Speaking is a key aspect of language learning and an important measure of learners’ proficiencies. On November 19, 2022, the first-ever speaking section of the Korean Language Proficiency Test (TOPIK) was conducted. An analysis of the test results revealed that a significant number of test-takers were Chinese learners. This study aims to examine the TOPIK speaking test by conducting surveys and interviews with 24 Chinese learners of Korean to explore their perceptions of ‘Korean speaking,’ ‘Korean speaking classes,’ and the ‘TOPIK speaking evaluation.’ Based on the findings, the study seeks to propose effective strategies for improving Korean speaking education. The significance of this study can be summarized in three key points. First, it highlights the specific perceptions of Chinese Korean learners regarding Korean speaking, speaking classes, and the TOPIK speaking test. Second, it provides valuable insights into how Korean speaking education can be improved for Chinese learners through an analysis of the TOPIK speaking test. Finally, the proposed educational strategies can be practically applied in the field of Korean language education, benefiting both teaching and learning.

This study investigated speaking anxiety among advanced Korean language learners in Korean Language Institution classrooms, and the strategies they used to overcome it. The study employed qualitative methodology using online interviews for data collection. The sampling technique involved purposive sampling by selecting 13 Korean learners who had completed an advanced Korean course at TOPIK Levels 5 or 6, with Level 6 being the highest. The interview questions addressed various aspects, including comparisons of speaking skills, anxiety in Korean classrooms, fear of making mistakes, concerns about classmates’ reactions, and anxiety induced by teachers. Thematic analysis was performed by generating initial codes, grouping related codes to uncover potential themes, and highlighting recurring patterns in the participants’ responses. The results revealed three factors that contribute to speaking anxiety: personal reasons, teachers’ classroom approaches, and teaching methods. Advanced learners manage anxiety through three coping strategies: preparation, positive thinking, and seeking support from peers. The study concludes with discussions on the pedagogical implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research in advanced Korean language learning classrooms.

The purpose of this study was to examine the use of machine translation by Uzbek-speaking Korean learners, focusing on their usage patterns, attitudes, perceptions, and expectations, as well as identifying the educational implications of using machine translation. An online survey, lasting two weeks, involved 85 Korean language learners from universities in Korea and Uzbekistan. The main findings indicated a high reliance on machine translation for Korean language learning, with the majority of respondents using machine translations to find accurate vocabulary and expressions. Regarding their attitudes towards machine translation, learners mainly utilized it for literal communication, reading, and writing, and were generally satisfied with them, especially as tools for learning spellings and pronunciations. The use of machine translation significantly influenced learners’ confidence, interest in learning, and anxiety reduction. In terms of perception, learners found machine translation effective for learning Korean vocabulary, expressions, and writing, but also perceived machine translators as sources of stress and anxiety. Expectations for using machine translation were high for completing tasks in vocabulary, expression, and writing, but low for improving grammar skills and producing error-free Korean expressions.

This study compares AI PengTalk’s assessments of Korean children’s pronunciation with the assessments of Korean teachers. Sixty Korean sixth-graders participated as assessees, and four Korean elementary teachers participated as assessors. Both PengTalk and the teachers rated the children’s production of 10 English sentences on a five-point scale. They focused on segmentals, stress-rhythm, intonation, and speech rate. The findings were as follows: Firstly, PengTalk evaluated the children’s pronunciation in the four elements significantly lower than the teachers across all English proficiency levels. Secondly, teachers’ ratings of the students aligned more closely with their pre-evaluated English proficiency levels than the AI PengTalk’s assessments. The teachers rated students at the upper level significantly higher than those at the intermediate level, who were, in turn, assessed significantly higher than those at the lower level in all four elements. Furthermore, AI PengTalk and the teachers differed in the mean order of the four elements, particularly in segmentals. Based on the results of this study, suggestions were made for the development and implementation of AI-based English programs.

