• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.41-59
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• 2009

The present study investigated Korean learners' knowledge on the range of possible interpretations of English locative PPs with manner of motion verbs, and considers whether learners can arrive at a superset L2 grammar on the basis of positive L2 input. Unlike Korean, some English locative PPs occurring with manner of motion verbs (such as in John jumped on the bed) are ambiguous as they can be interpreted as either directional or locational. Thirty Korean learners of English in three distinct groups (Advanced EFL-only group; Intermediate-EFL-only group; and ESL-experienced group) participated in an experimental study, along with a control group of nine native speakers of English. The results of the study showed that I) Korean learners, overall, tended to interpret English locative PPs as only locational, failing to recognize the ambiguity between the directional and locational readings in the target structure; 2) For the learners who experienced only the EFL context, even highly proficient learners, as well as intermediate level learners, failed to acknowledge the ambiguity; 3) The learners who experienced the ESL context for an extended period of time could identify the target reading to some extent, although they still could not reach the native-like competence. From these results, it is argued that robustness of positive evidence, not simply its availability, is critical in the acquisition of the superset L2 targets like the present one.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.69-79
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• 2000

This study compared the English and the Korean receptive competency of bilingual children with that of English and Korean monolingual children, respectively. The relation between English and Korean receptive competency of bilingual children was examined by age and gender. Subjects were 27 bilingual, 30 Korean monolingual, 24 English monolingual children. They were administered the revised form of the Peabody Pictures Vocabulary Test in Korean and English versions. Results show that bilingual children's Korean receptive competency is lower than those who spoke only Korean, and bilingual children's English receptive competency was a little lower than those who spoke only English, but the difference narrowerd with age. The relation between Korean and English competency in bilingual children was negative in 4- and 5-year-olds but became positive in 6-year-olds. This study shows that the two points-of-view on bilingual language development should be applied differently depending on children's age.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.291-307
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• 2011

The primary purpose of this study was to report overall findings of academic English proficiency of university ESL students in an ESL program from 2003 to 2008 at a university in the U.S. Furthermore, this study proposes to explore the effectiveness of the ESL program on developing the ESL learners' academic English proficiency. In order to achieve these purposes, this study applied a quantitative research methodology which analyzed data (more than 3,000 samples) collected by the university ESL program. The data included the ESL learners' English proficiency test scores. The results indicated that the effectiveness of the ESL program was significant in improving the ESL learners' cognitive/academic language proficiency across all three groups: ESL-only, ESL + Under, and ESL + Grad. That is, after either a complete ESL program intervention only or both a partial ESL program intervention and taking academic courses, the three groups' academic English proficiency was increased to almost same degree The findings are discussed and implications for pedagogy are suggested.

• Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.519-536
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• 2002

This paper is to provide an analysis of the aspectual nature of naked infinitives(NIs) of English perceptual reports. Higginbotham(1983) proposes that only ‘active’ or ‘transient’ verbs can be used as NIs of English perceptual reports, but ‘state’ verbs cannot. This is called “confinement to the active or transient”. But there will be one problem when NIs of English perceptual reports are negatives. This is why the meaning of negative NIs of English perceptual reports may be static, which isn't in line with “confinement to the active or transient”. There are similar problems with ‘state’ NIs of English perceptual reports. In this paper some of these problems can be solved with the “Event Structure” of Pustejovsky(1991). According to Pustejovsky(1991), ‘process’ and ‘transition’ verbs have sub-eventual individuation units, but state verbs have no such units. It is the units that make it possible for ‘process’ and ‘transition’ to be perceived. As a result ‘process’ and ‘transition’ verbs are suitable for NIs of English perceptual reports. Nevertheless, there are still some problems unsolved. Moreover some state verbs are grammatically used as NIs of English perceptual reports. This paper proposes that these state verbs have “potentiality of transition”, and the potentiality comes from only the combination of the two parts of the complement - the subject and the naked infinitive. And the potentiality causes the “Event Structure” of Pustejovsky(1991) to be modified. And this modification makes it possible for us to explain aspect of NIs of English Perceptual Reports. It is concluded with some implication for Korean learners of English as a Foreign Language.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.21-34
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• 2001

Using mother tongue in English classroom is controversial. Native speaking instructors seem to be for English-only classes whereas many Korean teachers of English feel it's effective to conduct classes in Korean especially for explaining usages and functions of certain grammar or new vocabulary. In fact, many studies have supported using mother tongue. However, excessive use of it hinders students from practicing the target language. Obviously it doesn't necessarily have to be all or nothing system. The study shows the positive role of mother tongue in written form based on the results of the students' academic performance at Chung-Ang University's summer program 2000. The results indicate that using mother tongue in written form helps beginning level students understand grammar and vocabulary more effectively, leads them to do better on tests than those of English-only class, and encourages them to actively get involved in class discussion and responses.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• no.6
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• pp.75-88
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• 2000

