• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.339-363
• /
• 2010

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the English classes in secondary schools in Korea are in terms of communicative nature. After literature study, COLT parts A and B were used to analyze three kinds of English classes: a common class type taught by a school teacher who had won 1st prize at TEE contest, a team teaching class taught by NNS and NS, and a model class taught by a pre-service English teacher. Their communicative English classes were videotaped and transcribed for analysis by COLT. The results of the study revealed that students participated in the classes mostly as a unit and, therefore, did not get many meaningful chances to speak English. Second, creative language-use opportunities were barely found during classes. Third, the group work seemed to be prepared before the class, not to be done during the class. Therefore it is likely to be learned from memorization rather than meaningful communication. These results suggest English classes in schools be more communicatively oriented for successful English learning. Further study should be conducted in order to make English classes more communicative to help students communicate their genuine messages in English and to help teachers teach English efficiently.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.269-279
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this research is to investigate how an elementary English class is presented in terms of communicative properties using COLT and TALOS because previous studies mainly used COLT. A lack of TALOS has shown on the previous studies. Also, this study takes a close look into whether the English class is communicative or not communicative since previous studies criticized in that elementary English classes are not communicative. For the purposes of this research, COLT part B and TALOS low-inference were used to analyze one elementary English class which had won the grand prize at English class contest. The result of this study revealed that the class is communicative in terms of high quantity and quality of students utterances, high ratio of students' discourse initiation, students' unpredictable information giving utterances and extension of utterances. Findings from this study revealed the good elementary English class characteristics of this class: students' participation, focus on affective atmosphere, students-directed activities, and unconscious internalization of target expressions through repetition.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.16 no.4
• /
• pp.107-131
• /
• 2010

The goals of the present study are two-fold: 1) to examine NNS teachers' needs for training period in improving their general communicative competence and classroom communicative competence, and 2) to explore the relationships of teachers' needs for the training period, and their current levels of general/classroom communicative competence and other background variables. Data was collected from seventy primary and secondary school English teachers (N=70) who participated in the six-month intensive teacher training program in South Korea. The teacher trainees responded to four questionnaires of 1) the self-diagnosis of their current levels of four language skills (L/S/R/W) in both general/classroom communicative competence, 2) the training period required to improve their general/classroom communicative competence for teaching both English and other subjects through English, 3) the period of their English teaching, and 4) the proportion of their English use in class. The data analysis has shown that there were the strong relationships between trainee needs for the training period and their teaching period, and the proportion of their English use in class. In terms of trainees' communicative competence, the significant relations of both their general/classroom communicative competence and their needs for the training period were found. Implications of the findings are discussed.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.123-139
• /
• 2011

The purpose of the current study is to analyze a model of OPIc-based speaking test for Korea English classroom. The research questions were (1). What is the English teachers' opinion on the current speaking teaching and testing? (2). Is the OPIc speaking test appropriate in the Korea English class? and (3). What are the English education students' perceptions of the OPIc-based speaking test for English classes? To answer the first research question, a survey was conducted targeting one hundred and forty-seven teachers. The result of the survey shows that Korea English teachers' great concern on the English teaching and speaking test are "communicative competence," "scoring and criteria," and "condition and need." To answer the second research question, the OPIc speaking test for the class was analyzed and it was found that in terms of the communicative competence," "scoring and criteria," and "condition and need" issues, OPIc based speaking test is appropriate in Korea English class. For the third research question, Q methodology was used targeting English education students and the result shows that most English education students strongly agree to the statements that the OPIc-based speaking test has the advantage to improve communicative competence. This study may provide the information about creating and adopting tests for English classes and relating standardized test and the English classes.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.71-90
• /
• 2003

The purpose of this study was to analyze the improvement of students' interest and general proficiency of English through cultural understanding. To achieve this purpose, two classes of the 2nd grade in the informational high school were divided into the experimental class and the control class. The Grammar-Translation Method was used for the control class and a cultural learning - compare and contrast Korean culture and American culture - was taken for the experimental. After various cultural differences were studied, surveys of students' attitude and reading and listening test were taken. The results from this study were as follows: Firstly, students' interest in English was improved through learning the American culture that was related to the content of each lesson. Secondly, English reading and communicative skills were improved by learning about cultural aspects. Therefore, it can be said that teaching culture stimulates students' interest and motivation for learning English and helps students retain such affective attitudes. And English communicative skills were improved as well.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• no.4
• /
• pp.85-116
• /
• 1998

