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.

This study investigates some of the implications for developing Achievement Standards (ASs) in 2022 national English curriculum by analyzing the perception of elementary and middle school teachers on the role of ASs in the 2015 national English curriculum. The major research areas were categorized into clarity, practical usability, and AS level and amount in the national English curriculum. Based on a survey of both descriptive and inferential statistics, the results of the current study demonstrated group differences in specific subtopic questions. Teachers did not have positive perceptions regarding practical application and clarity, while they exhibited positive perceptions regarding the level and the amount of ASs. The survey also suggested alternative ways to improve clarity and practical application of ASs by strengthening the linkage between elements in the curriculum such as assessment methods and instructions and supplementary comments of Ass beyond clear presentation of the ASs.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among English learners’ motivation, strategies, and achievement. The participants were 61 Korean college students specializing in Aviaition Service and they took a mock TOEIC and completed a questionnaire on learning motivations and strategies. T-test and multiple regression analysis were used to determine the relationships among all variables. The findings revealed that, first, variables in integrative motivation were found to be a statistically significant predictor of achievement while variables in instrumental motivation’ was higher order motivation type. Second, participants used ‘compensation strategies’ most frequently and higher-achieving students used more strategies than their peers did. ‘Metacognitive strategies’ and ‘affective strategies’ had statistically significant impacts on their achievement. In conclusion, the relationships among learning motivation, strategies and achievement was found to be definite. Implications for more effective study habits are suggested.

The current study examined the validity of classroom-based English assessment in the elementary school context using a validity analysis framework, which includes cognitive, instructional, and inferential validity components. As a case study, it evaluated two unit achievement tests administered to 142 6th grade students. Three types of data (i.e., the curricular learning goals, instructional contents covered for the two units, and two unit achievement tests and scores) were collected and analyzed for the classroom-based assessment validity argument. Results revealed that the two tests were relevant to the curriculum and instruction; however, there was a lack of correspondence between the two tests and the curriculum (cognitive validity); moreover, the instructional contents were not sufficiently covered with representative test items (instructional validity). While the test items functioned as expected, students showed a wide range of achievement, which was not expected in the achievement test context (inferential validity). The findings suggest implications for the development and use of classroom-based assessment for young language learners.

It is generally believed that teachers are important both to student learning and achievement. Apart from teacher qualification and experience, some studies have shown that teacher gender may relate significantly to student achievement. The purpose of the study was to find out the following- (a) Does teacher gender significantly influence student academic achievement in English Language Arts at the junior secondary school level? (b). Does teacher gender significantly influence student academic achievement in Mathematics at the junior secondary school level? (c) Does teacher gender significantly influence student academic achievement in Biology at the junior secondary school level? Data was obtained from 570 students in seven junior secondary school students in South-East area of Nigeria. An analysis of data showed the following- In the English Language Arts area, and at the junior secondary school level, female students performed significantly higher than male students under a female teacher and male students performed better (but not statistically significant) under male teachers. In the area of Mathematics, female students performed significantly higher under male teachers. Based on the findings, recommendations were made on improving the teaching of English Language Arts, Mathematics and Integrated Science in Nigerian junior secondary schools.

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships among English learners’ motivation, strategies and achievement, with a group of 51 Korean three-year college students. The students responded to the questionnaire of learning motivation and strategies. Also they took a mock TOEIC. Multiple regression analysis allowed for the analysis of learners’ motivation and strategies to predict a single dependent variable, their English achievement. The findings revealed that, first, ‘internal motivation’ was found the highest predictor of their English study, while ‘instrumental motivation-individual’ was the lowest motivation type for students. Second, participants used ‘social strategies’ most frequently in studying English, and they used the others in the order of ‘compensation strategies’, ‘affective strategies’, ‘cognitive strategies’, ‘memory strategies’ and ‘metacognitive strategies’. Last, the impact of learning motivation and strategies on the TOEIC scores was not statistically significant, but the relationship of learning motivation and strategies was found to be positive. Implications for the practical classroom and suggestions for further research are suggested.

This study examined the characteristics of male high school English learners’ motivation and the relations between their motivation and achievement in English learning. A total of 334 Grade 10 students in a boys’ high school participated in this study by completing a questionnaire survey on second language (L2) learning motivation and taking an English achievement test. As a result of explanatory factor analysis, five factors were found as underlying constructs for male high school students’ English learning motivation: The Ought-to L2 Self, The Ideal L2 Self, The Feared L2 Self, Instrumentality, and Intrinsic Motivation. In terms of the structural relationships between the learners’ motivation and achievement in English learning, the ideal L2 self and intrinsic motivation exerted a direct impact on their motivated L2 behavior, and then English achievement mediated by the motivated L2 behavior. The other factors had an indirect influence on motivated L2 learning behavior, mediated by the ideal L2 self and intrinsic motivation. Based on the findings, we suggested motivational activities to realize the creation of the ideal L2 self among male high school English learners.

