This meta-analysis synthesizes evidence on the effects of ChatGPT-assisted instruction on English writing in Korean EFL contexts. A systematic search in RISS yielded 401 records; after screening under PRISMA procedures, 12 studies reporting writing outcomes were included and analyzed. Effect sizes were computed as Hedges’ g and pooled using random-effects models. The random-effects mean indicated a medium-tolarge improvement in writing (g = 0.6867). Mixed-effects subgroup analyses detected no statistically significant differences by experimental design (pre-experimental vs. quasiexperimental), educational level (tertiary vs. secondary), or region (metropolitan vs. others). Meta-regression trends for duration (weeks, positive) and weekly intensity (sessions/week, negative) were suggestive but not statistically significant. Overall, ChatGPT-supported writing instruction yields meaningful gains and shows consistent effects at both secondary and tertiary levels; in practice, it is well suited to complement teacher feedback. Future studies should expand samples in secondary and nonmetropolitan settings and employ stronger designs to clarify how duration and intensity shape outcomes.

This study examined Korean university students’ ability to distinguish between authentic and modified spoken English texts and their perceptions of each in relation to language learning and content appeal. A total of 125 students completed a questionnaire after listening tasks, assessing their perceptions in three domains: authenticity versus modification, language learning, and content appeal. Questionnaire responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests. The results indicated that participants could distinguish between the two types of texts. Modified texts were rated significantly higher for clarity and fluency, whereas authentic texts were viewed as more reflective of natural speech, including features such as unclear pronunciation and hesitation. Pronunciation clarity, however, was not perceived to significantly influence listening comprehension or difficulty. Participants evaluated modified texts more favorably for supporting language learning, particularly in pronunciation, listening skill development, and content understanding. Both text types were considered similarly effective for comprehending real-life conversations. Regarding content appeal, modified texts were rated as more engaging, though no significant differences emerged in their usefulness for real-life application or new information. These findings highlight the pedagogical importance of using both authentic and modified texts to address diverse learner needs.

This study investigates the Korean language learning needs of international students enrolled in English-track programs at universities in Korea, with the goal of suggesting improvements in both instruction and the broader educational environment. A survey of 329 English-track international students at a university in Busan was conducted, examining their needs in four areas: learning environment, Korean language courses, instructors, and learners. To complement the quantitative analysis, in-depth interviews were carried out with 10 selected participants. Findings reveal that students expressed the greatest needs in relation to the learning environment and learner-related factors. Specifically, they emphasized the importance of increased opportunities for interaction with Korean students, the establishment of student clubs and common spaces, courses designed for the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK), and classes emphasizing practical speaking skills. By contrast, satisfaction with instructors was generally high. Correlation analysis showed the strongest relationship between the learning environment and Korean language courses, underscoring the necessity of improving the overall educational environment to enhance course satisfaction. This study offers practical implications for tailoring Korean language instruction to the needs of English-track international students and recommends further research across diverse regions and language backgrounds.

This study investigates the language attitudes of English-track international students at a Korean university operating under an English-medium instruction (EMI) system. Survey data from 195 students were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively to assess attitudes toward English (L2) and Korean (L3) across cognitive, affective, and behavioral domains. The finding shows that the students regarded both languages as important, but attributed different functional roles to each: English operated as academic symbolic capital, whereas Korean was essential for daily life. English consistently received high scores across all domains, whereas Korean showed a marked discrepancy between strong cognitive recognition and lower affective and behavioral attitudes. Furthermore, attitudes toward Korean declined with longer residence (p < .01), likely reflecting limited institutional support, discontinuities in Korean language education, and broader tensions arising from conflicting language policies. These results suggest that EMI programs should incorporate plurilingual pedagogical approaches that support the flexible and integrated use of students' linguistic resources.

