본 연구는 성인 학습자의 대학동아리 활동 만족도와 지속 요인이 학업 스트레스 간 관계에서 자아존중감의 매개효과를 검증하여, 성인 학습자의 동아리활동과 학교생활에 더욱 만족할 수 있는 방안을 제시하고자 하였다. 대구·경북 지역 25세 이상 성인학습자 250명을 대상으로 2020년 9월 25 일부터 2020년 11월 24일까지 직접 방문 및 구글을 활용한 설문조사를 실시하였다. 회수된 설문지는 215부로 이중 불성실한 응답을 한 4부의 설 문지는 제외하고 총 211부를 최종분석에 활용하였다. 분석 결과, 성인 학 습자의 대학동아리 활동 만족도는 자아존중감과 학업 스트레스에 영향을 미 치지 않은 것으로 확인되었다. 다만 성인 학습자의 동아리 활동 지속 요인 은 자아존중감, 학업 스트레스에 통계적으로 유의하게 나타났다. 그리고 성 인학습자의 대학동아리 활동 지속 요인이 학업 스트레스 간 관계에서 자아 존중감의 완전 매개효과를 검증하였다. 이러한 연구 결과를 통해 대학동아 리 활동이 성인 학습자의 자아존중감을 향상 시키고 학업 스트레스를 완화 함을 시사한다.
This paper explores the L2 motivation of 11 students about to start studying English as junior college English majors. The participants took part in a ten-day L2 motivational program designed to help them with L2 skills and life on campus. To understand how they participated in the program, data gathered from online learning logs were coded using qualitative thematic analysis. Consequently, the participants shifted to embody ‘none to something’ qualities in terms of L2 selves and effort during the program. That is, they established self-images to believe in when using and learning English, which eventually developed into effort-driven attitudes and behavior. The students also set goals and plans according to their L2 selves created or revealed during the program. Although the program was comparatively short with a small number of participants entering a junior college, the findings indicate that an L2 motivational program for new adult students could be conducive to promoting and sustaining their effort, L2 selves, and motivation.
This study investigated EFL college-level learners’ expectation on and their experience in an online English-medium instruction (EMI) course focusing on how participants interacted with their classmates and the instructor in their online class (zoom session) based on assumptions and rationales of Interaction Hypothesis and classroom interaction research. Analyses of questionnaire, observation, and interview data revealed that participants’ experience of interaction and their perception of interaction opportunities in the zoom session were significantly related to how they would evaluate the course-taking experience. It was also found that cognitive strategy such as participants’ preparation for each class rather than L2 confidence was more relevant to their level of satisfaction with the course. Results of analyses suggested that an online class could be more effective than a face-to-face class in terms of engaging EFL adult learners in an academic course offered in participants’ L2, English. Based on study results, suggestions on how to increase interaction opportunities in online EMI course are made.
This study examined the language choice for modality patterns to express the degree of probability specifically in email texts based on Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) analytical framework. Participants were students enrolled in an English writing composition course at an online-based Korean university. They were required to write an email thanking their professor, in which they stated their future plans (definite or indefinite) with a degree of probability. The text analysis was compared with two groups of students' scores (high-scoring group n=40 and low-scoring group n=29), based on an assessment of the course assignment. After building up two learner corpora, UAM Corpus Tool version 3.0 was used to analyze the language choice closely using a modality system of the SFG framework. The high-scoring group showed more range and frequency in the use of modal verbs combined with a modal Adjunct or another modal expression. Explicit teaching on the importance of expressing the appropriate degree of probability using a range of modality devices, rather than relying heavily on the primary modality (choice of modal verbs) is highlighted as a pedagogical implication.
In spite of the benefits of English oral presentations on EFL learners' proficiency and competence, English presentations have not obtained much attention as instructional medium in the field of English education. With the belief that EFL learners' experience of English presentation performance can provide valuable insights for educators and researchers, this study intended to describe how EFL learners perceive their presentation performance through their reflective self-assessment. In particular, adopting Otoshi and Heffernen's (2008) rubric of evaluation, this study examined what a group of Korean EFL learners were concerned in regard to their presentation performances and how they evaluated them. The data collected were 41 reflective self-assessment papers written by 41 Korean college students. The papers were coded, categorized and interpreted. Findings showed that voice quality is the area the students in this paper were most concerned about. Negative evaluations of their presentation performance outweighed the positive evaluations except in the area of Power Point use. Lastly, rehearsal and visual aids education sessions as well as differentiating spoken and written English were suggested as instruction implications for educators.
