• Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.281-308
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of CMC-based English learning. In this study, CMC components were found to provide circumstances of facilitating interactions between student-student and student-student-teacher, which enabled students to accomplish language learning tasks. Findings of this study are as follows: First, CMC based language learning experience helps students have positive attitudes toward their English language learning. Second, student-student-instructor interaction group outperformed other groups in academic achievement and class activity participation. Third, cooperative learning groups more actively participated in the class activity than the individual learning group resulting in better academic performances. These findings supported the fact that cooperative learning with CMC components are useful in bringing more class participation and positive attitude that were believed to foster language learning than other groups in traditional language learning environments. This study suggests that the instructor needs to use instructional design strategies helpful to facilitate active interactions between instructors and students in order to achieve better effectiveness of English learning in a CMC based learning environment.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2020

We aimed to understand how English textbooks in Korea reflect English education policies for improving the English language learners' cultural ability. In order to achieve the purpose of this study, we used the method of analyzing English textbooks because English textbooks are an important tool that most specifically reflects the English policy of a country. This study analyzed middle school English textbooks currently used in Korea. We analyzed nouns/pronouns related to cultures presented in the reading section included in each unit, and compared cultural diversity and cultural identity included in English textbooks in Korea. As a result, it was found that Korea tried to introduce the diverse cultures from the world and promote Korean traditional cultures into the world. So the cultural policy of English education in Korea can be evaluated to be appropriate for cultivating Korea young learners with the cultural capabilities which are essential to be successful leaders in the globalized world.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.357-373
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• 2011

There have been great controversies over making English as an official language in Korea. They have been triggered since some scholars published books and articles claiming that officialization of English is the best option for Korean people who spend significant amount of their life time to learn English. Those who are happy about the idea believe that officialization of English will be a good help for Korean people to gain a high degree of English proficiency, while others worry about possible negative impact on Korean language and culture. There are more diverse views and opinions on this issue. The distance between pros and cons about officialization of English doesn't seem to be negotiated. This study has been conducted not for finding the solution to the controversies. It is for understanding how those whose successful career and high living quality depend on gaining high command of English feel about acknowledging English as an official language of Korea. The results show that overall ideas on the officialization of English of research subjects are similar with those of scholars in academia. Around two third of total number of the research subjects expressed their criticism against the idea. One interesting thing is that all of the subjects, regardless their positions, think that there are serious problems in English education policy and system in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.157-185
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• 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.

• Journal of English Language & Literature
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.189-215
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• 2008

This study proposes using children's literature as a means of teaching and learning English as a foreign language and suggests practical strategies on the basis of transactional theory of reading suggested by Rosenblatt (1994, 1995). This study suggests three novels written for children or young adults: On My Honor (1986) by Marion Dane Bauer, The Giver (1993) by Lois Lowry and Hatchet (1987) by Gary Paulsen. These texts were selected because of their diverse topics, easy and comprehensible language, engaging stories, and authentic and rich expressions, making them effective materials for foreign language learners. This paper is organized as follows: First, it reviews research on teaching literature in English education and response-oriented language teaching to provide theoretical background of literature-based language teaching and learning. Second, it provides the background of the texts selected for the study. Third, it develops diverse, practical strategies for instructors who intend to use children's literature in EFL teaching. We expect to guide EFL instructors in adopting children's literature in their English class by connecting theory and practice and by providing diverse methods and strategies, and sample responses by EFL university students.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.71-90
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• 2010

This study suggests that English literature educators need to be eclectic and flexible in applying theories and methods, not simply adhering to one or two for all situations and occasions. They need to be available to go with the flow and particularly employ whatever is needed at any given moment of class time. There is a current trend emphasizing English literature as merely a language resource rather than the study of English literature as an end in itself. Without much attention given to literary analysis and criticism, students tend to lack creative and critical thinking abilities. Given the current imbalance, it would seem important to address the issue, and create English class programs that maintain a balance between teaching the study of English literature to improve students' critical thinking abilities, and its use as a language resource. To fulfill this goal, thorough preparation is required. Indeed, we can direct our intelligence more effectively when we are well prepared and we are familiar with the basic methods and mechanics of teaching our subject. The greatest achievement of the English literature class I taught was that the students showed unexpectedly remarkable creative and critical appreciation of the novel we studied, in addition to improving their English language skills.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.37-44
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• 2023