Since the 1980's language teachers have been urged to take more communicatively oriented practice instead of traditional audio-lingual and grammar-translation instruction. However, there are many reasons why communication-centered teaching approaches haven't been easily adopted in Korea. First of all many English teachers haven't been prepared for communicative language teaching. And class size is very large. Another reason is that students' reading and writing skills are more important than their speaking and listening skills to enter colleges. But the world has been changing rapidly. We have many chances to meet foreigners and to talk to them. So many students want to improve their communicative proficiency. The purpose of this study is how to improve their communicative proficiency by performing games in English classes. There are many advantages of using games and songs in the classroom. First, games are motivating and challenging. Second, students can improve their four skills(speaking, writing, listening and reading skills) by using games and songs. Thirdly, games and songs help students to study English without their conscious efforts and to practice English repeatedly because they are interested in them. Fourthly, games and songs create a meaningful context for language use. Lastly, students can learn English with less tension and anxiety. Therefore, English games and songs are worthy of using in classes. To use English games and song more effectively, more various and useful materials have to be developed for English teachers and have to be introduced pertinently into classes.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.1-22
• /
• 2012

This study explores the effects of phonological awareness instruction with phonetics on listening comprehension and speaking. For the test of measuring the improvement of listening comprehension, two nationwide listening comprehension tests were used for pre-test and post-test. To find out the improvement of speaking ability, students were required to take the Level-3 NEAT speaking tests. There was a notable correlation between phonological awareness instruction with phonetics and listening ability. Also a significant correlation between phonological awareness instruction with phonetics and speaking ability was found. The group with phonological awareness class with phonetics received higher scores in listening and speaking test than the group without phonological awareness class with phonetics in the post-test. This study implies that phonological awareness class with phonetics is helpful for the improvement of listening and speaking ability. With this research, we can also say that students' communicative competence increased.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.263-291
• /
• 2003

This paper is to help the students in elementary schools develop and improve their English listening and speaking skills by presenting effective teaching and learning techniques using puppetry. It is absolutely obvious that listening and speaking are very important skills for most EFL students. Using puppets in the classroom is a creative English teaching technique which can involve authentic, communicative language situations. Moreover, puppets appeal to children and can aid in lowering affective filters thereby creating a more comfortable learning environment. The study clearly showed that using puppets is feasible and enjoyable in elementary English classes. However, caution must be exercised in drawing and generalizing conclusions from this experience. The results of the experiment are as follows: First, using puppetry in the English class was found to have positive influence on students' affective domains (interst, attitude). Second, using puppets in the English classes was found to be efficient for improving students' English listening and speaking skills. Third, appropriate materials should be selected and well thought-out plans should be made to be successful English class using puppetry. Perhaps the most interesting line of future research is to use qualitative research to examine the effect of this technique on the teacher variable. Further research is recommended, especially on using puppetry for speaking proficiency and creating affectively comfortable learning atmospheres.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.103-129
• /
• 2006

This paper presents a case study of the effectiveness of debate class in promoting speaking skills of advanced learners. The researcher adopted English debate techniques in an English speaking class during four-week teacher training program and investigated how teachers responded to the new technique. Forty-five middle and high school teachers participated in the study and classroom observation, pre-survey, post-survey, and focus group interviews were used as the major research methods. The teacher pre-survey results presented that teachers prefer a conversation class where they can directly acquire proper sentence patterns and speaking strategies rather than spend time in performing communicative events. The results of the focus group interview and post-survey confirmed that a debate class can meet this specific teachers' needs. Most teachers responded positively to the debate classes since: 1) debate techniques are relatively new ideas to Korean teachers; 2) debate techniques require speed and accuracy in speech; thus teachers could learn to present their ideas logically and efficiently in a limited time through repeated argument exercises. The study result implies that debate technique can be an effective vehicle in an EFL context to promote advanced learners' logical thinking skills and logical English sentence structures.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.191-210
• /
• 2004

The scores of TOEFL, TOEIC and TEPS have been increasingly used for many purposes in Korea In particular, these test scores are being used as a measure of the test-takers' overall communicative competence. Nonetheless, few studies have been conducted that investigate the validity of the test scores used for this purpose. As a preliminary step to explore the validity of the test scores, we conducted a small scale study by comparing 30 university students' scores in TOEFL, TOElC and TEPS with their class performances in English conversation and composition courses. The correlations between the test scores and the grade point averages of the courses show that the test scores are much harder to use as a valid measure of test-takers' overall communicative competence than usually thought to be and that the score in TOEFL is, nonetheless, a more reliable measure than the ones in the other tests. Although tins study has a few limitations such as the small number of participants, the homogeneity of the sample as a group, etc, it provides some insight into the use of the three tests for measurement of overall communicative proficiency and suggests need for conducting further validation studies in these areas.