This study aims to demonstrate the integration of character education with content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and evaluate its effects on the English language learning and character development of young learners who use EFL. Eight participants received character-integrated CLIL instruction over 16 class sessions. Employing a mixed-method approach, this study collected qualitative data primarily through observations, interviews, portfolios, self-assessments, and peerassessments, complemented by quantitative data from English tests and questionnaires. Findings revealed that character-integrated CLIL significantly enhanced learners’ oral language skills, confidence, and engagement in learning English. Additionally, it facilitated simultaneous development of language proficiency and subject knowledge, while promoting acquisition of positive character traits. The learner-centered environment supported by teacher scaffolding and authentic materials allowed learners to apply their knowledge to real-life situations. These results provide educators with a model for effectively integrating character education into language learning. They also highlight the broader potential of CLIL to foster holistic learner development.

This longitudinal study used data from the Busan Educational Longitudinal Study (BELS) to identify growth profiles of English class self-efficacy (ECS) over three years and their associations with English class comprehension, engagement, and achievement. A middle school student sample from 2016 to 2018 BELS comprised 3,038 students (1,394 females and 1,644 males) from 56 middle schools in South Korea. Using a personcentered approach with Mplus 8.4, a higher-order growth mixture modeling (GMM) yielded three distinct growth trajectories of ECS: 82.8% of initially high and slowly decreasing (HSD) group, 9.7% of intermediate high and decreasing (IHD) group, and 7.5% of low but increasing (LI) group growth profiles. Results indicated that English class comprehension, engagement, and achievement showed statistically significant mean differences across each growth profile of ECS. The identified ECS growth profiles can be used to tailor intervention measures. Empirical findings are discussed in terms of pedagogical implications in applied language learning and teaching practices and further research.

Writing conferences are one-on-one feedback sessions that enable teachers and students to engage in constructive interactions to improve students’ writing. While interacting individually, a teacher can use various feedback strategies to improve the quality of a student’s writing. This study examined how a secondary English teacher elicited students’ self-correction of writing issues during EFL writing conferences conducted in Korean (L1) as part of an after-school English program at a Korean high school. One English teacher and five first-year students participated in writing classes for two weeks during the winter vacation. Their conversations were video-recorded and analyzed using Conversation Analysis. Findings revealed that the teacher elicited the student’s selfcorrection through four key strategies: (1) metalinguistic clues, (2) building on initial corrections, (3) leveraging morphological knowledge, and (4) guiding students through a stepwise construction of sentence elements. This study can enhance our understanding of corrective feedback in secondary EFL writing conferences and offer insights for improving teacher-student feedback interactions.

The present study investigates the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools by pre-service teachers (PSTs) in lesson planning for a middle-school English as a foreign language (EFL) class, aiming to address gaps and inform teacher training. The case study examined PSTs in a South Korean university course who were tasked with creating lesson plans using generative AI to aid in lesson plan development for a middle school lesson that incorporated generative AI. Data were analyzed thematically, and results revealed that generative AI was used in topic selection, material creation, lesson organization, and language checking. While generative AI facilitated efficiency and creativity, challenges emerged, including the quality of outputs and limited incorporation of effective pedagogical strategies. These findings indicate a need for targeted training in prompt engineering, ethical considerations, pedagogy, and collaborative practices to enhance PSTs’ generative AI competencies. This study contributes to teacher education programs by providing insights into the practical integration of generative AI in pedagogical practices.

This research, grounded in the extended technology acceptance model, aimed to explore the relationships among factors influencing Korean EFL learners’ acceptance of ChatGPT for English learning in a voluntary usage context. To this end, a questionnaire was distributed to college students who had used ChatGPT for language learning, utilizing a convenience sampling method. A total of 400 responses were analyzed to test hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings revealed that learners’ perceived usefulness significantly predicted their intention to continue using ChatGPT, while perceived ease of use did not. Moreover, learners’ result demonstrability was found to be a predictor of perceived usefulness, whereas subjective norm was not. Both playfulness and output quality significantly influenced learners’ perceived ease of use. This study identified key factors that could enhance EFL learners’ acceptance of ChatGPT by improving perceptions of usefulness and ease of use, offering valuable insights for integrating ChatGPT into English education.