This study examined EFL college-level learners’ perception toward the contentbased instruction (CBI) by focusing on their participation in and expectation on the courses practiced in a strong form of CBI. Having analyzed the data collected from a questionnaire, observation and interview, the study found that the participants, 39 students who enrolled in two different CBI courses at a university in South Korea, put top priority on the enhancement of content-knowledge considering their CBI course as a content-course, not as a language-course. Second, the participants seemed to prefer participation opportunities induced by a required and prepared speaking task such as presentation through which they can practice a formal speech appropriate for their education experience and cognitive maturity. They also seemed to favor instructor-initiated interaction rather than being put into pair- or group-discussion between and among themselves. Third, the lack of participation was mainly attributed to the lack of understanding contents rather than lack of language skills. Based on the research findings, the study made suggestions on how to offer CBI courses more effectively for a particular group of EFL college-level learners who already earned basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS), yet to reach cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP).
This study was an attempt to explore how EFL college-level learners perceive flipped learning or flipped classroom approach which would be practiced with Content-Based Instruction (CBI) courses. As an effort to find a way for the CBI learners to be served more effectively in terms of earning content-knowledge and improving L2-using skills, the new approach of flipped learning has been tapped into first of all by looking into their expectations and concerns that they might have if the new approach would be employed in their CBI classroom. The analysis of the data provided by the 159 participants revealed that they did not show clear preference or strong negative attitude toward the new approach. While the young college-level learners appeared technology-savvy, they did not seem confident enough in the new approach mainly due to the on-line component of the flipped classroom approach, which would require more responsibility of their learning. The study also made suggestions on what should be considered if the new approach can be successfully implemented and help the learners earn better learning experience.
Ko, Bo-Ai. 2018. “Thematic Patterns in Formal Email Writing of Korean EFL College Learners”. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 26(1). 31~59. This study explores the Theme types and the thematic progression in the formal email writings of Korean EFL college learners, based on the Theme-Rheme analytical framework of Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG). Data was collected from 99 college students, enrolled in an English Writing Composition course during the second semester of 2017 via a cyber university in Korea. Their main writing activity involved email writings in the form of requesting primarily based on the Genre Approach. Text analysis was conducted with the comparison of the high- scoring group (15), the medium-scoring group (15) and the low-scoring group (15), based on assessment of the course assignment. Employing the coding step of identifying the Theme and Rheme of each T-unit, the text analysis sought to figure out which Theme types were used for each T-unit and which thematic progression patterns were used for overall text flow and cohesion. The key finding was that there were certain discourse-specific thematic patterns of formal email writing. Among the range of thematic features, this study will highlight marked Themes, interpersonal Themes and thematic choices of nominalization for the purpose of formal email writing texts.
The purpose of the current study is to present a class model of SQ3R instruction, which consists of 5 stages of reading strategy, Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review for foreign language learning and to investigate its effects on learners’ self-efficacy and their reading comprehension. Five reading steps of reading strategy were instructed associated with skill practices, annotating, note-taking and summary outlining. A total of 23 students in a college academic reading class participated in the study. Students’ self-selected academic reading materials were used for the course. Reading self-efficacy survey and the academic reading part of IELTS practice test were conducted before and after the instruction. Student products such as annotated texts and reaction writing as well as portfolios were collected and analyzed. The survey and academic reading test results indicated that the learners’ reading self-efficacy and their reading ability were improved and that the students seemed to have gained more confidence in academic reading.
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.
This paper investigates the differences in college learners' perceptions and correlations of factors related to willingness to communicate (WTC) in an English mediated instruction (EMI) class. Based on a survey of 50 collegiates (33 males, 17 females) and two rounds of interviews with 15 students, the t-tests showed that there were not many statistical differences depending on learner characteristics except the learners' grade difference affecting their perception of improvement in English. However, depending on the course types, the Kruskal-Wallis test showed statistically significant differences in the categories of present level of participation, expected level of participation with L1 option, question & answer, group collaboration, active listening, and preference to EMI with L1 option. Furthermore, the factors of WTC appeared strongly correlated with their perceptions on the improvement in English, increased confidence, and the extent of learning in the EMI class. According to qualitative analyses of open-ended questions in the survey and interviews, the learners thought group presentations in English were most difficult. They also responded that their low English proficiency, peer pressure, and the student-orientedness in class made them passive and less confident. The learners, however, adopted diverse coping strategies to overcome such difficulties. They were also positive about the limited use of L1 in the EMI class. Implications for EMI are suggested.
