• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• no.5
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• pp.79-101
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• 1999

With the advent of the 6th and the 7th national educational curricula in Korea. English language teaching in communicative perspective has been highly recommended and widely practised in that context. The aim of new approach is to enhance the students' general communication abilities in English. However, English teachers still find it very hard to improve the students' communicative competence in English since English remains to be taught as a school subject. In so far as English is taught as a school subject, students' attention is paid to the formal elements of English and the increase in communicative competence in English is hardly expected Only when the students' attention is paid to the content, their communicative competence is expected to increase. The best way to shift the students' attention from formal elements to content is to teach other school subjects in English, that is, English immersion education. To introduce immersion education to Korea, the two most successful examples of Singapore and Hong Kong are reviewed in terms of language policies and general practices in their primary and secondary schools respectively. To implement the program into Korea, extensive research on it is expected henceforth.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.38-51
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to criticize (through available documents) the lecture in English at colleges. It is necessary that a study of English is emphasized in the era of internationalization. But, the indiscreet extension of lecture in English without consideration of the purpose, principle, and philosophy of college's education needs reflective thinking. This study criticized four dimensions, in other words the effectiveness of lecture in English, criteria of internationalization and college's competition of lecture in English, social inequality of lecture in English, and the harmfulness in the value of Korean language of lecture in English. First, most researches expressed the indiscreet extension of lecture in English was not effective in both students and professors. Second, many scholars and agencies on the internationalization and college's competition excluded the lecture in English as criteria. Third, the indiscreet extension of lecture in English had the possibility of social inequality. And fourth, the indiscreet extension of lecture in English had harmfulness in the value of Korean language and Korean's thought. College's education is an ivory tower in society. So, colleges should discard the thought that extension of lecture in English is the best way. Colleges should keep the purpose, principle, and philosophy of college's education.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.89-96
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• 2019

This study examines the impact of online collaborative English language learning to enhance learner motivation and classroom engagement in university English instruction. The role of learner motivation and classroom engagement has gained much attention under the premises of current constructivist framework of English as a foreign language education. To promote learner motivation and classroom interaction in English instruction, participants in this study engaged in integrative English learning activities through online group collaboration and peer-tutoring. They exchanged productive peer response and shared their learning experiences throughout the integrative English learning activities. Digital technology played an integral role in motivating the learning process of the participants. Data for this study were gathered through an online questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed based on the ARCS motivational model of instructional design to identify the motivational aspects of integrative English learning activities. This study reveals that participants of this study regarded online collaborative English learning activities as the positive and motivating learning experience. The online collaborative English reading instruction had positive effect on improving EFL university students' learning performance. Participants of this study also identified affective and metacognitive benefits of online collaborative EFL learning activities for learner motivation and classroom engagement. This study reveals that the social networking platform in online group collaboration played a crucial role for the participants in understanding the integration of online group collaboration as the positive and effective language learning strategy. This study may have implications in suggesting the effective instructional design for promoting learner motivation and classroom interaction in EFL education.

• 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.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• no.5
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• pp.49-62
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• 1999

Education systems throughout the world encourage their students to learn languages other than their native one. In Australia, our Education Boards provide students with the opportunity to learn European and Asian languages. French, German, Chinese and Japanese are the most popular languages studied in elementary and high schools. This choice is a reflection of Australias European heritage and its geographical position near Asia. In most non-English speaking countries, English is the foreign language most readily available to students. In Korea, the English language is actively promoted by the Education Department and, in less official ways, by companies and the public. It is impossible to be anywhere in Korea without seeing the English language alongside or intermingled with Korean. When I ask students why they are learning English, I receive answers that include the word globalization and the importance of English throughout the world. When I press further and ask why they personally are learning English, the students mention passing exams, usually high school tests or TOEIC, and the necessity of passing the latter to obtain a good job. Seldom do I ever hear anything about communication: about the desire to talk with other people in English, to read novels or poetry in English, to understand movies or pop-songs in English, to chat on the Internet in English, to search for information on the Internet in English, or to email pen-pals in English. Yet isnt communication the only valid reason for learning a language? We learn our native language to communicate with those around us. Shouldnt we set the same goal for learning a foreign language? In my opinion communication, whether it is reading and writing or speaking and listening, must be central to language learning. Learning a language to pass examinations is meaningless unless those examinations are a reliable indicator of the ability of the student to communicate. In previous eras, most communication in a foreign language was through reading novels or formal letters. This required a thorough knowledge of grammar and a large vocabulary. Todays communication is much less formal. Telephone conversations, tele-conferences, faxes and emails allow people to communicate regularly and informally. Reading materials are also less formal as popular novels and newspapers are available world-wide. Movies and popular songs have added to the range of informal communication available. Finally travel has ensured that people from different cultures will meet easily and regularly. This informal communication requires less emphasis on grammar and vocabulary and more emphasis on comprehension and confidence to speak. Placing communication central to language learning has important implications for the Education system and for teachers.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Childcare and Education
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.81-101
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• 2009

This study analyzed a total of 37 studies about bi-lingulism and English education as a foreign language published in 8 academic journals in early childhood education or child development fields. Research topics, participants, methods, and variables in the studies were categorized and descriptively analyzed. The research findings which had been statistically investigated were also summarized. The most frequently studied research topics were children's development and English education program exposure, actual conditions of English education in preschool settings and effectiveness of specific English programs for preschool children. However, children's home characteristics were seldom included as research variables and no research investigated so called English preschools. Several studies reported that bi-lingual children may have different language development paths from mono-lingual children but they eventually have comparable language abilities to mono-lingual children. Also some studies reported that, when learning English as a foreign language in school settings, older children can handle more information regarding English than younger children, resulting in better outcomes of older children. Exposure to two languages in early childhood seems to contribute to young children's meta linguistic awareness but the long term effect of English education in early childhood should be further studied. Several English education programs for preschool settings were developed and the effectiveness were investigated. Even though most of them reported that their programs were effective to children's English ability or interests, the results should be carefully interpreted because their research designs and methods were not rigorous.

• 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.13 no.3
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• pp.203-226
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• 2007

This paper analyzes the in-service training program for the 1st grade English teacher in the following 7 regions: Taejeon, Seoul, Incheon, Kangwon, Kyeonggi, Chungnam and Chungbuk. It also investigates the actual conditions of the program. The analyses are performed on three categories of subjects: Teaching Profession, Refinement and English Education. The English Education category can be divided into the three aspects: language skills, communicative skills and language learning/teaching skills. Among the 7 regions, subjects under Teaching Profession, Refinement and English Education have a significant (2-3 times +/-) variance in terms of the number and credit hours of the courses. While the Refinement Program is above the standard set by Ministry of Education & Human Resources Development(MEHRD) in some regions, the Teaching Profession Program and the English Education Program is below the standard set by MEHRD in other regions. To overcome the weaknesses of the program, this paper suggests the following: 1) prescriptions for the proportion ratio of each category should be suitably modified. 2) MEHRD should observe and supervise the program of each region. 3) being organized, the program must have two parts as follows: the same mandatory subjects for all regions and optional subjects suited to each region.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.248-253
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• 2021

The aim of this study is 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, the method of analyzing English textbooks was used because English textbooks are an important tool that most specifically reflects the English policy of a country. This study analyzed a total of 15 English textbooks currently used in South Korea. We analyzed nouns/pronouns related to culture 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 South Korea has tried to cultivate Korean learners' cultural competence through English education and introduced their cultural pride to Western culture to realize the goal of strengthening global capabilities.