• Cross-Cultural Studies
• /
• v.19
• /
• pp.313-338
• /
• 2010

Attitudes toward target language culture and motivation have been known as important factors in second or foreign language learning. In this study, cadets' attitudes toward the target language community and culture were investigated to find out any relationships with English achievement. Integrative or instrumental motivation in foreign military context was investigated to determine which motivation was more positively related to English proficiency. Cadets' responses were shown highly positive and internally consistent in most cases. Military cadets' attitudes toward American culture were statistically significant and could predict their English achievement. Even though integrative motivation was statistically significant, correlation with English achievement was low. However, instrumental motivation was not significant. This result implies that attitudes toward culture is an important factor in foreign language learning and integrative-instrumental motivation dichotomy might not be enough to explain specific context like cadets' English learning situation at Korea Army Academy at Youngcheon.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.195-214
• /
• 2013

The purpose of this study is to verify the mediating effect of interaction among learners in a Web Based Collaboration Learning (WBCL) environment. 254 Korean college students served as test subjects and during the 4 weeks of research period, they studied the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) in a web-based collaborative learning system. The interaction between learners was looked into by categorizing the concept into task oriented information sharing activities and relationship oriented communication activities and analyzing the causal relationship between the two activities. Learning performances were measured in individual level. The results are as follows. First, task oriented information sharing activities effect positively on relationship oriented information sharing activities. Second, the managerial characteristics of WBCL had a positive effect on interaction between learners but the systematic characteristics had partial influence on interaction between learners. Third, the interaction between learners completely interconnects the managerial characteristics of WBCL and learning performance but partially interconnects the systematic characteristic of WBCL and learning performance. In conclusion, this study implies that managerial and systematic characteristics of WBCL should be considered on the preferential basis for the WBCL to become successful and interactive activities such as information sharing and communication should be encouraged to be active from a small-size WBCL perspective.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.62-71
• /
• 2013

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the level of communication, problem-solving, and self-directed learning competencies, academic and English achievement of healthcare major students in university and to determine the effect of three main competencies on their academic and English achievement. Methods: The participants were college students studying in health care related major at a four-year university in D-city who agreed to participate in this study. Some of their data were intentionally excluded as their answers were incomplete or missing and finally 272 surveys were analyzed. Results: It was found that they have high level of general life competencies of which the subcategories are communication, problem-solving, and self-directed learning competency. GPA and TOEIC score which are the indicators of academic and English achievement were found to be correlated with the level of three competencies. Self-directed learning competency is assumed to be main cause variable of these achievement. Conclusion: As those students who have higher academic and English achievement also show high level of communication, problem-solving and self-directed learning competency. It is argued that a new curriculum that can contribute to improve communication, problem-solving and self-directed learning competency should be developed and implemented.

• International Journal of Contents
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.15-24
• /
• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the use of video resources on improving listening comprehension. 86 students enrolled in a summer session at a Korean university participated in the study. They were assigned to one of three groups based on the results of their TOEIC test scores: 29 students were assigned to the low group, 29 students to the intermediate group, and 28 students to the advanced group. Each group studied the same lessons using authentic video materials. They were taught for 10 sessions over three weeks. The pre- and post-test design helped to determine whether authentic videos were effective in improving listening skills for all proficiency levels. In addition, a questionnaire investigated students' perceptions toward using video resources. Paired sample t-tests, ANOVAs, and an ANCOVA were utilized to identify significant differences. It was concluded that in the intermediate and advanced proficiency groups, the students' listening skills increased significantly after learning with videos. In addition, listening improvements among the intermediate and advanced students were much greater than those of the low proficiency group. As for students' perceptions toward using video resources for improving their English listening skills, they responded positively. Based on these findings, pedagogical implications are suggested, and future studies will be discussed.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.21-44
• /
• 2012

This paper aims to discuss the effects of learning how to write English interrogative sentences. 122 students who participated in the study learned basic structural components of English questions and practiced writing questions by inversing the subject and the verb in a given declarative sentence. The participants were divided into two groups: Group 1 which was given a brief explanation of interrogative structures and practices, and Group 2 which was given the same explanation and practices in addition to an assignment for which they had to make one or two comprehension questions based on reading a passage. For the pre-tests and the post-tests, they took a TOEIC reading test with 40 questions and a structure test with 25 questions. The results of the tests show that both groups improved significantly in the two post-tests, benefiting from this learning method. However, the additional treatment for Group 2 did not seem to be highly effective. In the questionnaire survey, the participants think that the method of learning English questions has helped them better understand English grammar as well as interrogative structures. The participants were also divided into three different levels: high, intermediate, and low. The intermediate level group students benefited most from learning writing questions as the results of the post-test of the 25-questions test and the final exam of the course show.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.231-251
• /
• 2010