This study examined the reading passages of the National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) and middle school English textbooks in terms of their readability and lexical difficulty. The readability was measured by using Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level Index, while their lexical difficulty was measured in terms of STTR (standardized type-token ratio), frequency of tokens per type, and vocabulary frequency levels by using VocabProfile and Oxford WordSmith Tools 7.0. The results showed that there was a gap between the readability of the English textbooks and that of the NAEA conducted from 2012 to 2014, while the readability between the English textbooks and that of the 2015 NAEA reached a comparable level. However, the textbooks from one publisher showed substantively lower readability than those from the other publishers and the NAEA. Secondly, regarding vocabulary frequency levels, the words in 1K and 2K accounted for more than 90% of the textbooks and the NAEA, while the NAEA had a higher STTR and lower frequency of tokens per type than the textbooks. It suggests that the NAEA employed more various words with less repetition than the textbooks. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

The study investigated the effect of the flipped class method implemented in a general English program in the tertiary level. The treatment variable of the experiment was a teaching method: a flipped class for the experimental group and a traditional class for the control group. A total of 13 class sessions were completed. The model of the experiment was a nested design with repeated measures. The dependent variables were positive affective experience, negative affective experience, class satisfaction, and language achievement. This study analyzed the data using factorial analysis, t-test, and repeated measures analysis of variance. The results showed that learners in the experimental group improved their positive experience during the treatment through statistically significant differences in pre-test and post-test scores; while the control group did not. The negative experience decreased at the end of the class in both groups. Although the mean differences were not statistically significant, the mean of the negative experience in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group. The class satisfaction was significantly different between the two groups. The experimental group improved language achievement on their final exam, while the control group’s mean decreased.

The present study explores the effects of peer intimacy on Korean primary English learners' collaborative group work in terms of writing achievement and peer interaction. Fifty six elementary school students engaged in small group work on English writing tasks. They were grouped in three different types: high intimacy level group, low intimacy level group, and random group. The study results indicated no significant group differences in the students' abilities and attitudes of English writing. However, the three groups differed in the quantity and quality of peer interaction. The high intimacy group produced the largest number of utterance and the most collaborative interactions. The low intimacy group, on the other hand, produced more utterances but less collaborative interactions than did the random group. Overall, the study results suggested that peer intimacy may have no immediate effect on students' learning through small group work but it possibly has delayed effects in prolonged group work by mediating the quantity and quality of peer interactions. Limitations of the study and pedagogical suggestions are provided.

The present study is triggered by the implementation of the achievement assessment system and the 2009 revised national curriculum, and the consequential need to help teachers to understand the new version of the curriculum when carrying out the achievement standard-based evaluation at school. The present study focuses on the newly introduced advanced courses of the 2009 revised national curriculum of English and provides an analysis of the hierarchical and interconnected relationship among these courses and the organization of their achievement standards. The study also provides guidelines for teachers on refining and customizing the curriculum-based achievement standards of the advanced English courses, for their own evaluation activities at school. Based on the analysis, the study attempts to suggest directions for the successful implementation of the new assessment system.

The purpose of this study was to analyze writing activities of 1st grade middle school English textbooks based on the achievement standards of the 2009 revised National Curriculum and provide suggestions for improvements of textbooks. In this study, seven textbooks out of twelve were selected and their writing activities were analyzed as to whether they stick to the guidelines of the 2009 revised National Curriculum. For this purpose, specific focuses of the current study were 1) to look into writing activities based on achievement standards stipulated in the 2009 revised National Curriculum, and 2) to investigate the ratio of integrated writing activities to separate writing activities ones. The results of the analysis revealed that most of the writing activities seemed suitable based on learners’ real-life situations for achievements standards; however, the types of writing activities were rather simple, mainly focusing on given words. Next, there were not only separate writing activities but also a variety of integrated activities such as listening-writing, speaking-writing, and reading-writing activities. At the end of the paper, a few suggestions were provided to improve the qualities of writing activities in the textbooks.

The purpose of the study was to identify Korean high school students’ beliefs about L2 learning and a structural model that best explains the belief factors associated with L2 achievement using structural equation modeling (SEM). It has furthermore explored the effect of gender on the structural model of belief factors affecting L2 achievement. A total of 447 students (253 boys, 194 girls) at two schools completed a questionnaire containing 26 Likert-scale items. The results produced five underlying constructs: selfefficacy of English learning, importance of grammar learning, role of teacher feedback, importance of accuracy, and nature of English learning. The final SEM model showed that both self-efficacy of English learning and importance of grammar learning were positive, direct, and significant predictors of L2 achievement. Role of teacher feedback and nature of English learning, however, were indirectly related to the L2 achievement through the mediating role of self-efficacy of English learning. The study also provided empirical evidence that gender moderated the causal relationships among belief factors affecting L2 attainment. Based on the findings, pedagogical implications to improve L2 instruction were suggested.

they joined an English camp in Ireland with European students for one month. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were applied to examine learners' English proficiency and English anxiety. TOEIC Bridge was a tool for investigating students' English proficiency. In addition, adapted version of Gardner's 7 scale AMTB (Attitude/Motivation Test Battery) demonstrated the change of learners' language class anxiety and language use anxiety. The data were analyzed by Repeated Measure. Furthermore, field notes and an interview corroborated the quantified results of proficiency and anxiety. It is shown that most participants' English proficiency in listening and reading comprehension has dramatically improved after staying in Ireland while their English classroom anxiety and English use anxiety highly diminished. Lastly, this study searched the key elements of the English camp which made the camp successful to apply to the Korean domestic English curriculum.