• 한국생활과학회지
• /
• 제16권4호
• /
• pp.699-710
• /
• 2007

The study purposes to explore the effects of individual characteristics and home environments of children on their bilingual language aquisition, that is, to examine whether their English language competency is different from their Korean language competency depending on those variables. Thus English or Korean language competency of children who had had early exposure in English learning were studied in terms of child's individual characteristics such as age, gender, exposure period to English, intelligence, and experiences of visiting English-speaking countries, and home environments such as parental age, educational level, income level, their perceived English competency, their perceived significance of English and Korean language, and the frequency of using English at home. 72 children who went to English kindergarten were tested with Peabody Pictures Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) in Korean version and in English version respectively. The results show that child's intelligence and experiences of visiting English-speaking countries influence their Korean language competency. Also child's age, exposure period to English and experiences of visiting English-speaking countries influence their English language competency. Moreover their mother's educational background, father's English fluency, mothers' English fluency, and the frequency of using English at home influence child's English language competency, whereas any variables did not influence child's Korean language competency. Accordingly, child's English and Korean language competencies are related to each other.

• Human Ecology Research
• /
• 제58권4호
• /
• pp.585-599
• /
• 2020

This study investigated children's interests in learning English, affected by educational activities in and out of institutes, and mothers' perceptions regarding early childhood English education. We recruited, 253 mothers of 3- to 5-year-old children in either general kindergartens or English immersion institutes. They answered questions on socioeconomic status, perceived interest in English by their children, their perceptions regarding early childhood English education, and English education outside institutes. In addition, 42 English teachers provided information within institutes such as class time per week, teacher-pupil rate, and language use policy during class. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS 22 for frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The major findings are as follows. First, the two groups were in distinct learning environment. Second, mothers' perceptions and outside-institute activities were significantly different between the two groups. Third, the English interests of children at both institutes were influenced by mothers' worries and at-home English interactions. Fourth, education within institutes did not affect both group's English interests. Fifth, private education and socioeconomic status did not affect both group's English interests. Lastly, only the children's interests in English immersion institutes were affected by gender and mother's perceived necessities. Focusing children's interests, this study helps in understanding young children's affective aspects regarding learning English. The findings are expected to be a guideline for each home and institute to increase children's interest in learning English.

• 아동학회지
• /
• 제28권6호
• /
• pp.17-36
• /
• 2007

This study examined educational and career backgrounds of 180 early childhood English teachers and curricula of training courses for early childhood English teachers in continuing education centers across 6 areas in Korea. Data analyses showed that (1) curricula for early childhood English teachers consists of basic practical conversation, English teaching skills, understanding early childhood education and general English knowledge. (2) Most teachers are women between 30 to 40 years of age, university graduates with majors in English literature, English education and/or early childhood education with confidence in speaking in and listening to English. (3) They were satisfied with their retraining courses. (4) English pronunciation skill was not always related to English conversation skill, but clarity of pronunciation influenced teaching confidence.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
• /
• 제18권12호
• /
• pp.14-24
• /
• 2018

본 연구에서는 유아영어교육에 참여하고 있는 11명의 어머니들을 대상으로 자녀의 영어교육 경험과 인식을 심층 면담하였다. 이를 통해 자녀 영어교육 과정에서 어머니들이 어떠한 경험을 하며, 이러한 경험이 어떠한 의미로 해석되고 있는지 분석 해 봄으로써 유아영어교육에 참여하고 있는 부모들의 상황을 보다 깊이 있게 탐색하고자 하였다. 본 연구의 분석 결과를 제시하면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 어머니들은 글로벌 시대에 영어는 필수라는 신념, 본인의 경험, 예정된 개인적 상황 등에 의해 자녀의 유아영어교육을 선택하여 실행하고 있었다. 또한 연구 참여자들은 학습효과를 체감할 수 있을 때 영어교육 효과를 긍정적으로 인지하였으며 이에 큰 의미부여를 하고 있었다. 둘째, 연구 참여자들은 영어교육 과정에서 자녀의 공부 스트레스, 높은 비용 부담 등의 어려움과 문제점 등을 경험하고 있었다. 셋째, 연구 참여자들은 유아기 자녀들의 발달에 적절한 영어교육을 위한 개인적, 사회적 차원의 방향성과 방법론 제시에 관한 바람을 가지고 있었다. 본 연구는 유아영어교육에 대한 어머니들의 실제적인 경험 및 바람에 관한 비판적 성찰 등을 드러냄으로써, 유아영어교육의 문제점 및 제한점에 대해 지속적으로 관심을 가지고 논의해야 할 필요성이 있음을 시사한다.

• 한국생활과학회지
• /
• 제17권6호
• /
• pp.1125-1133
• /
• 2008

The purpose of this study was to explore the perception toward qualification of early childhood English teachers and their teachers' sense of efficacy. The samples consisted of 201 early childhood English teachers in Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu, Gyeonggi area. A sample of early childhood English teachers completed a series of questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed with t-test, F-test, correlation. The results showed that most teachers were women between 30 to 40 years old, university graduate with job experience less than 3 years. In addition, half of teachers in this study majored on English studies or early childhood education and child studies. This study found that early childhood English teachers thought themselves to be qualified as a English teacher and early childhood teacher. And they rated teachers' sense of efficacy to relatively high. There were differences on the scores of qualification of early childhood English teacher and teachers' sense of efficacy according to education level and major. And years of job experience were positively related with the perception of qualification of early childhood teacher and teachers' sense of efficacy.