This study was designed to identify students' perceptions and attitudes towards dictation practice in English listening classes and investigate the relationships among 5 factors with regard to dictation practice: participation, usefulness, interest, motivation, and confidence. For the study, the research was implemented for 15 weeks with 41 Korean university students. The subjects had dictation practice in their English listening classes on a regular basis for one semester. At the end of the semester, a questionnaire was used to find out students' perceptions and attitudes towards dictation practice. For the analysis of the subject's responses, first, a descriptive analysis was administered. After that, a correlation analysis was done to explore what the relations among 5 factors were. Results indicated that most students actively participated in the class, and they regarded dictation as a very useful practice in their listening classes. Also, the dictation practice motivated students not only for English listening but also for overall English studying. However, more than two third students showed low interest and confidence in the class. As for the correlations among 5 factors, there were very strong correlations between usefulness and motivation, usefulness and confidence, interest and motivation, interest and confidence, and confidence and motivation. Based on the results, some implications were presented and some guidelines for effective dictation practice were suggested.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
• /
• v.23 no.9
• /
• pp.65-71
• /
• 2018

Using mobile technology in educational and learning environments has attracted a lot of attention in recent years. In this mobile environment, mobile phones have been used to enhance the effectiveness of education in the field, which has been recognized through numerous experimental studies so far. The study was proposed and conducted to find out how much the use of mobile phones can have to improve the grammatical knowledge of EFL students. Introduction of 95 intermediate courses to Chungnam area The second grade students of 4-year college participated in this study. Everyone in the experimental and control groups was given the opportunity to review and recur to use the six grammar formats, including the current complete tense, simple past tense, direct and indirect question sentences, and comparative and superative-based methods. During the class discussion, the participants of the group record their voice on their cell phones, analyze the mistakes in the expressions recorded as a task after the class, and explain the results in the next session. However, in the class of the control group participants, this recording process is omitted. Participants benefited from mobile learning were much more positive in multidimensional grammar tests than those in control groups.

• Educational Technology International
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.123-148
• /
• 2010

Relationships between students' perception of psychological distance with online professors and their academic learning achievement and their intention to continue online learning were examined. The courses selected for this study are two online courses: 1) 'English Grammar' and 2) 'TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) Preparation' offered by a campus-based, medium-sized university. This study employed a mixed-methods approach by conducting a survey as well as one-on-one interviews with students. Students who feel psychologically distant with the online professors show significantly lower degree of perceived learning achievement, and higher tendency not to take online courses any more. All the three scales measuring the psychological distance -mutual awareness, connectedness, and availability- with professors turned out to be significantly related with students' perceived learning achievement. According to the result of the interview data analysis, the student interviewees unanimously said that the university should limit the number of online courses that students can register in a semester to one or two courses. Most students regard low interactivity of online learning as inevitable phenomenon. There is a statistically significant difference in perceived learning achievement between the online preferred group and the offline preferred group. Also, there is a significant difference in connectedness and availability and no significant difference in the degree of mutual awareness between the online and the offline preferred group.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
• /
• v.20 no.11
• /
• pp.492-500
• /
• 2020

The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) the aspect of the correlation among subcategories in English reading anxiety, (2) the aspect of the cause and effect relation. The reading anxiety was measured by a questionnaire. Then, the results were analyzed by SPSS program. The findings of this study were as follows: First, most of the sub-elements in reading anxiety in both groups correlate with one another even though the overall coefficient of correlation in high achievement group is rather higher. Second, it is also found that the lack of confidence for reading has negative influence on entire reading anxiety in both groups, which is followed by lengthy reading, evaluation and general anxieties in consecutive order. The implication of this study is that the teachers and students should be aware that the constituents of reading anxiety not only correlate with one another, but have great deal of relative influence on reading process. Therefore, teachers should organize a learning environment where learners can minimize the feeling of anxiety.

• Journal of Digital Contents Society
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.255-262
• /
• 2013

Useful applications for English education enable immediate conversion of mobile devices into remote wireless systems for classroom computers. Once the free software has been installed in the main computers in the classroom, using powerpoint, students can operate the computers through their mobile devices by installing Air mouse on them. By using this, the students can draw or write on the "board" to manipulate the educational resources from where they are/from their seats. The study of English language encompasses not only academic study but also language training. Until recently, the issue of the English language learning has been ridden with certain problems-instead of being a tool that facilitates communication, its main purpose has been for school grades, TOEIC, and TOEFL. This study suggests English language learning methodology using various applications such as mobile, VOD English language content, and movie scripts in implementing easy and fun English language learning activities that can be studied regularly. This is operationalized by setting a specific limit on learning and by using various media such as podcast, Apps, to increase interest, motivation, and self-directed learning in a passive learning environment.