• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.71-90
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to analyze the improvement of students' interest and general proficiency of English through cultural understanding. To achieve this purpose, two classes of the 2nd grade in the informational high school were divided into the experimental class and the control class. The Grammar-Translation Method was used for the control class and a cultural learning - compare and contrast Korean culture and American culture - was taken for the experimental. After various cultural differences were studied, surveys of students' attitude and reading and listening test were taken. The results from this study were as follows: Firstly, students' interest in English was improved through learning the American culture that was related to the content of each lesson. Secondly, English reading and communicative skills were improved by learning about cultural aspects. Therefore, it can be said that teaching culture stimulates students' interest and motivation for learning English and helps students retain such affective attitudes. And English communicative skills were improved as well.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.58 no.4
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• pp.585-599
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• 2020

This study investigated children's interests in learning English, affected by educational activities in and out of institutes, and mothers' perceptions regarding early childhood English education. We recruited, 253 mothers of 3- to 5-year-old children in either general kindergartens or English immersion institutes. They answered questions on socioeconomic status, perceived interest in English by their children, their perceptions regarding early childhood English education, and English education outside institutes. In addition, 42 English teachers provided information within institutes such as class time per week, teacher-pupil rate, and language use policy during class. The collected data were analyzed through SPSS 22 for frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The major findings are as follows. First, the two groups were in distinct learning environment. Second, mothers' perceptions and outside-institute activities were significantly different between the two groups. Third, the English interests of children at both institutes were influenced by mothers' worries and at-home English interactions. Fourth, education within institutes did not affect both group's English interests. Fifth, private education and socioeconomic status did not affect both group's English interests. Lastly, only the children's interests in English immersion institutes were affected by gender and mother's perceived necessities. Focusing children's interests, this study helps in understanding young children's affective aspects regarding learning English. The findings are expected to be a guideline for each home and institute to increase children's interest in learning English.

• 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.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.359-367
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• 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine the perception of college students about English classes using TED talks and to examine whether TED talks are appropriate as a learning material for college English. As a college English subject, 50-60 minutes of online classes were conducted for one semester where TED talks were used, and the data collected by conducting a survey on learners' English learning motivation, interest, attitude, satisfaction, and learning effect were analyzed utilized SMART PLS 3. The results are as follows. First, English learning motivation had a statistically significant effect on learning attitude while it did not affect the learning satisfaction. Second, the level of interest in the TED Talk-using class had a positive effect on the learning attitude and satisfaction. Third, the learning attitude positively affected the learning effect perception. Fourth, satisfaction with the TED Talk class had a positive effect on the learning effect perception. In conclusion, English classes using TED talk can increase the interest and satisfaction of learners, and induce active class participation, which lead to a positive perception in learners' learning effects. Therefore, this study implies that TED talks are valuable and significant enough as materials in college English classes.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.151-164
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• 2010

This study utilized SPSS and AMOS program to research a process of learning satisfaction of learners, who used Ubiquitous Living English Experience Learning Center. The following results were found ; First, there was a positive correlation between learning setting and learning interest, between learning setting and learning satisfaction, between confidence and learning interest, between confidence and learning satisfaction, and between learning interest and learning satisfaction. Second, the process of the research model was meaningful in various ways: learning setting ${\rightarrow}$ confidence, learning setting ${\rightarrow}$ learning interest, learning setting ${\rightarrow}$ learning satisfaction, confidence ${\rightarrow}$ learning satisfaction, learning interest ${\rightarrow}$ learning satisfaction. Finally, learning setting had a direct influence upon learning interest and learning satisfaction.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.75-94
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• 2009

This study was designed to assess demotivation factors and compare the factor between two secondary school student groups. It furthermore examined how the factors related to students' L2 proficiency. A 31-item questionnaire was completed by 407 junior (JH) and senior high school (SH) students. Five factors were extracted through the principal axis factoring: Teachers' competence and teaching styles, Dissatisfaction with English classes and grading system, Difficulty of learning English, Lack of motivation and interest in learning English, and Inadequate learning contents. Although both JH and SH students did not perceive their English teacher as a strong attribution of demotivation, Difficulty of learning English and Dissatisfaction with English classes and grading system were the two strongest demotivating factors. When compared the overall mean scores of each factor between JH and SH groups, significant differences were found in all factors except Factor 4, with SH students reporting stronger demotivation. JH students attributed their demotivation to Difficulty of learning English, while SH students attributed that to Dissatisfaction with English classes and grading system. Both groups tended to attribute their demotivation to external forces. The study also showed that several demotivation factors related negatively to L2 proficiency.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.127-142
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• 2004

