• 비교문화연구
• /
• 제19권
• /
• pp.411-444
• /
• 2010

This paper explored the academic socialization of a group of Mongolian college students, learning Korean as their L3 (Third Language), by focusing on their uses of an electronic communication channel. From a perspective of the continua of bi-literacy, this case study investigated how Mongolian students who had limited exposure to a Korean learning community overcame academic challenges through the use of a written communication channel as a tool in the socialization process. Data were collected mainly through three methods: written products, interviews, and questionnaires. The results from this study were as follows. Interactional opportunities for these minority students were seriously constrained during the classroom practices in a Korean-speaking classroom. They also described the lack of communicative competence in Korean and the limited roles played by L2 (English) communication as key barriers to classroom practices. However, students' ways of engaging in electronic interactions differed widely in that they were able to broaden interactional circles by communicating their expertise and difficulties with their Korean peers through the electronic channel. More importantly, the communication pattern of "L2-L2/L3-L3" (on a L2-L3 continuum) emerging from data demonstrated how these students used a written channel as a socialization tool to mediate their learning process in a new community of learning. This study argues that a written communication channel should be taken as an essential part of teaching practices especially for foreign students who cannot speak Korean fluently in multi-cultural classes.

• 영어어문교육
• /
• 제17권2호
• /
• pp.139-160
• /
• 2011

This study examines correlations between affective variables and English learners' achievement in native teachers' classes. Specifically, it aims to study the relationships among Korean college students' English learning motivation, anxiety, WTC (willingness to communicate) and their English achievement scores. For the purpose, the questionnaire surveys were conducted, and the students' English scores were analyzed and compared. The participants were 216 university students taking the general English courses as a requirement for graduation. The results indicated that although the students had high level motivation to learn English, especially for social reasons, their WTC in and outside the classroom was low. Also, unlike the previous studies on foreign language anxiety, their anxiety level was not significant. Anxiety and motivation were negatively correlated; WTC and motivation were positively correlated. However, according to the regression analysis, the explanatory power of the three affective variables was not significant for the students' achievement scores. Several possible reasons and some pedagogical implications are provided in the conclusion.

• 영어어문교육
• /
• 제13권2호
• /
• pp.25-45
• /
• 2007

In this article, I discuss an International Collaborative Writing Course on the Internet (ICWCI) that focused on the learning effectiveness Korean EFL students (KEFLSs) perceived to be necessary to exchange with international EFL students (IEFLSs). The course development was based on an internet-based instructional module, applying widely accepted EFL theories for modern foreign language instruction: collaborative learning, process writing, project-based learning, and integrated approaches. Data from online discussion forum, mid-of-semester and end-of-semester surveys, and final oral interviews are conducted and discussed. KEFLSs and IEFLSs were questioned about (a) changes in attitude towards computers assisted language learning (CALL); (b) effect of computer background on motivation; (c) perception of their acquired writing skills; and (d) attitude towards collaborative learning. The result of this study demonstrated that the majority of ICWCI participants said they enjoyed the course, gained fruitful confidence in English communication and computer skills, and felt that they made significant progress in writing skills. In spite of positive benefits created by the ICWCI, it was found that there were some issues that are crucial to run appropriate networked collaborative courses. This study demonstrates that participants' computer skills, basic language proficiency, and local time differences are important factors to be considered when incorporating the ICWCI as these may affect the quality of online instructional courses and students' motivation toward network based collaboration interaction.

• 음성과학
• /
• 제14권3호
• /
• pp.21-29
• /
• 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.

• 한국보육지원학회지
• /
• 제19권3호
• /
• pp.19-39
• /
• 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the experiences of foreign students in childcare practicum, with a specific focus on identifying the difficulties they encountered and the values they derived from their practicum experiences. The aim was to gain insights that can contribute to improving practicum support for these students. Methods: A total of 6 foreign students were selected as participants for this study using snowball sampling. The data collection period spanned from May 2021 to March 2023, during which semi-structured interviews were conducted and qualitatively analyzed. Results: Foreign students faced challenges in securing practicum placements prior to the start of their program. Communication difficulties necessitated the use of interpreters to interact with children. Additionally, documenting information in a language other than their mother tongue posed a challenge. Consequently, there was a need for tailored training support to address the specific needs of foreign students in childcare practicum. Despite these challenges, the students reported rewarding and valuable experiences during their practicum. These experiences included discovering the teaching identity in Korea, learning about desirable practices in the field, recognizing and addressing personal shortcomings, and developing a sense of vocation for the advancement of infant education in their home countries. Conclusion/Implications: If we actively listen to and provide appropriate support for the specific needs of foreign students in their childcare practicum, they have the potential to become excellent childcare teachers who can foster a harmonious and inclusive environment within our multicultural society.

• 영어어문교육
• /
• 제17권4호
• /
• pp.97-121
• /
• 2011

This study aims to examine how motivational constructs are interrelated with social, context-specific factors and, as a result, contribute to L2 writing achievement within the framework of self-determination theory. The data consisted of 67 Korean college students' questionnaire responses, final scores in an on-offline blended writing course, and qualitative interviews with 5 students. In the descriptive and the correlation analyses, the participants' extrinsic motivation was found higher than intrinsic motivation, with low amotivation. Among social factors, immersion environment, foreign instructor, and peer comparison marked high scores, whereas Korean instructor and online material gained low scores. Those contextual factors were interrelated with each other, such that the immersion factor correlated significantly with Korean instructor and peer comparison. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivational subscales engendered strong correlations with the high-scored social factors, i.e., immersion, foreign instructor, and peer comparison, which were also closely interrelated with L2 writing achievement. The findings illuminate intricate workings of motivation in its effects on L2 achievement and corroborate the roles of contextual factors. The effect of motivational subscales on achievement may be valid through interplay with some social factors. The dynamics of motivation is discussed for pedagogical applications.