This study aims to see if task-based flipped learning (TBFL) can be effective in developing university students’ self-regulated learning. The specific research question is: Does TBFL have a positive impact on learners’ self-regulated learning attitude in cognitive, motivational, and behavioral domains? The research took place at a university English class where a total of 12 students participated for 15 weeks in the fall semester of the year 2023. In order to answer the research question, the self-regulated learning attitude inventory was used along with focus-group interviews and class observation. Due to the limited number of participants, frequency analysis was made for the quantitative data. Major findings were revealed as follows: Firstly, a high level of self-regulated learning attitude was found in all factors in the cognitive domain except for ‘Planning and Monitoring.’ Secondly, positive responses shown in the entire factors in the motivational domain led to greater interest and self-efficacy. Lastly, in the behavioral domain, positive responses were revealed except for ‘Time Management & Environment Setting,’ which seems to be related to the problems found in the cognitive domain’s ‘Planning and Monitoring.’

This study investigated the relationship between teacher support in the areas of learner autonomy, relatedness, and competence, and motivational beliefs regarding achievement goal orientations and perceived task value in Chinese EFL college classrooms based on self-determination theory. A questionnaire was administered to 712 college students, and the data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0. The findings indicated that teacher support for autonomy, relatedness, and competence was positively correlated with mastery goal orientation and performance-approach orientation, while it was negatively correlated with performance-avoidance orientation. Furthermore, these forms of teacher support positively influenced students’ perceived task value. Achievement goal orientation mediated the relationship between the three types of teacher support and student engagement. However, perceived task value only mediated the relationship between teacher autonomy support and student engagement. This study offers valuable insights for enhancing English teaching practices by promoting student motivation through addressing their psychological needs in EFL college classrooms.

This study investigates the effect of machine translation (MT) use on the writing performance of Korean EFL students, focusing on complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF). Six participants completed a series of writing tasks in which they first translated their L1 writing into L2 manually and then used MT to revise their L2 drafts. This process was repeated across ten different writing topics. Participants’ drafts were analyzed using CAF measures to assess MT’s impact on their writing performance and observe changes over tasks. The results show that MT significantly improved accuracy and fluency. However, gains in syntactic and lexical complexity were less evident. While group-level analysis showed consistent progress, individual trajectories varied widely, indicating diverse patterns of development. Overall, the findings suggest that MT enhances writing accuracy and fluency among Korean EFL students, although its impact on syntactic and lexical complexity is limited. These results indicate that MT can serve as a valuable tool for self-directed learning, helping students independently improve their writing accuracy and fluency and develop essential self-editing skills. This study highlights the potential of MT as a supplementary tool to support EFL students’ writing development, along with traditional instruction.

Korean English medium instruction (EMI) classes aim to foster active discussions and communicative interactions in English between instructors and students. However, many Korean students in these classes struggle due to their limited English proficiency. This paper examines the challenges faced by Korean EFL students in EMI environments, highlighting the necessity for support in both English and their native language to facilitate effective learning. It also identifies teaching strategies that have proven effective in helping these students navigate language barriers. The findings indicate that participants had difficulty developing their writing skills for assignments in EMI settings and encountered limited opportunities to communicate their understanding of course material with instructors. To address these challenges, it is important to assess students’ language skills and find a balance between Korean and English. Implementing flexible teaching methods can enhance the learning experience, making it more effective and supportive. By providing multiple approaches to learning, such as interactive activities or peer support, learning gaps can be bridged and overall educational outcomes enhanced.

With the increasing integration of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, there is a growing demand for accessible AI-powered platforms for teachers and students. This study examines the efficacy of an online question-making platform using GPT-3.5 generated content to develop Korean students’ question-asking skills in English. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we assessed the platform’s impact on students’ question making abilities and its feasibility in classroom settings. Participants included thirty students from a 4th grade elementary school English classroom in Korea and seven elementary school teachers. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-tests measuring students’ question-making skills, while qualitative insights were gathered from semi-structured teacher interviews. Results indicated that the application was able to significantly improve students’ question-making abilities. Thematic analysis of interviews indicated positive perceptions of the platform’s usability and p otential f or l anguage learning. Findings m ay contribute to the growing body of research on using artificial intelligence in L2 education and offer practical insights for educators seeking to leverage advance language models in their instructions.

