• International Journal of Contents
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.58-65
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• 2022

This study proposed a soft skill integration activity for online EFL classrooms and investigated student responses. Toward this end, this study recruited 54 college students taking an English Presentation and Discussion class in South Korea. Participants were assigned into high and low-proficiency groups based on the Test of English for International Communication. This study employed questionnaire, class video recordings, and interview to obtain responses. Moreover, problem-based learning with challenge questions was applied to develop soft skills in online synchronous classes. Responses were examined in terms of whether a difference existed according to English proficiency. Major findings of this study were as follows. Regardless of proficiency levels, participants reported improvements in their IT and problem-solving skills and exhibited positive attitudes toward live online presentations via Zoom. However, this study observed significant differences in communication and teamwork skills, perceived learning, and confidence. Interviews with students with low English proficiency levels revealed that they were negatively affected by the lack of non-verbal cues, mechanical skills, and socialization time provided by online classes. Based on these results, pedagogical implications and directions for future studies are discussed.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.89-112
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• 2001

The purpose of this study is to verify the effect of the method of English teaching and learning through the student-centered environmental instruction. I've been skeptical about the traditional instruction, which is composed of the teachers-centered instruction, because of the lack of creativity. Until now, I've always wished to have an alternative method that can be substituted for routine's style. To achieve it, I selected 90 students from 2 classes, in the 3rd year at a girls' high school in Chungnam as the subject of study. I divided them into two groups, the student-centered environmental instruction and the teacher-centered traditional instruction. The tools used in this study are a preliminary English achievement test, a self-directed learning attitudes test and two teaching plans. For this test, a high school text book was assigned. I have treated 20 times of the test each for two groups using two types of teaching-learning plans which I made for this purpose. To verify the hypotheses after administrating the test, I selected t-verification for post test result. Based on this test result, I could conclude that there was a significant improvement of English proficiency and a change in the self-directed learning attitudes; also the student-centered environmental instruction is more effective than teachers-centered instruction.

• Asia-pacific Journal of Multimedia Services Convergent with Art, Humanities, and Sociology
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.51-59
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• 2019

In the foreign language learning theory, self-regulated learning, subject interest, learning flow, and self-efficacy have been studied as major constructs. With the help of researches regarding these constructs, a research model was set up and the contents were analyzed through SEM analysis in order to grasp the influence of these constructs on each other. Through data collected from middle school students in Gyeongnam, the analysis result shows as follows. First, the subject interest has a positive influence on learning flow. Second, the subject interest has a positive influence on self-efficacy as well as self regulated learning. Third, learning flow has a positive effect on self-efficacy. Fourth, self regulated learning has a positive influence on self-efficacy. Fifth, self-regulated learning has a positive influence on learning flow. As is shown in the analysis, in case of English education, subject specific interest brings forth learning flow and enhances self-efficacy as well as self-regulated learning thus, leading to academic achievements.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.263-291
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• 2003

This paper is to help the students in elementary schools develop and improve their English listening and speaking skills by presenting effective teaching and learning techniques using puppetry. It is absolutely obvious that listening and speaking are very important skills for most EFL students. Using puppets in the classroom is a creative English teaching technique which can involve authentic, communicative language situations. Moreover, puppets appeal to children and can aid in lowering affective filters thereby creating a more comfortable learning environment. The study clearly showed that using puppets is feasible and enjoyable in elementary English classes. However, caution must be exercised in drawing and generalizing conclusions from this experience. The results of the experiment are as follows: First, using puppetry in the English class was found to have positive influence on students' affective domains (interst, attitude). Second, using puppets in the English classes was found to be efficient for improving students' English listening and speaking skills. Third, appropriate materials should be selected and well thought-out plans should be made to be successful English class using puppetry. Perhaps the most interesting line of future research is to use qualitative research to examine the effect of this technique on the teacher variable. Further research is recommended, especially on using puppetry for speaking proficiency and creating affectively comfortable learning atmospheres.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• no.6
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• pp.35-47
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• 2000

This study questions the validity of Crosslinguistic Influence (CLI) in EFL Learning. A ten-minute grammaticality judgement test involving resumptive pronouns in English relative clauses was given to 15 female subjects. The research results, which were analysed in terns of language transfer and universalist arguments, support the existence of a universal process that guides L2 learning, and some common developmental patterns between the two processes of L1 and L2 learning. Hence, the universalist view should be given at least equal Weight as the CLI approach.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 2017