• 영어어문교육
• /
• 제17권3호
• /
• pp.273-290
• /
• 2011

This paper presents a case study involving one Korean primary school student and people around him in order to explore the reading process in English of a young Korean EFL learner and to investigate the social context in which his reading takes place. Six participants were included in the study (one primary school student and five adult participants). The student participant was asked to read a text in English and translate what he read into Korean and the teacher participants were asked to listen to the student's reading. Semi-structured interview was used to collect data from the student as well as five adult participants (his private tutor, his parent, his state school teacher, and two other state school teachers). The analysis reveals four characteristics of the way a young EFL learner approaches reading: word-by-word reading, disconnected word recognition, selective use of cues, and lack of awareness of difficulties. The four characteristics of Kilsu's reading suggest that reading can become a wild guessing game for young foreign learners, if they give selective attention to unimportant cues while reading. The pedagogical implications of this study are also discussed to help teachers designing reading lessons for young learners.

• 한국융합학회논문지
• /
• 제8권2호
• /
• pp.269-276
• /
• 2017

본 연구의 목적은 한국어 교육에서의 형태초점교수법의 효과를 검증하기 위하여 지금까지 행해진 실증적 연구를 비판적 시각으로 검토하는 것이다. 이 목적을 달성하기 위해 다수의 논문 데이터베이스를 검색하여 총 66개의 논문을 찾았으며, 이중 실증적 자료를 제시한 12개의 논문을 연구대상으로 채택하였다. 채택된 논문들을 연구 참여자, 목표 문법, 처치, 측정, 효과성을 기준으로 분석하였다. 전반적으로 형태초점교수법에 속하는 다양한 교수 전략들은 한국어를 제2언어로 가르치는데 효과가 있는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 결과는 형태초점 교수법에 영향을 미치는 요인을 파악하는 데 필요한 체계를 제공할 것이며, 또한 선행 연구의 메타 분석에 필요한 정보를 제공할 것이다.

• 대한음성학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 대한음성학회 1996년도 10월 학술대회지
• /
• pp.274-274
• /
• 1996

This presents the preliminary results from work in progress of a paired study of the acquisition of voiceless stops by Spanish speakers learning English, and American English speakers learning Spanish. For this study the hypothesis was that the American speakers would have no difficulty suppressing the aspiration in Spanish unaspirated stops; the Spanish speakers would have difficulty acquiring the aspiration necessary for English voiceless stops, according to Eckman's Markedness Differential Hypothesis. The null hypothesis was proved. All subjects were given the same set of disyllabic real words of English and Spanish in carrier phrases. The tokens analyzed in this report are limited to word-initial voiceless stops, followed by a low back vowel in stressed syllables. Tokens were randomized and then arranged in a list with the words appearing three separate times. Aspiration was measured from the burst to the onset of voicing(VOT). Both the first language (Ll) tokens and second language (L2) tokens were compared for each speaker and between the two groups of language speakers. Results indicate that the Spanish speakers, as a group, were able to reach the accepted target language VOT of English, but English speakers were not able to reach the accepted range for Spanish, in spite of statistically significant changes of p<.OOl by speakers in both groups of learners. A closer analysis of the speech samples revealed wide variability within the speech of native speakers of English. Not only is variability in English due to the wide range of VOT (120 msecs. for English labials, for example) but individual speakers showed different patterns. These results are revealing for the demands requied in experimental designs and the number of speakers and tokens requied for an adequate description of different languages. In addition, a simple report of means will not distinguish the speakers and the respective language learning situation; measurements must also include the RANGE of acceptability of VOT for phonetic segments. This has immediate consequences for the learning and teaching of foreign languages involving aspirated stops. In addition, the labelling of spoken language in speech technology is shown to be inadequate without a fuller mathematical description.

• 영어어문교육
• /
• 제11권1호
• /
• pp.1-15
• /
• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not the use of the Korean alphabet increased the accuracy of English sentences Korean university students produced in dictation. The students were divided into three categories, beginning, intermediate, and advanced, based on the listening comprehension scores of a practice TOEIC test. The total population of 120 students were divided into two groups, control and experiment. In the first testing, the experiment group transcribed the English utterances on a practice TOEIC tape into phonological writing in Korean and then later changed the Korean writing into English words and sentences. In the second testing, the control group became the experiment group and used the Korean alphabet in transcribing the English sounds. Statistically significant differences were found in the improvement of accuracy in dictation when the Korean alphabet was used, especially for the beginning and intermediate students. By using the Korean alphabet as the phonological representation of the sounds, the students in the experiment group produced more accurate English words than the control group who went directly from the English utterances to writing in English. Statistically significant results were not produced for the advanced students. The significance of the present study relates to the need to add to the paucity of available data on the use of the Korean alphabet in teaching listening comprehension.