This qualitative study explored how teaching practicum experiences influence foreign language teaching anxiety (FLTA) among Korean pre-service secondary English teachers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted before and after the practicum with eight pre-service English teachers selected for their high FLTA levels. Results showed a notable reduction in anxiety post-practicum. Initially, FLTA was driven by perceived linguistic deficiencies, fear of negative evaluation, perfectionism, non-nativeness, and inadequate pedagogical preparation. After the practicum, triggers shifted toward practical classroom issues, including time management and responding to student questions. Coping strategies evolved from rigid rehearsal and avoidance to adaptive practices such as rapport-building and reflective teaching. Participants emphasized the practicum’s role in reducing anxiety through authentic teaching experiences, advocating longer and more frequent practicums. These findings highlight the critical role of supervised, experiential classroom exposure in teacher education for mitigating FLTA and easing the transition from theory to practice.

This mixed-methods study investigated language anxiety among Korean military air traffic controllers (ATCOs) when communicating with native English-speaking pilots. The quantitative phase (N = 81) used hierarchical regression analysis examining relationships between individual characteristics and anxiety levels. The qualitative phase (N = 13) employed semi-structured interviews exploring controllers' experiences, anxiety triggers, and coping mechanisms. Results revealed that general communication anxiety (β = .69, p < .001) and English proficiency (β = -.28, p < .05) significantly predicted anxiety with American pilots, with psychological factors explaining 58.8% of variance. These findings suggest that language anxiety stems from broader communication apprehension rather than isolated linguistic difficulties. Qualitative analysis identified five themes: communication breakdown, technical factors, skills hierarchy, informal coping, and institutional gaps. Overall, the study indicates that language anxiety in military ATC contexts is complex, influenced by individual psychological traits, situational demands, and organizational factors. It contributes to a deeper understanding of professional language anxiety in safety-critical contexts and provides evidence-based recommendations for aviation English training reform.

This study investigated the thematic and lexical characteristics of high-difficulty English reading items—commonly referred to as killer questions—in the Korean College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) between 2018 and 2025. Using text mining methods, including Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and CEFR-based lexical profiling, the analysis reveals that these items disproportionately addressed abstract, academic topics such as cultural heritage, moral dilemmas, and cognitive science. Lexical analysis further indicated that over 30% of the words used are at the C1 level or above, reflecting substantial vocabulary demands. These findings point to a misalignment with the national curriculum, which is designed to target B1–B2 proficiency with more familiar and accessible topics. The combined challenge of abstract themes and advanced vocabulary raises concerns about the construct validity and fairness of these items, suggesting that they may measure background knowledge or test-taking strategies rather than genuine English reading proficiency. The study concludes by calling for evidence-based item development and closer alignment with curricular goals to ensure valid and equitable high-stakes language assessment.

In the context of globalization and increasingly frequent intercultural communication, L2 willingness to communicate (WTC) is a crucial factor influencing language acquisition, use, and teaching. Despite the growing body of L2 WTC research, there is a paucity of systematic reviews in this area. This study conducts a comprehensive review of 44 empirical articles (2019-2024) sourced from SSCI and KCI/KISS journals, focusing on WTC among Korean and English language learners. The analysis delves into research trends, participant demographics, methodologies, and thematic emphases. Notably, there has been a marked increase in publications since 2020. Korean WTC studies predominantly feature in education journals, concentrating on Korean as a second language (KSL) contexts. Conversely, English WTC studies are more prevalent in psychology journals, focusing on English as a foreign language (EFL) environments. The primary cohort of participants in these studies comprises university students. Methodologically, both fields heavily favor large-scale quantitative designs, although longitudinal approaches are more prevalent in English-focused studies. The majority of investigations center on the antecedents of WTC, with limited exploration of its impact on learning outcomes. The findings underscore substantial research gaps, particularly the necessity for diversified methodologies and in-depth examinations of Korean learners’ WTC.

This study explored the dual linguistic challenges experienced by Chinese international students enrolled in English-Medium Instruction (EMI) programs at South Korean universities. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 20 undergraduate students from two leading private universities in Seoul, this study investigated how students navigate the linguistic demands of studying in English while simultaneously adjusting to Korean as the dominant campus language. The findings revealed that students encounter significant obstacles, including professors’ limited English proficiency, inconsistent classroom language policies, and marginalization in group work and class discussions. Despite these difficulties, many students gradually adapted through self-directed strategies and peer support, ultimately gaining academic and linguistic benefits. Some participants reported enhanced preparedness for further studies in English-speaking countries and developed bilingual competencies. The study highlights the complex realities of EMI implementation for non-Anglophone international students and calls for more transparent language policies, targeted support programs, and inclusive pedagogical practices to promote equitable learning environments.

