• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.247-254
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• 2008

The study investigated the relationship between college students' purpose of and their attitude to English education for their future children (EEFFC). The subjects were 244 college students in Daegu/Keoungbok area, 120 males (49.2%) and 124 females (50.8%). The data were analyzed with $X^2$, t-test, Pearson's Correlation, and Regression (using SPSS 12.1). Major findings include: (1)Female students are willing to give English education in their future children's earlier years, and they show more active attitude to EEFFC than male students. (2) The purpose of EEFFC is more deeply correlated to the attitude to EEFFC in the case of male students than female students. (3) Concludingly, the more the subjects think that English education is essential for their future children's successful social career, the more they show positive attitude to English education.

• Child Studies in Asia-Pacific Contexts
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.133-144
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• 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.