Nearpod, an online teaching cloud-based platform, offers great potential to generate pedagogical tasks and yield better results in teaching communication skills. This study thus examined the effects of Nearpod-based English-speaking classes. To this end, one-on-one speaking tests were conducted twice in a semester, and a questionnaire was administered to assess university students’ perceptions of the usefulness of Nearpod in offline classroom. The participants comprised 39 university students who took a mandatory English class titled Communication in English. The paired samples t-test results indicated that the students’ overall speaking performance has improved over time. Specifically, compared to the high-level students, the low-level students showed a significant increase in speaking performance. The questionnaire analysis demonstrated that most students were satisfied with Nearpod-based English speaking classes because of enhanced interest, active participation in class, and increased interaction with class content and peers. The pedagogical implications are suggested and the limitations of the study are further discussed.

Considering critical roles of teachers in education, an increasing number of studies have investigated language teacher identity. Although many studies have reported nonnative English-speaking teachers’ identity, few studies have explored native English-speaking teachers’ (NESTs’) professional identity. Taking poststructural approaches towards identity, the present study investigated how two NESTs working in Korean universities perceived themselves professionally and how their identities were realized in class. Data were collected through interviews, class observations, and material collections. Findings showed that the NESTs constructed multiple identities differently shaped by various factors, such as previous experiences and college majors. One NEST had identities of a role model for foreign language learning and a caretaker, while the other showed weak identities as a teacher with identities of a writer and a babysitter. Despite such differences, the NESTs commonly manifested an overarching identity as a guide who desired to create safe and comfortable learning environments. These findings confirm close connections between teachers’ professional identity and practices.

This paper analyzes the Korean conjunctives –ko and –ese, and the Turkish converb –Ip, which have various meanings, and reveals their similarities and differences visually using the semantic map model. –ko and –ese are learned at the beginner level but Turkish learners have shown many errors. Those two Korean conjunctives express different temporal meanings, however, the corresponding Turkish converb expressed them in a single form. Korean textbooks have introduced the meanings of –ko and –ese as [sequential] and [continuous], but it can be made more confusing for learners by presenting the meaning using the same term. Therefore, it is necessary to teach the meanings of the two connectives in more detail according to their syntactic characteristics. Since most textbooks of Korean do not clearly present the differences between the –ko and –ese, effective teaching methods for Turkish-speaking learners based on the Focus-on-Form approach are proposed. To teach the conjunctives –ko and –ese, distinguishing between features of different meanings and to recognize those differences is encouraged.

The present study investigated students’ preferences for the types of tasks used to assess English speaking performance. It further examined whether students’ task type preferences affected their perceptions of test effectiveness. One hundred eighty-two high school students responded to a self-report questionnaire. A series of frequency analysis and paired samples t-tests were used for the analysis. The results showed that students’ most preferred task types and their least preferred ones overlapped with each other, suggesting that the task types of English-speaking performance tests used in schools are limited. The four key reasons determining students’ task type preferences were identified, including task difficulty, emotional comfort, practical value, and interest. In addition, the results indicated that students’ task type preferences could affect their perceptions of task effectiveness. Overall, the results suggest the need for developing more varied task types for English-speaking performance tests as well as helping students become familiar with English speaking performance tasks. Pedagogical implications were discussed along with study limitations.

This study investigated whether task complexity may affect L2 speaking performance as predicted by the Cognition Hypothesis (Robinson, 2011), and whether the effect of task complexity may interact with individual differences in working memory capacity. A total of twenty Korean advanced-level EFL learners performed two separate picture description tasks, which were different in task complexity along [+/- here and now] dimension. Their working memory was measured by an L1 version of a reading span task. The results showed that there was no significant difference between Here-and-Now task (i.e., a simple task) and There-and-Then task (i.e., a complex task) in terms of complexity, accuracy, and fluency of English speaking performance, rejecting the prediction of the Cognition Hypothesis. Yet, it found that working memory correlated with accuracy in L2 performance on the complex task, but not on the simple task. This indicates that the effect of individual learners’ working memory capacity is observable only when a task demands a high control of attentional resources. Conversely, when a task is simple, individual differences in working memory capacity do not result in significant differences in L2 speaking performance.