This study examined subject-auxiliary inversion errors in wh-questions produced by 88 Korean EFL elementary learners, focusing on whether types of wh-words and auxiliaries could affect inversion acquisition and whether explicit instruction on movement rules could facilitate this process. Guided writing tasks were used as a pretest and a posttest to analyze influence of wh-words and auxiliaries on learners’ inversion in the pretest and effects of instruction on movement rules in the posttest. Results showed that both whwords and auxiliaries significantly influenced learners’ inversion acquisition. Learners struggled more with why-questions than with what-questions, which were selected as representatives of adjunct and argument wh-questions, respectively. More inversion errors occurred in wh-questions requiring do-support than in those involving auxiliary be or modal will, although no significant difference was found between be and will. Experimental lessons with brief explicit instruction on auxiliary movement during regular classes significantly improved learners’ inversion accuracy, particularly in dosupport questions, which posed the greatest challenge in the pretest.

The current study is designed to investigate the use of classwide peer tutoring for controlled grammar practice activities in a university English as a Foreign Language classrooms. In total, this study included 128 Korean university student participants. This research employed a quasi-experimental approach with two distinct groups. Across four different grammar lessons, 67 learner participants experienced classwide peer tutoring, while 59 learner participants experienced the traditional approach to controlled grammar practice activities. In doing so, the effectiveness of the two teaching approaches, as well as student perceptions, were analyzed. The results indicated no difference in the effectiveness between classwide peer tutoring or the traditional approach in the short-term or long-term. Furthermore, the results showed there was no significant difference between lower proficiency students and higher proficiency students. However, the results did indicate students found classwide peer tutoring to be more satisfying, interesting, and comfortable than the traditional approach to controlled grammar practice activities. Implications and classroom suggestions from these findings are included.

This study investigates the effectiveness of self-correction in improving lexical stress placement among Korean English learners, a critical yet challenging feature for speakers of Korean, which lacks lexical stress contrasts. Grounded in Schmidt’s (1990) Noticing Hypothesis, the research compares the benefits of self-correction— where learners reflect on and correct their own pronunciation errors —with the shadowing technique. Forty-seven college students participated, with an experimental group practicing self-correction and a control group engaged in shadowing. Pre- and post-test analyses revealed that the self-correction group demonstrated significantly greater improvement, particularly with trisyllabic and tetrasyllabic words, while the shadowing group showed minimal change. These findings highlight self-correction’s role in promoting learner engagement, error awareness, and deeper cognitive processing, offering practical implications for pronunciation instruction that emphasizes learner autonomy and focused attention.

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.

This study analyzed inductive and deductive instructional approaches for teaching grammar within a Presentation-Practice-Production grammar lesson. The participants of this study included 119 Korean university students enrolled in an English as a foreign language class, with approximately half receiving deductive instruction and the other half receiving inductive grammar instruction. The analysis involved comparing learning gains as well as student perceptions of the two approaches via Mann Whitney U tests. The results showed no statistical difference in terms of the immediate or delayed learning gains for each grammatical topic, nor when all grammatical topics were aggregated. However, the analysis of student perceptions indicated that students found inductive instruction to be moderately more effective, interesting, and easier than deductive instruction. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings related to instructional practices in foreign language classes that utilize the Presentation- Practice-Production model as well as suggestions for future research concerning deductive and inductive instructional approaches.

This study examines the beliefs and practices regarding performance assessment among Korean English teachers in secondary schools. A survey was conducted with 109 teachers using a 52-item online questionnaire to investigate the extent to which teachers’ beliefs align with their instructional practices and to categorize them based on these criteria. Although teachers acknowledge the pedagogical advantages of performance assessment, a significant gap exists between their beliefs and actual implementation, primarily due to the considerable time required for its execution. Teachers with longer tenure and higher qualifications demonstrated a more positive and effective application of performance assessment. The findings highlight the necessity for targeted professional development to enhance teachers’ use of performance assessment strategies, especially for those who are skeptical about their effectiveness. Such initiatives are essential for bridging the gap between beliefs and practices, fostering an environment that promotes the effective use of performance assessment, and ultimately improving teaching quality and student learning outcomes in Korean English education.