This study investigates perceptual confusions of English fricatives among 121 Korean elementary school English as a foreign language (EFL) learners with shorter periods of learning English. The objective is to examine how they perceive English fricative consonants and to provide educational guidelines. Two sets of English fricative identification tasks-voiceless fricatives and voiced fricatives-were administered to participants in a High Variability Phonetic Training (HVPT) setting. Their phonemic awareness of the fricatives was visualized in perceptual confusion maps via multidimensional scaling analysis. The findings are explored in terms of the impacts of Korean EFL learners' L1 linguistic aspects and a comparison with L1 learners. Learners' phonemic awareness patterns are then compared with their relative importance in speech intelligibility based on a functional load hierarchy. The results indicated that Korean elementary EFL learners recognized English fricatives in a manner largely akin to L1 learners, suggesting their ongoing acquisition progress. Additionally, the findings demonstrated that the young EFL learners possess sufficient phonemic awareness for most high functional load segments but encounter some difficulties with one high and one low functional pair. The findings of this study offer suggestions for diagnosing language learners' phonemic awareness abilities, thereby aiding in the development of practical guidelines for language instructional design and helping educators make informed decisions regarding teaching priority in L2 classes.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.91-107
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• 2003

Although the language of Geoffrey Chaucer as part of late Middle English has been discussed by many studies, among which David Burnley (1983) seems to be most remarkable, some aspects of Chaucer's language still need to be better illuminated for a more thorough understanding of not only Chaucer's work and language but also the English language in the late Middle English period. This paper examines the English negation of Chaucer's language, shown especially in his Canterbury Tales, and explains how negation is used in his work, focusing on the three different types of sentence negation and the uses of or and and in the scope of negation.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.177-196
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to help teachers and program developers develop comprehensive and authentic assessment models with appropriate ways of using various kinds of assessment tools in college English instruction and assessment. Assessing by traditional discrete tests based on grammar and vocabulary cannot measure the authentic ability for language use in meaningful context in the real world. Currently, the trend in language assessment is changing to performance assessment. Increased use of performance assessments that involve language students in selecting and reflecting on their learning means that language teachers will have a wider range of evidence on which to judge whether students are becoming purposeful and are able to communicate as English users. Also, language programs focused on performance assessment are likely to instil in students authentic skills related to communication in the global world and enable them to evaluate what they learn from their English classes. In this study, the author investigated the theoretical background, the need of change, and several types of performance assessment.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• no.6
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• pp.113-142
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• 2000

In order to obtain a better understanding of L2 learners, transitional knowledges, it is very important and necessary to have a better knowledge of interlanguage. According to Corder, the role of interlanguage in English education holds significance to (1) for language teachers, (2) for language learners themselves, and (3) for language textbook compilers. To me the significance of interlanguage in English education can be described in terms of not only language teachers, learners themselves, textbook writers and compilers but pure linguists, applied linguists, school authorities as well as parents. For language learners themselves a clear understanding of interlanguage results in students being receptive to language input, and the avoidance of mental block, and low levels of foreign language anxiety. Native speakers of English (NSE) reflect not only linguistic features but also psychological, socio-linguistic, and discourse features when engaged in communication activities. This means that L2 learners are introduced to these different features, especially pragmatic features which are different from their mother tongue or L1 when engaged in communication with NSE. Hence the importance of interlanguage pragmatics should be recognized. It is very important that teachers of English should have a better understanding of interlanguage and present L2 learners with their interlanguage features so they can avoid any misunderstandings such features may cause when conversing with NSS. It should also be noted that interlanguage can form the foundation of language acquisition theory and linguistic analysis.