• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.677-690
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• 2007

This study has a goal to read a trend of language research by analysing evaluation tools and methods that researchers have used for assessing young children's language abilities. Thus the study has chosen 237 language ability evaluation methods out of 121 young child's language ability evaluation researches. The treatises were selected from 4 types of early childhood education journals registered on the Korea Research Foundation. The data analysis was employed for processing the frequency and percentage of the collected data. The results were as follows: First, of single age groups the subject group most selected was five-year-olders and of mixed-age groups the subject group most selected was from three to five, and the number of subjects in researches were mostly below fifty children. The researches were sorted into an 'experimental/ investigational researching' type that has been frequently re-utilized by others, an 'interview type' using a data collection method, and a 'difference verification' type using a data analysis method which has been used in majority of studies. Second, the number of treaties that required data analysis has increased since 1996. Concludingly, the analysis of young child's language ability evaluation tools shows that the purposes of many researches were concentrated on studying children's knowledge about language, children's language functions such as speaking, reading, writing and listening, while evaluation contents were focused on speaking and writing.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.189-211
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• 2012

The purpose of the study was to explore ways to improve the test items on the Korean scholastic ability test. More specifically, the researchers investigated whether use of the target language in test items would make a difference in total scores, discriminatory power, and item difficulty. A total of 288 high school seniors participated in the study. The subjects were divided into the experimental group (N=145) and the control group (N=143). A 25-item test resembling the Korean scholastic ability test was administered to both groups. The experimental group was given items whose questions and alternatives were all presented in English, whereas the control group was given items whose questions and alternatives were presented in Korean only. Statistical analyses revealed that use of English vs. Korean in the questions and alternatives made a significant difference in total scores, item discrimination, and item difficulty level. The findings strongly suggest that use of English is one way to improve the quality of the Korean scholastic ability test by enhancing item discrimination and face validity. Considering that the test in question is a high-stakes exam in Korea, further research on how to improve the Korean scholastic ability test is urgently called for.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.35-52
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• 2010

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that are associated with a child's development within a multi-cultural family, taking into account the factors that influence the child's language ability and their play interactions with their mothers. First, there was no significant difference in the children's language ability based on the child's gender, or based on the language in which the mother communicated with her children. However there were significant differences depending on the children's age, the mother's native country, and the period of time the mother had lived in Korea. Second, there was no significant difference in the child-mother play interaction based on the children's age, gender, the mother's native country, the period of time the mother has lived in Korea, or the language in which the mother communicated with her children. However, the boys showed a more hostile attitude toward their mothers, in comparison to the girls. In conclusion, it can be said that there is an urgent need for comprehensive social support services and policies for the overall development of multi-cultural children, especially through programs for children and mothers.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.21-29
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• 2007

The necessity for improving the English listening ability of Korean learners has been emphasized since the ultimate goal of English education converted to CLT(Communicative Language Teaching) in Korea. Verbotonal Approach as an auditory-based strategy has been proved to be effective substantially in maximizing the listening skill of spoken foreign language. The purpose of this study is to find out an efficient way of improving listening ability for Korean middle school students by employing OFH(Optimal Frequency of Hearing) using Tonality Word Sentence Test, before & after using Listen II Verbotonal training unit based on VTS(Verbotonal System). The results of the listening tests showed that the listening ability of the subjects increased by 16.7% on the words and by 5.5% on the sentences after using Listen II, compared with before using Listen II and that the improvement rate of listening ability on the level of words is much higher than that on the level of sentences. From the results, we can come to a conclusion that training the listening skill with words in mid-tonality and low-tonality based on OFH might give a great positive effect in improving listening ability for Korean learners of English.