• 아동학회지
• /
• 제22권4호
• /
• pp.299-313
• /
• 2001

This study examines the current state of English education in private kindergartens in Korea. Among 1700 kindergarten teachers surveyed for this research, 680 replied that their institutions provided English lessons for children. Analyses of the data collected from these 680 teachers showed : 1) They started to teach English not because of educational considerations but because of pressure from children's parents or kindergarten principals; 2) Most of the English teachers were part-time instructors specially recruited for English lessons. Generally, English lessons were given two or three times a week, with one session lasting for about 20 minutes. A variety of teaching methods and materials were used for the lessons given to children aged three to five. Focus of the lessons was given to listening and speaking words and sentences; 3) Most of the teachers considered the scarcity of qualified English instructors as the most serious problem for providing English education in kindergartens, and they did not want to teach English themselves. They evaluated positively the performance and role of Korean part-time English instructors. The evaluations were generally poor as to native speakers serving as kindergarten English teachers.

• Child Studies in Asia-Pacific Contexts
• /
• 제2권2호
• /
• pp.133-144
• /
• 2012

Research has shown that mothers' attitudes towards early English language and literacy learning are important for children's English language development. Some researchers have indicated that in Taiwan most parents have a positive attitude towards English instruction and are motivated to teach English at home to their preschoolers. There is, however, little current data available to explain the motivations behind such parents' decisions to teach English to their child in the home before the commencement of formal schooling. We conducted a thematic analysis of the written survey responses of 263 Taiwanese mothers who explained why they taught their preschool children English at home. The findings indicate that English is highly valued for children's school readiness, future career opportunities, and because of its status as a global language. The mothers' motivations for teaching English include the desire to cultivate the child's interest, a belief in 'the earlier the better" for second language learning, and a belief in the need to review and practice English. These findings have the potential to inform educational policies and implementation strategies, as they can reveal whether mothers' motivations align with national priorities for English language education.

• 아동학회지
• /
• 제32권4호
• /
• pp.37-62
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to develop an appropriate scale for evaluating early years children's English textbooks and to confirm the validity and reliability for the scale thus developed. The scale was administered to 563 Korean early childhood English teachers. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) of the 24 item scale demonstrated Cronbach' ${\alpha}$ = .94 for internal consistency of the total items. Confimatory Factor Analysis (CFA) supported a four-factor structure. Cross-Validation for the retest accepted the four-factors. Those four factors were as follows; Contents & Organization as factor 1, Illustrations & Designs as factor 2, Materials & Topics, as factor 3 and Objectives as factor 4. The author suggests that these afore mentioned factors will prove to be most useful for evaluating the children's English textbooks which are apparently published in an often quite indiscriminant manner.

• 한국보육지원학회지
• /
• 제7권3호
• /
• pp.43-65
• /
• 2011

본 연구의 목적은 가정과 학원에서 이루어지는 영아의 조기영어교육 실태를 조사하고 영아어머니들의 영아영어교육에 대한 요구에의 영향 변인을 분석하는 것이었다. 연구대상은 어린이집에 다니는 36개월 미만의 자녀를 둔 어머니 441명이었다. 질문 조사에 의해 수집된 자료로써 빈도분석과 로지스틱 회귀분석을 하였다. 연구결과, 조사대상의 30.9%가 영어교육을 하고 있으며, 주로 어린이집에서의 영어교육을 계기로, 시작시기는 생후 24개월~36개월 이전에 교육을 시작한 것으로 나타났다. 교육실태는 공통적으로 주 1~2회, 회당 30분 미만 실시, 5만원 미만의 월교육비, 교사는 영어를 전공한 한국인, '간단한 회화'를 위해 시청각 자료의 사용, 학습지나 워크북의 높은 활용으로 요약되었다. 한편, 66.0%의 어머니가 영아영어교육에 대해 긍정적 입장을 취하며, 자녀 연령과 월수입이 높을수록, 그리고 신경생리학적, 언어학적, 사회적 영어교육 요구 근거에 동의할수록 교육 요구가 긍정적일 확률이 높았다. 본 연구결과를 통해 영아영어교육에 대한 바람직한 안내가 보다 구체적으로, 시급하게 이루어질 필요가 있다고 시사되었다.

• 아동학회지
• /
• 제32권6호
• /
• pp.157-185
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors influencing preschoolers' emergent English as a second language literacy skills in terms of maternal language behavior in Korean and English picture book reading. This study was also conducted in order to identify the pathways of each factor. The subjects consisted of 201 mothers and their 3~5 year-old children from middle income families living in Seoul, Incheon, Gyyounggi-do, and Chungcheongbuk-do. The results indicated that the factors influencing preschoolers' emergent English as a second language literacy skills acquisition were as follows : maternal beliefs about the value of picture book reading, the child's level of interest in picture book reading, the time spent on picture book reading and maternal language behavior during picture book reading activities. The results further indicate that it is important that the mother shares desirable language interaction with her children in their native language while reading not only Korean but also English picture books when aiming to improve preschoolers' emergent English literacy skills.