This study investigates how input modes and text types influence Korean college learners’ CALL listening and their perception of their concentration, comprehension and anxiety. The current study employed three input modes (listening-only, listening-with-subtitles, and listening-with-transcripts) and two text types (lectures and dialogues). The major findings are as follows: 1) subtitles or a transcript enhanced learner’s listening comprehension; 2) subtitles were the most helpful input mode whereas transcripts may have imposed more cognitive load to decode the reading; 3) the text types influenced CALL listening comprehension, but the familiarity effect may have been more dominant for more literate text types such as lectures; 4) apart from the higher English proficiency student’s perceived concentration, the two written input modes were perceived as beneficial tools for their concentration, comprehension, and reduced anxiety; 5) in particular, the lower English proficiency students tended to perceive the transcript as advantageous although they did not actually benefit from the transcript for their listening comprehension as much as they perceived. The pedagogical implications of the present study is subtitles and transcripts can be efficient pedagogical tools to draw learners’ attention to linguistic features or organization of the content to foster language ability. When designing CALL listening classes or applications, individual learners’ differences should be taken into account as well.
This study was an attempt to investigate whether the Task-Based Instruction (TBI) can fulfill its promises by looking into how a group of EFL college learners would perform in a TBI course. The research findings based on the analyses of the participants'performance on the proficiency tests of speaking and writing, the writing samples produced by the weekly journal task, and their responses to a questionnaire showed that the TBI course was effective enough to assist the learners to significantly improve proficiency levels of the L2 during such a time period of a 15-week long semester. The study also revealed that whether the learners would find the task topic interesting was significantly related to their confidence in using the L2, evaluation on the instructor's way of teaching, and overall evaluation on the TBI course. It also found that the college-level learners did not favor grammar instruction provided in an explicit way while appreciating opportunities to use the L2 in productive modes.
There has been considerable research which investigates whether the underlying linguistic competence of L2 learners is constrained by principles and parameters of UG, parallel to the situation in L1 acquisition. In terms of the Scope Principle (henceforth SP), a principle of UG, which is associated with the scope interaction between a quantified expression and a wh-phrase, some experimental studies in EFL settings were conducted to investigate whether or not interlanguage grammars can be characterized by the principle. These experiments were carried out through the Truth Value Judgment Task (henceforth TVJT) alone, showing contrasting and confusing results, especially between Japanese learners and Korean learners. That is, while Japanese EFL learners observed the SP, Korean EFL learners did not despite the fact that both Japanese L1 grammar and Korean L1 grammar disallow the distributive interpretation, especially in the ambiguous sentence like what does everyone have? Therefore, the present study aims to confirm whether the same results are obtained provided that the identical experiment using the TVJT is repeated in other EFL learners. Noticeably, this study employed an additional, complementary task (Question and Answer Task, QAT) in addition to the TVJT as an attempt to increase the accuracy of the task and reflect learners’ actual knowledge of the target features. In QAT, the subjects were asked to write the answers to the target questions involving quantifiers and wh-questions in English. Results from the TVJT appeared, on the face of it, to provide support for the claim that the Korean EFL learners are under control of the Scope Principle. However, findings from QAT revealed that they are not constrained by the principle. Thus, it would be reasonable to conclude that the results of the present experiment do not fully support the claim that the Korean EFL learners’ interlanguage grammar has access to the UG-driven Scope Principle. Instead, it can be argued that Korean learners' interlanguage grammar may be affected by their L1 grammar, which gives rise to the claim that the explicit instruction on the interpretation of those sentences is required as part of overcoming this problem.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the four sources of English pronunciation self-efficacy and English pronunciation proficiency of Chinese college learners of English. A sample of 429 English majors at a college in China was selected. The test scores from a read-aloud task were used as the measure of subjects’ English pronunciation proficiency. The questionnaire was used to collect the data of four English pronunciation self-efficacy sources. The Pearson correlations showed that the four sources were correlated significantly with English pronunciation proficiency. The multiple regression analysis showed that 45% variance in English pronunciation proficiency was explained by the linear combinations of the four sources; however, the nominal variable of gender was not statistically significant in explaining the variance in English pronunciation proficiency. Overall, the significant relationship between English pronunciation self-efficacy sources and English pronunciation proficiency was observed in the present study. Pedagogical implications for teaching English pronunciation were discussed based on the results.