• Korean Journal of Child Education & Care
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.49-63
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• 2018

The objective of this study is to understand the effects of storybook making activity based on masterpiece appreciation on the language expression and picture appreciation ability of young children. Targeting 47 five year-old children of S & A kindergartens in Gwangju Metropolitan City, they were randomly assigned like 23 children for experimental group and 24 for comparative group. The experimental group performed the storybook making activity based on masterpiece appreciation for four sessions within 12 weeks while the comparative group expressed their feelings and thought into painting after appreciating masterpieces during the same period of time. Using SPSS 18.0 Program for the collected data, t-test was conducted for differences in the results of language expression and picture appreciation ability. The results of this study are as follows. First, the storybook making activity based on masterpiece appreciation had significant effects on the whole language expression except for sentence length, and it improved the language expression of young children. Second, the storybook making activity based on masterpiece appreciation had significant effects on the overall picture appreciation ability, and it improved the picture appreciation ability of young children. Such results imply that the whole process of appreciating masterpieces and making/appreciating storybook by expressing pre/post stories of painting into writing and drawing would be an effective teaching/learning method for the improvement of language expression and picture appreciation ability of young children.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.37-45
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• 2003

This study attempted to determine the effects of a context-based drawing task on the language expression of a severe Wernicke's and Broca's aphasic. The subjects in this study showed a poor auditory comprehension and naming performance. They also showed paraphasia and perseveration. This study focused on improving language expression by a drawing task based on conversation at hand. Ten target words were chosen which were easily drawnable and familiar to the subjects. The results showed that the context-based drawing task was effective on improving the subjects' confrontation naming ability and expressive language ability in terms of explanation of sentences. In addition, the Broca's aphasic showed improved naming ability when the contextual cues were given and he was supposed to spontaneously name words.

• Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.411-426
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• 2003

I report on the case of a polyglot ‘savant’ (C), who is mildly autistic, severely apraxic, and of limited intellectual ability; yet who can read, write, speak and understand about twenty languages. I outline his abilities, both verbal and non-verbal, noting the asymmetry between his linguistic ability and his general intellectual inability and, within the former, between his unlimited morphological and lexical prowess as opposed to his limited syntax. I then spell out the implications of these findings for modularity. C's unique profile suggested a further project in which we taught him British Sign Language. I report on this work, paying particular attention to the learning and use of classifiers, and discuss its relevance to the issue of modality: whether the human language faculty is preferentially tied to the oral domain, or is ‘modality-neutral’ as between the spoken and the visual modes.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate trajectories of relational aggression in preschool children. The latent growth curve model was used to examine relational aggression in 3 to 5 year olds. The participants were 3-year-old children recruited from preschools and daycare centers. The children's verbal ability was assessed by interview and teachers completed measurements of negative emotionality and relational aggression. The findings suggest that relational aggression decreased during the preschool years. Gender, language ability, and negative emotionality showed positive effects on the initial level of relational aggression. Moreover, gender and negative emotionality had negative effects, however, language ability had positive effects on the change rate of relational aggression.

• Korean Journal of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
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• v.61 no.12
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• pp.644-649
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• 2018

Background and Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the effect of early cochlear implantation (CI) performed in infants less than 12 months of age. Subjects and Method Twenty-five children who received their first CI before 12 months of age were included in this study (infant group). The speech perception and language outcomes of these children were compared with those of 14 children who received their first CI between 13 and 24 months of age (older group). All children received sequential bilateral CI with the inter-stage interval of less than 2 years. Speech perception was measured using Categories of Auditory Performance, monosyllabic word test and sentence test, and language ability was measured using Sequenced Language Scale for Infants, Preschool Receptive-Expressive Language Scale, or Receptive & Expressive Vocavulary Test, depending on the age at the time of testing. Results There were no significant differences in speech perception abilities between the infant group and the older group. The mean expressive language score of infant group was higher than that of the older group, but the difference was not statistically significant. However, the receptive language score of infant group was significantly higher than that of the older group. Conclusion Children who received CI before 12 months of age achieved better receptive language ability than those who received it after 12 months of age. Thus CI should be performed as early as before 12 months of age to achieve better language ability.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.271-283
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• 2010

This study was planned to investigate the effects of mathematical games with motion on young children's development. The study was performed to compose mathematical games with motion and just mathematical games for young children. The games were set up to be executed 16 times for 8 weeks. The results of this study were as follows: Mathematical games with motion had a significant effect on young children's mathematical problem-solving ability. Mathematical games with motion had a significant effect in every category on young children's ability for motion competence and mathematical games with motion had a significant effect on young children's socio-emotional development. There were significant differences between the control group and the experimental group except for the independence from teachers and peer interaction. Mathematical games with motion had a significant effect on young children's language ability.