The current study investigated whether Korean learners' English-learning environments, especially target English accent (General American English (GAE) vs. Southern British English (SBE)) and English-language experience affected their production of English vowels. Thirty six EFL learners, 27 ESL-US learners, and 33 ESL-UK learners produced 8 English vowels with a bVt frame (beat, bit, bet, bat, bought, bot, boat, boot). The learners' productions were acoustically analyzed in terms of F1 and F2 frequencies. The overall results revealed that the learners' target accent had an effect on their production of some English vowels. The EFL and ESL-US learners' (especially, female learners') production of bought, bot, boat, and boot, which show characteristic differences between the GAE and SBE accents, was closer to that of the native American English (AE) speakers than the native British English (BE) speakers. In contrast, the ESL-UK learners' production of bought and bot demonstrated the opposite pattern. Thus, the impact of target accent was not demonstrated across the board. The effect of the learners' different English-language experience was also rather limited. This was because the EFL learners' production was not much different from the ESL-US learners' production, in spite of the ESL-US learners' residence in the US for more than 9 years. Furthermore, the Korean learners, irrespective of their different English-language experience, tended to produce bit and bat with lower F1 than the native AE and BE speakers, thus resulting in bit and bat to be produced similarly to beat and bet, respectively. This demonstrates the learners' persistent L1 effects on their English vowel production despite the learners' residence in the English speaking countries or their high English proficiency.

• Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.233-254
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• 2003

This paper analyzed the effect of using a content-based English textbook in teaching English to Korean college students. The textbook reflected the recent trend in EFL/ESL development that subject matters should be taught as part of the language instruction. The analysis of the questionnaire survey conducted to college students at the end of the semester revealed an encouraging result that this new type of ELT college textbook is effective in helping Korean college students prepare for learning their subject areas through English. Based on this positive outcome, a suggestion is made that the current general purpose college English teaching curriculum be shifted toward a content-based specific purpose type to accommodate the increasing demand of learning subject areas through English in colleges in Korea.

• Educational Technology International
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.58-83
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• 2015

Digital textbooks draw attention as a new format of educational material, using the advantages of information technology; this innovative learning tool requires consideration as a part of successful and effective learning. The main purpose of the article is to investigate the mediating role of self-regulation between digital literacy and learning outcomes (academic performance and learning motivation) when using digital textbooks as a learning tool in Middle School English. Both descriptive and regression analysis were used as data analyses methods. The main findings of this study were as follows: first, digital literacy and self-regulation significantly predicted academic performance and learning motivation; second, self-regulation fully mediated between digital literacy and academic performance; third, self-regulation partially mediated between digital literacy and learning motivation. The research results proved the effects of digital literacy and self-regulation on the learning outcomes and mediating role of self-regulation between digital literacy and learning outcomes. These results help to design and implement effective lessons when using a digital textbook in Middle school English.

• Journal of Korea Game Society
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.35-48
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• 2010

The purpose of the present study was to suggest basic word lists and contents of English for mobile games and to propose how to apply basic word lists to mobile games for English vocabulary learning because it is possible that some potential advantages of mobile games can provide elementary school students with new learning environment for English vocabulary learning. To support this idea, firstly, the basic word lists were selected from essential word lists in the national English curriculum, the word lists from textbooks, and five randomly chosen word books. Secondly, mobile games were examined and appropriate mobile games for learning English words was selected. Lastly, the basic word lists for mobile games were applied to the selected game.

• Journal of The Korean Association of Information Education
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.497-507
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• 2017

Research on software education and linking and convergence of other subjects has been mainly focused on mathematics and science subjects. The dissatisfaction of various preferences and types of learning personality cause to learning gap. In addition, it is not desirable considering the solution of various fusion problems that can apply the computational thinking. In this way, it is possible to embrace the diverse tendencies and preferences of students through the linkage with the English subject, which is a linguistic approach that deviates from the existing mathematical and scientific approach. By combining similarities in the process of learning a new language of English education and software education. For this purpose, based on the analysis of teaching - learning model of elementary English subject and software education, we developed a class model by modifying existing English subject and software teaching - learning model to be suitable for linkage. Then, the learning elements applicable to software education were extracted from the contents of elementary school English curriculum, and a program applied to the developed classroom model was designed and the practical application method of learning was searched.