This paper examines the relationship between children's English proficiency in grade three and English learning environment and experiences before entering elementary school. In English learning environment and experiences, three influences consisting of children, home environment, and environmental influences of English learning are used to find out which influences contributed to children's English proficiency in grade three of elementary school. The result of this study shows that children with high interest in English have higher proficiency in all language skills reading, writing, listening, and speaking than that of children with low interests. For parents' influences, parents' high interests toward their children's English leaning and high monthly income result in children's high English proficiency. For English environmental influences, children who start at the early age and continue studying English have higher English proficiency.

• Educational Technology International
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.141-166
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of using visual stimulation and gesture, namely embodied language learning, on learning achievement and learner's course interest in the EFL classroom. To investigate the effectiveness of the proposed purpose, thirty two third-grade elementary school students participated and were assigned into four English learning class conditions (i.e., using animated graphic and gestures condition, using only animated graphic condition, using still pictures and gesture condition, and control condition). The research questions for this study are addressed below: (1) What differences are there in post and delayed learning achievement between imitating gesture group and non-imitating one and between animated graphic group and still picture one? (2) What differences are there in course interest between imitating gesture group and non-imitating one and between animated graphic group and still picture one? The Embodiment-based English learning system for this study was designed by using Microsoft's Kinect sensing devices. The results of this study revealed that students of imitating gesture group memorized and retained better words and sentence structure than those of the other groups. As for learner's course interest measurement, imitating gesture group showed a highly positive response to attention, relevance, and satisfaction for curriculum and using animated graphic influenced satisfaction as well. This finding can be attributed to the embodied cognition, which proposes that the body and the mind are inseparable in the constitution of cognition and thus students using visual simulation and imitating related gesture regard the embodied language learning approach more satisfactory and acceptable than the conventional ones.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.183-206
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether using English newspapers as supplementary teaching materials for the present textbook could increase students' English reading ability, interest in class and their willingness to take an active part in activities. Schools in rural areas, compared to urban schools, did not have the appropriate resources to teach students effectively. Understanding the disadvantages of the students in rural areas, one idea was to use newspapers to inspire the students to reach outside their local community and incorporate new styles of English and cultural aspects into their lives. The participants were 2nd grade high school students in the rural area. The experimental group received reading lessons with the textbook and English newspapers. They were also encouraged to make their own portfolios. The control group received reading lessons with the textbook and other supplementary materials. Before and after the experiment, reading comprehension tests as well as the questionnaires of interest and self-directed learning were administered. The results of this study were as follows: First, students' English reading ability was significantly improved in the experimental class using English newspapers. Second, students' interest and self-directed learning were positively increased in the same class above.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.283-300
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• 2009

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a model for an English learning web-site using Korean folktales to stimulate the interest of beginners learning English, (elementary and early middle school ages) and suggest an integrated way of teaching 4 skills. The study first reviews the theoretical and historical backgrounds of storytelling using Korean folk tale, WBI (Web Based Learning), and learner-centered learning. Storytelling using Korean folk tale is an interactive way of teaching English through the use of words and actions from Korean traditional culture. The students can take pride in their own culture while learning a foreign language since they are familiar with the stories and the culture. Nowadays multicultural education is one of the big features of global education. Therefore there are benefits of studying English through Korean folktales. The websites can help students learn English ubiquitously with a learner-centered focus. For the study, we analyzed several digital English storytelling websites. The paper concludes that digital English story books need to improve their interactive ways of teaching for more effective learning. The authors created an integrated English learning website model using Korean folktales for beginners. We hope to introduce this type of learning through the website for higher level students in middle school. Further study should be conducted in order to make the websites more meaningful and useful for Korean students learning English.