There are many reasons why foreigners have difficulties learning English. In addition to the difference between English and the learner's grammar, the large number of irregularities found in English become another obstacle to learning English. Understanding the difference and the irregularities will help us not only have a good command of English but also teach English more effectively. Many irregular or alternating patterns, or even anomalies in Modern English are the results of historical changes. In this paper, I would like to focus on some of the irregular or alternating patterns found in different components of the grammar of English and to show how they can be accounted for historically. Through this study, I would like to show that the irregular patterns and anomalies in English were once regular and systematic, they have deviated from the regular patterns of the grammar as time has gone by, and they have survived in Modern English as irregular and alternating patterns. Many of the irregular or alternating patterns can be traced back by phonological, morphological and/or semantic changes in the history of English. Finally, by looking at language history, we can hold a more tolerant view on many anomalies present in English.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.91-110
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• 2005

Many Korean EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students do not have sufficient opportunity to develop cultural knowledge and information in their classrooms. EFL teachers also tend to ignore the teaching of culture. Even though culture is taught, it simply tends to deliver "fact-only" information from the viewpoint of a "tourist level rather than cultural awareness by comparing native with target cultural references. Teaching target cultural knowledge and information should be delivered within the native cultural frame, and teaching of culture must be an integral part of teaching and learning English. The research methodology was quantitative. Quantitative data was gathered from 83 Korean EFL teachers and 286 EFL students by questionnaire. Findings indicated that three of these independent variables (cultural inequality, English-only instruction, and Unoism) were significantly and inversely related to integration of culture.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.115-137
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• 2011

The tourism industry has attained remarkable growth, and the need for professional Tourism English education has increased. Universities of online education can offer an environment for education to both job applicants and laymen who are interested in Tourism English. Tourism English belongs to English for Specific Purposes, which reflects the needs of specific area. The aim of this study is to propose improvements in classes design for online Tourism English instruction. The results of a needs analysis conducted on 160 Korean online university students suggest that online Tourism English class should be different from a traditional classroom-based one in regards to aims, contents, and methods. Online Tourism English class should not only focus on English for specific purposes, but also include more generalized topics. This comes as a result of the diverse backgrounds of online students. The results suggest that extralinguistic elements, such as culture and etiquette differences among English-speaking countries, become more interesting when introduced using pictures, videos, animations, etc. Additionally, SMS or emails can be utilized to raise students' motivation for online Tourism English class.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• no.5
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• pp.79-101
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• 1999

With the advent of the 6th and the 7th national educational curricula in Korea. English language teaching in communicative perspective has been highly recommended and widely practised in that context. The aim of new approach is to enhance the students' general communication abilities in English. However, English teachers still find it very hard to improve the students' communicative competence in English since English remains to be taught as a school subject. In so far as English is taught as a school subject, students' attention is paid to the formal elements of English and the increase in communicative competence in English is hardly expected Only when the students' attention is paid to the content, their communicative competence is expected to increase. The best way to shift the students' attention from formal elements to content is to teach other school subjects in English, that is, English immersion education. To introduce immersion education to Korea, the two most successful examples of Singapore and Hong Kong are reviewed in terms of language policies and general practices in their primary and secondary schools respectively. To implement the program into Korea, extensive research on it is expected henceforth.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.93-106
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• 2001

The pronunciation of English l and r was a consistent problem in learning English in Korea as well as Japan. This problem occurs from the fact that in Korea and Japan there is only one liquid sound. Substituting the Korean liquid for English l and r was a common error. The pronunciation of the dark l causes a further problem in pronouncing the English l sound. To see the relationship between the English l, r, and the Korean liquid sound, an electropalatographic (EPG) experiment was done. The findings were (1) there were no tongue contacts either on the alveolar ridge or on the palate during the articulation of the dark l. (2) The Korean liquid sound was different in the tongue contact points either from English l or r. The English clear l consistently touched the alveolar ridge in the forty tokens, but the Korean liquid sound in the intervocalic and word-final position touched mainly the alveopalatal area. The English r touched exclusively the velum area. The Korean intervocalic /l/ was similar to English flap in EPG and spectrographic data. There was evidence that the word-final Korean /l/ is a lateral.