Kim, Jeongyeon. 2018. “A Case Study of Nonnative English-Speaking International Students' Adjustment to a Korean University”. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 26(1). 111~133. In the midst of intense global economic competition, institutions of higher education in many non-English-speaking societies have rigorously expanded internationalization and seen a dramatic increase of international students. This study investigated a case of nonnative English-speaking international students' adjustment to a Korean university devoted to internationalization. A mixed method was adopted to examine the relationships between adjustment and factors including perception of English as a lingua franca (ELF), perception of English-medium instruction, cultural knowledge, and perceived language proficiency. The analysis of the questionnaire responses of 132 international students and qualitative interviews with seven of the respondents revealed their negative view of EMI, which was frequently associated with the local language used in class. Their adjustment correlated significantly with the amount of the knowledge of the Korean culture and with the extent to which they would perceive English as a means of intercultural communication. Although the relationship between their view of EMI and adjustment was not significant, it was found still valid and indirect through the factor of the Korean language proficiency. Notably, in the qualitative interviews, the participants revealed limited understanding of the way interaction is framed in different local communities. These findings are discussed to propose improved support for international students of non-English-speaking higher education.

This study examined whether learning context and language aptitude affected the use of pronunciation learning strategies and pronunciation proficiency. One hundred thirty-eight Chinese learners (88 KFL Ss & 50 KSL Ss) learners were investigated for the correlation between learning context(KSL, KFL), language aptitude (high/low), pronunciation learning strategy and pronunciation proficiency. Participants' sound discrimination ability was measured by PLAB and then they were divided into high group (upper 30%) and low group (lower 30%) by scores. SPLS and personal information survey were also conducted. The results showed that (i) a significant difference was found in pronunciation proficiency pursuant to learning context and language aptitude, (ii) use of pronunciation learning strategy differed significantly pursuant to learning context and language aptitude, and (ⅲ) use of pronunciation learning strategy could predict pronunciation proficiency. The findings suggest that effective pronunciation learning strategy should be investigated and taught in L2 Korean classroom.

Little research exists on expatriate language teachers’ experiences and attitudes toward their students and teaching contexts, particularly venues with younger learners, in an L2 setting. Thus, this study investigated native English-speaking teachers’ (NESTs) experiences of and attitudes toward teaching and interacting with Korean elementary school children in the Korean elementary school context. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with five NESTs who have worked, and are still working, in various areas of Korea. Findings indicated that the NESTs of the current study were holding relatively positive attitudes toward Korean children as well as teaching them English. The NESTs viewed Korean children as engaging and responsive learners, but stressed the importance of their own roles in creating an environment for the children’s better engagement. The NESTs’ experiences varied whether they had upper and lower grade elementary school children and whether they taught main classes or after-school classes, etc. Finally, the NESTs experienced challenges when dealing with children with extremely different levels of English in one classroom and with managing disorderly behaviors of after-school classes. Based on the findings of the study, practical implications for both NESTs and Korean teachers are provided.

The current study focused on acquisition of If-conditionals by L2 learners of English with two different native tongues, Spanish and Korean, and with two different proficiency levels, high and low. An experiment with two subparts, each focusing on production and comprehension respectively, was performed in order to explore which factor among input frequencies, grammatical complexities and L1 influence best explains the acquisition of If-conditionals by L2 learners. The results from both production and comprehension data suggest that If-conditionals with lower hypotheticality are acquired before than those with higher hypotheticality by L2learners, just as they are by children learning their L1, and hierarchies of input frequencies best explain the acquisition order of If-conditionals. At this point, it is not possible to distinguish between influences of input frequencies and typological universals, as they coincide. One thing for sure is that both L1 and L2 acquisitions seem to be influenced by them, suggesting the universality of language acquisition. Influence of instruction, on the other hand, was also found, especially in the production data of the higher-level L2 learners. Even though there were no differences in the acquisition order of If-conditionals between the two groups of learners with different L1 backgrounds, the influence of L1 was also found in the analysis of non-target forms produced by learner participants.