Despite the widespread recognition of the prominent contribution of key language subskills, such as grammar and vocabulary knowledge, to reading comprehension, a research consensus on their relative significance has not been reached. Moreover, the extent of the contribution vocabulary depth makes to reading comprehension has received little research attention. The present study assessed the relative potential contribution of vocabulary depth and grammar knowledge to advanced Korean EFL college students’ reading comprehension abilities, while controlling for their language proficiency and vocabulary breadth, through hierarchical regression analyses. 56 advanced EFL Korean college students were tested on reading comprehension abilities and a range of reading-related subskills including vocabulary breadth, vocabulary depth, grammar, and listening comprehension in English. The findings revealed the unique contribution of vocabulary depth to reading comprehension abilities beyond the effects of both vocabulary breadth and grammar knowledge when English proficiency was controlled for. The findings further underscore the need for balanced approaches in developing L2 learners’ language skills to enhance their reading comprehension abilities.

Motivated by the effort of diagnostic interventions for EFL learners in Korean educational contexts, this study aims to identify heterogeneous L2 reading skill profiles among students attending the same school. Subsequently, it investigates the impact of learners’ L2 learning backgrounds on heterogeneity of these reading skills. Using Latent Profile Analysis on 234 vocational high school students, we identified four distinct profiles: Profile 1, severely weak L2 readers with very low decoding and syntactic knowledge; Profile 2, moderately weak L2 readers; Profile 3, above-average L2 readers; and Profile 4, fairly well-developed L2 readers with good vocabulary breadth. Multinomial regression analysis revealed that profile membership was significantly predicted by positive past learning experiences, extra-curricular English reading, and motivational attitudes. These findings underscore the significant heterogeneity in L2 reading skills within the seemingly homogeneous EFL group and highlight the critical association with past and current educational experiences, emphasizing the importance of tailored interventions based on individual learning histories.

Metacognition in L2 listening has garnered attention, but there is limited research on concrete methods to practice it in high school EFL contexts. This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of self-annotation interventions in a high school EFL listening classroom. Through the analysis of pre- and post-listening tests, students’ annotations over 10 sessions, and a post-questionnaire, this study reveals that selfannotation interventions improve students’ comprehension, confidence, and motivation. Both higher- and lower-level students demonstrated improved L2 listening test scores compared to the control group, with the former generating more analytical selfannotations and achieving more statistically significant progress. The thematic analysis of students’ self-annotations identified recurring patterns that can inform effective listening instruction, while also enabling students to recognize and correct their mistakes, as well as receive cognitive and affective support. This study emphasizes the importance and feasibility of incorporating self-annotation in high school EFL listening classrooms, making students’ reflection processes observable and actionable, and providing recommendations for effective metacognitive interventions.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how the English speaking ability of Korean EFL college students was affected by their interactions with Talk-to-ChatGPT while taking an ‘English Interview’ class. Thirty pieces of English conversation scripts with thirty chatbot conversations created by five students were collected for analysis. Two online text analysis programs, Quillbot including word counter and grammar checker and T.E.R.A.(Text Ease and Readability Assessor), were used for data analysis. The findings of data analysis revealed that 1) The average length of the sentences and words spoken by the participants has increased through English speaking practice using Talk-to-ChatGPT, and 2) There was no significant change in text ease and readability, and coherence of students’ utterances through English speaking practice using a chatbot while there were differences depending on their English proficiency levels. 3) Students A, B, and D, who had relatively low levels of English proficiency, showed a slight increase in syntactic accuracy and semantic clarity in their English interview practice. Based on the study findings, pedagogical implications for the effective use of AI-based apps or programs in English speaking classes were presented.

This paper investigates the cognitive processes involved in English word recognition among young EFL learners using eye-tracking methodology. A quasi-experimental mixed method design was used to investigate how young L2 learners engage with basic words, with or without pictorial cues. A total of seventeen 6th-grade pupils from two schools participated in the experiment. The participants were presented with a list of 20 words and were asked to read them aloud while their eye movements were tracked to discern their viewing patterns. Immediately after the reading task, stimulated-recall interviews were conducted to triangulate and validate the participants’ viewing behaviors. Results indicate that participants focused significantly more on the text than the accompanying pictures yet demonstrated better performance in recognizing and reading the words presented in a picture-based mode. Some participants reported that the pictures were not viewed because the words were easy to read. In contrast, others struggled to read certain words due to an over-reliance on their background knowledge, which sometimes led to misinterpretation. These results emphasize the importance of integrating visual cues with word recognition instruction in early language learning contexts, highlighting when and how these cues should be utilized effectively.