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.

This study investigates the listening comprehension performance of Korean university students when exposed to unscripted and scripted English speech, as well as their perceptions of various linguistic features associated with each speech type. A total of 115 participants were divided into two groups, both of which had the same level of listening proficiency. The unscripted group listened to spontaneous, unscripted dialogues during the listening comprehension test, while the scripted group listened to scripted versions from which features typical of unscripted speech had been removed. Following the listening test, participants completed a questionnaire assessing their perceived level of difficulty regarding a range of features that typically distinguish the two speech types. The results revealed that the unscripted group scored significantly lower on the listening test compared to the scripted group. Additionally, the survey indicated that participants found unscripted speech significantly more challenging, especially due to factors such as pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. Features typical of unscripted speech, including filled pauses, false starts, and a natural speech rate, were identified as obstacles to L2 listening comprehension. Based on these findings, the study suggests implications for L2 learning materials, instructional methods, assessment practices, and teacher education programs.

This study investigates the effect of team-teaching between Korean English teachers and native speakers of English on English learning anxiety. A total of 248 elementary students in grade 6 participated in this study. One group of students were taught by Korean English teachers and native speakers of English while the other group never had the opportunity to speak with a native speaker in class. A survey questionnaire based on FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) was newly developed to investigate how the two groups showed differences in English learning anxiety in class. The exploratory factor analysis was undertaken to suggest a three-factor solution. The two groups showed differences in English classroom anxiety and confidence in communication with native English speakers. On the other hand, fear of negative evaluation did not show any significant differences between the two groups. The students who experienced team-teaching showed more confidence in communication with native speakers only at a rudimentary level. Therefore, native English-speaking teachers should make their efforts to develop the skills to promote students’ confidence and higher level of communicative abilities.

This study examined the effects of creating English picture books using generative artificial intelligence (AI) on Korean high school students’ reading and writing skills, AI literacy, and self-efficacy. Forty-five students were divided into two groups and participated in tasks that included selecting a character from English-speaking cultures, generating images using Bing Image Creator, drafting and revising stories with ChatGPT, and creating audiobooks with ClovaDubbing. Reading and writing skills were evaluated using pre- and post-tests, and AI literacy as well as affective factors, including selfefficacy, were measured through surveys. The results indicated a significant improvement in students’ writing skills and self-efficacy, whereas reading skills did not demonstrate statistically significant progress. The study underscores the potential of generative AI as a tool for enhancing writing skills, AI literacy, and self-efficacy in language learning. However, it also emphasizes the need for further pedagogical efforts to design instructional strategies that effectively improve reading skills. These findings offer practical guidance for integrating generative AI into EFL education to enhance language learning and AI literacy.

본 연구는 19세기 후반과 20세기 초반에 한국에서 활동한 외국인 선교사들이 편찬한 5종의 영한 사전에 나타난 질병명을 분석한다. 이 근대이중어사전들의 질병명은 서구 과학 지식이 동아시아로 급속히 유입되면서 한국에서 새로운 의학 용어의 필요성 을 반영한다. 질병명의 정확한 번역은 공중 보건에 중요했으며, 당시의 의학 지식과 인식 을 반영하기 때문이었다. 본 연구는 5개 근대영한사전을 개요하고 46개의 질병어를 선택 한 기준을 기술했다. 또한, 전염병 관련 질병명이 다수를 차지하는 이유를 당시의 정부의 전염병 예방 규칙 과 관련하여 살펴보았다. 또한 1925년 사전에 새로 추가된 용어, 과거 와 현재 질병명의 공존을 조사한다. 아울러, 고유어 번역, 1925년 사전과 현대 사전 간의 번역 연속성, 현대에서 음역된 질병명 등의 분석을 통해 문화적, 사회적 맥락을 탐구한 다. 이 연구는 한중일 질병명의 역사적 변천과 상호 교류를 근대이중어사전을 통해 제시 하였다.