The present study investigates and identifies the types of grammar errors that 84 Korean EFL (KEFL) learners made when they took the TOEIC Speaking test part five and compared the results with the previous studies. The 84 undergraduates participated and two native speakers of English analyzed the data. The data were classified into the taxonomy of four surface strategies: omission, addition, misformation, and misordering. Errors of omission were the highest consisting of 74.9%, followed by those of misformation at 19.9%, addition at 3.5%, and misordering at 1.7%. The findings had a difference from the previous studies adopted for comparison. The error frequencies were very different from those observed in writing, or interview tasks in the previous studies. Errors of misformation were the highest, followed by those of omission. This difference was considered to be caused by the short test taking time, and the task itself. The KEFL learners were unlikely to try to correct their errors within the limited time since very few self-corrections were observed in their spoken answers. This study suggests that explicit grammar instruction and correction are needed to teach speaking.

A continuing challenge for English educators and policy makers in Korea is how to provide the right amount of good English education in an effective and efficient way, to help achieve the needed level of English communication skills. No efforts would turn out successful if the amount and the quality of public English education did not meet people's expectations. In order to plan and implement successful English education policies, it is necessary to figure out what kind of English education and how much of it are needed for Korean people. The current study aims to investigate what levels of English speaking proficiency Korean people perceive they need. The study first reviews some widely-used international English oral proficiency standards, then, compares those with the level descriptions of the Korea’s national curriculum of English. To gather information on the current level of English speaking proficiency, and the expected level of English speaking proficiency, 356 teachers (123 elementary school, 114 middle school, 119 high school), 696 students (179 elementary school, 222 middle school, 295 high school), and 650 parents (164 elementary, 212 middle school, 274 high school) from all the 16 district education authorities, were surveyed and interviewed. The results are presented with the discussion of the future directions of English education in Korea.

This study investigates the effects of shadowing, the oral repetition of what is said right after the language spoken, on L2 listening and speaking abilities of Korean middle school students. It also examines whether shadowing has a positive effect on students’ affective aspects in terms of self-confidence, preference, and perception. The experiment was conducted with 108 middle school students in Gwangju. The participants were divided into three groups, listening only, shadowing only, and listening plus shadowing, and received six weeks of treatment. The data collection consisted of the result of listening tests, speaking tests and questionnaires. The results showed that listening plus shadowing had a positive effect on L2 listening abilities compared to listening only techniques. The results also showed that there was no positive effect of shadowing on L2 speaking abilities. In addition, the results indicated that shadowing increased students’ self-confidence in using English, their shadowing preferences, and the positive perception about the efficacy of shadowing on English speaking skills improvement. This paper therefore argues that shadowing techniques need to be considered as an effective supplementary technique for practicing English listening skills in EFL middle school context.

This study attempts to investigate the perceptions of the Korean and native English speaking instructors teaching English in Korean universities toward the importance of motivational strategies and how far their students feel motivated when their teachers use these motivational strategies. In total, 78 instructors and 220 university students with two different English proficiency levels participated in this study and responded to questionnaires. Both Korean and native English speaking instructors' perceptions toward the importance of motivational strategies have a similar pattern. In the responses of both groups, the top three important motivational strategies are proper teacher behavior, recognizing students' effort and promoting learners' self-confidence The lowest rank-ordered strategy is promoting learner autonomy. Instructors' perceptions of importance and students' degree of motivational state show a similar pattern and there are no significant differences between the lower and higher level students except the difference in the mean scores.