English modals by Hofmann (1966) and Palmer (1990), the present study aimed at examining Korean EFL teachers’understanding and teaching experience of semantic concepts of epistemic modals. For the data, a total of 42 teachers enrolled in the English education program at 2 graduate schools in South Korea participated in an online survey. Of the participants, 18 participated in a face-to-face interview. The findings revealed that the teachers’ understanding of English epistemic modals was very low, indicating 11.92% of accuracy rate on average. In particular, their understanding of expressing speakers’ positive inference showed the lowest accuracy rate (0%). Regarding the teachers’ experience of teaching epistemic modals, the survey indicated that more than 60% of the teachers had teaching experiences. However, the teachers merely focused on forms and meanings, not functions. Importance of being aware of the semantic systems of epistemic modals, which were to express a hierarchy for logical meanings, was discussed.

The present study aimed at analyzing item format, test content, and test trend in phonology and phonetics in the Korean public secondary school English teacher employment exams from 2014 to 2018 in comparison with those from 2009 to 2013. Findings of the study revealed that filling-out and restricted-response essay items have been evenly distributed on the test even though there was no extendedresponse essay item over the last 5 years. The items in phonology and phonetics were the second most frequent on the test (37.8%), followed by syntax and school grammar (57.3%), and its ratio tended to steadily increase since 2014. The frequency of test contents indicated that ‘consonants and vowels,’ ‘syllables,’ and ‘phonemes and allophones’ comprised high frequency while ‘phonological process,’ and ‘phonological rules’ has significantly decreased on the test. The new test trends linked to morphology and teaching methodology were qualitatively analyzed. Finally, problems of the current test and future direction were discussed.

The present study aimed at examining Korean college learners’ academic achievements and views in flipped classrooms. In total, 89 students with two different levels of English proficiency (45 in beginning class and 44 in intermediate class) participated in the study. All participants had pre-and post-test, and they responded to two surveys. Also, 15 students participated in the follow-up interview. The results showed that students’ academic achievements in the intermediate class were statistically significant in their post-test (p<.05) although those in the beginning class did not show any significance. Regarding students’ views on the approach, the findings revealed that many students in the beginning class considered the flipped learning skeptical while half students in the intermediate class perceived the approach positively. The results suggested that the flipped learning approach may not be an effective learning approach for beginning English learners. Finally, pedagogical implications and future research were discussed.

Youn-Kyoung Lee. 2017. The Effect of Problem-Based Learning on Korean College Learners’ English Vocabulary Learning. Studies in Modern Grammar 96, 253-270. The present study aimed at examining the effects of problem-based learning (PBL) on English vocabulary learning in a Korean college context. In total, 52 students participated in the study. The PBL class (n=26) was assigned to the experimental group, and the non-PBL class (n=26) was the control group. Both group had the same curriculum. All participants had pre-and postvocabulary test, and 12 students participated in the follow-up interview. The results showed that there were significant differences between the two groups on the post-vocabulary test (p<.05). The PBL participants’ interview data revealed that PBL provided sufficient English conversation practice and opportunities of scaffolding. The findings suggest that PBL should be applied to foster Korean college learners’ ability of English vocabulary learning.

The present study aimed at examining the effects of English collaborative writing and learners’ reflections on the experience of collaborative writing. The study was classroom based, and the participants (n=33) were Korean graduate students majoring in English education. The study compared texts produced by pairs (n=22) with those produced by individuals (n=11). Among the participants, nine students, involving the collaborative writing, participated in the follow-up interview. The study found that collaborative writing had an overall significant effect on students’ L2 writing. In particular, pairs produced better texts in terms of content, organization, and vocabulary, but not grammar and mechanics. The results of the student interviews showed that collaborative writing helped them pool ideas and provide each other with useful feedback. Most students were positive about the experience while a few of them demonstrated some reservation about collaborative writing.

Youn-Kyoung Lee. 2016. The Effect of Discourse Markers on EFL Reading Comprehension. Studies in Modern Grammar 90, 99-115. The present study aimed at examining the effect of macro- and micro-discourse markers in EFL academic reading comprehension. The study involved 70 college students, enrolling the ‘Intermediate English Reading Course,’ and they were from diverse majors. Of 70 participants, half (n=35) read a text with discourse markers and the other half (n=35) read a text without discourse markers. The findings of the study revealed that discourse markers played an important role in English reading comprehension. Compared to the group without discourse markers, the group with discourse makers comprehended significantly more information from English academic reading in an accurate manner. The present study makes an important contribution to the current literature on EFL reading comprehension, by providing the additional empirical evidence concerning the effect of macro-and micro discourse markers as well as the combination of both on English reading comprehension.

The present study aimed at examining the effect of macro- and micro-discourse markers in EFL academic reading comprehension. The study involved 70 college students, enrolling the ‘Intermediate English Reading Course,’ and they were from diverse majors. Of 70 participants, half (n=35) read a text with discourse markers and the other half (n=35) read a text without discourse markers. The findings of the study revealed that discourse markers played an important role in English reading comprehension. Compared to the group without discourse markers, the group with discourse makers comprehended significantly more information from English academic reading in an accurate manner. The present study makes an important contribution to the current literature on EFL reading comprehension, by providing the additional empirical evidence concerning the effect of macro-and micro discourse markers as well as the combination of both on English reading comprehension.

The present study aims at examining the similarities and differences in the published research article abstracts between native(NS) and non-native English speakers(NNS). Using the comparative analysis of two corpora, the study compares the top 10 most frequently used key words and concordance lines shown in each corpus and analyzes the two groups’ different perceptions, study foci, issues, and lexical choices. The results of the study reveal that NS and NNS have different thematic interests, issues they are dealing with, and perceptions about their English, English teaching, and learning in the abstracts of published articles. Even though the study has relatively a small data set, it provides empirical evidences for the assumption that NS and NNS have different perceptions, interests, and issues dealt with in research article abstracts.

The study aims at exploring ESL students’ meaningful literacy experience. This study involves 20 ESL students at a middle sized state university in the United States. For the data in this inquiry, the wiring task and student interview data were used and grounded theory was employed to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that ESL students perceive the meaningful literacy experience valuable in terms of self-expression, self-discovery, emotional relief, and enhancement of English vocabulary. However, some students considered the writing experience challenging due to the unfamiliar topic, vocabulary, and organization. The study also indicated that students have an opportunity to express diverse emotions in their writing piece. Based on the findings of the study, the impacts of the meaningful experience and pedagogical implication of meaningful literacy instruction in EFL contexts were discussed.

The present study aims at reviewing the current thinking in the field of language testing and assessment, discussing limitations in language testing in Korean academia, and suggesting future directions of the research agenda in the language testing field. The findings of the study indicated that research on language testing in Korean academia for the last ten years focused on test washback and the two high stakes English tests, which are the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT) and the newly developed National English Ability Test (NEAT). In particular, studies on the CSAT were very limited to item analysis on the CSAT and related teaching strategies despite its symbolic significance in the Korean testing field. Research issues on the NEAT, however, seem to be conducted on a broader spectrum regardless when it should be implemented is still unclear with many political and social complications. Based on the review, the present study suggested that the research agenda of future studies needs to be focused on the following areas: Validation of the testing, non-credential tests of English, classroom-based assessment, a critical perspective on the uses of English testing, and sociocultural perspectives of testing in Korean society.