The present study aimed to analyze the developmental trajectories of English achievement and exposure time through private education, utilizing univariate and multivariate latent growth curve analysis. This study used a subset of the Gyeonggi Education Panel Study data from 2012 to 2017. The results indicated consistent disparities in the growth of English achievement, depending on the student’s proficiency levels at the starting point. In particular, the early exposure to private tutoring was significantly and closely related to the initial status and the growth trajectory of English achievement. When the sample was classified by urbanicity, the findings suggested that the gap in English achievement was likely to increase over time across the two regions, with a stronger correlation with private tutoring found in urban areas. These results underscore the need for educational intervention for students in less advantageous conditions, and they provide valuable pedagogical implications for teaching English in the Korean EFL context.

In light of the expanding use of technology in education, we attempted to analyze how Korean college students perceived the use of Machine Translation (MT) tools in the classroom. Specifically, this study attempted to explore students’ perceptions of their ability to use MT tools and to measure the reliability of the MT-generated output, along with measuring students’ general sense of confidence in English learning. This research analyzed 183 EFL college students’ responses to an online survey, and a one-way ANOVA was used to test for the differences in the averages of three groups. The results of data analysis revealed that 1) Among beginners, intermediate learners, and advanced learners, those self-identifying as advanced had the highest scores on all the factors measured.; 2) There was a significant mean difference in students’ perceptions of the ability to use MT tools, their beliefs regarding MT’s effectiveness as a learning tool, and affective attitudes towards the use of MT tools between beginner and advanced groups. Based on the findings, pedagogical implications for the effective use of MT tools in the Korean EFL classrooms, and suggestions for future research were presented.

This study explores Korean EFL learner preferences and perceptions of digital composing (DC) with innovative online technology tools during the implementation of emergency remote learning measures. The research compares learner use of text-based DC and voice-based audio asynchronous online discussion (AOD). This paper investigates the following research problem: What digital modes of interactive, online instructional design can serve as appropriate, learner-accepted replacements for offline instruction? One prior finding indicated that Korean undergraduate EFL learners preferred text and audio DC to video modes. To follow up, this paper investigates 57 learners’ preferences and perceptions toward text-based and voice-based DC, and compares the results. The data analysis methods employ paired-samples Tests, and a thematic analysis to identify issues raised in student comments. The results reveal that learners’ levels of user satisfaction with voice-based audio AOD and their ratings of its perceived usefulness confirm that it can be a satisfactory, effective, and preferable task for engaging learners in digitally-mediated four-skills practice. Another finding is that utilizing a voice-based audio module did not significantly alter learners’ course satisfaction when superseding a text-based module. These findings inform pedagogical practice with empirical insights regarding learners’ use of digital technologies, levels of acceptance, and DC preferences.

This article aims to suggest a model of critical literacy in English as a Foreign Language (hereafter EFL) contexts. The paper will introduce previous critical literacy models in first or second language teaching and learning and those in EFL contexts. Then, several empirical studies based on the models are introduced suggesting important issues to consider in implementing critical literacy in EFL contexts. A model of critical literacy in EFL contexts is, consequently, suggested with the three key elements for successful critical literacy implementation in EFL contexts, language for criticality development, affects and criticality development and citizenship and criticality development. The model pursues balancing conventional literacy education, critical literacy education and citizenship education. The researchers suggest balancing conventional skill-based literacy, affective pedagogy, and citizenship education with the development of critical literacies. Teacher-initiated practice and guidance, incorporation of community-sensitive topics and materials, and students’ active participation are key elements practitioners should consider in their adaptation of critical literacy instruction in EFL contexts.

This study aimed to compare the effects of self-regulation, goal orientation, and speaking anxiety on speaking performance between metaverse and face-to-face contexts. We randomly assigned 253 Korean middle school students to either metaverse or face-toface groups for 12 weeks of English-speaking lessons. Before and after the experiment, students completed speaking tests and submitted a post-questionnaire. Structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis revealed that student attributes had a similar impact on speaking performance in both settings. Specifically, self-regulation and mastery goal orientation positively influenced speaking performance, while speaking anxiety had a negative effect, regardless of the context. Furthermore, self-regulation played a mediating role in reducing speaking anxiety in both settings. This implies that metaverse-mediated and face-to-face classes offer similar learning environments, where students can leverage their goal orientation and self-regulation skills to manage speaking anxiety. Ultimately, students can enhance their speaking performance by employing selfregulation strategies and nurturing a mastery goal orientation, irrespective of the learning context.