• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.24
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• pp.120-131
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• 2011

South Africa is a multiracial country where different cultures and languages coexist. Culture can be conveyed through language. Language conditioning is also social conditioning, and through words we make sense of our own and others' experience. In this paper I investigate the meaning of two culturally significant words: (English) peace and (African) ubuntu. Data findings will show how L2 speakers of English, when asked to define peace, promptly operate a process of transfer of the meaning from their mother-tongue Xhosa equivalent - uxolo - to its English equivalent. Ubuntu, an African word which encompasses traditional African values, has no counterpart in English. I will also argue how, in the ongoing process of globalisation, English is playing a predominant role in promoting cultural homogenization.

• Korean Journal of Cognitive Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.35-56
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• 2007

The English language has developed from a language with optional subjecthood Into a language with obligatory subjecthood due to a general reduction of inflections. Two types of subject omission, pro-drop and conjunction reduction, have been reported in the history of English. Old English with rich inflections had both referential pro-drop and conjunction reduction. Middle English with much lesser inflections still witnessed pro-drop and conjunction reduction, but in such a decreasing way that modern English with a loss of inflections developed from Middle English hardly has either pro-drop or conjunction reduction. This paper explores both the phenomena relating to optional subjecthood in Old, Middle, and Modern English in light of the cognitive processes of the universal, hierarchical constraints that are assumed to be inherent in English speakers' cognitive fatuity. It is found that optional subjecthood in Old, Middle, and Modern English is correctly raptured in terms of the distinct rankings of the proposed constraints, and that it is closely related to whether each of Old, Middle, and Modern English has rich inflections.

• Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.119-143
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• 2001

The main goal of this paper is to examine the current English education practices in Korea in the broad context of research and academia. Furthermore, it attempts to uncover why English education has not been well established as a field of science in English-related departments and consequently what has been neglected and what issues should be dealt with to increase understanding and to create a more interactive relationship between the university and society. First, the author deals with the influence of ‘folk science’ views in the field of English education by touching on some widely held perceptions and issues. Second, by dealing with the alienation of English education and examining the phenomenon of seeing English education as a secondary field of science in English related departments, an attempt was made to reveal underlying epistemological dualism rooted in Asian cultures. Third, the paper deals with a critical issue related to English education: Exposure and Time. By reviewing and reinterpreting some of basic and fundamental literature with respect to language learning, exposure, and time, the author raises a new issue in English education and proposes new interpretation and an alternative more relativistic viewpoint; he also investigates what should be done to improve English education on the basis of research and science in order to deal with the needs and problems of society.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.62-78
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• 2021

This ethnographic multiple case study, based on Zappa-Hollman and Duff's construct of individual networks of practice (INoPs), explored English as a second language (L2) competence development and socialization process of a group of English-major undergraduates through their social connections and interactions at a public university located in an underdeveloped city in Northwest China. The study lasted for one academic semester and three students were selected as primary participants. Semi-structured interviews, student observations in English-related micro-settings, and associated texts were used to collect data. These data were coded to identify the thematic categories, and then data triangulation and member checking were conducted to select the most representative evidence to provide an in-depth description of students' perspective about mediating their English L2 socialization by their INoPs. Findings showed that factors in the formation of students' INoPs, including intensity, density, and nature, played significant roles in their academic or affective returns from their English learning, both of which had a substantial influence on the students' English L2 socialization. Considering that the macro-setting was a non-English, underdeveloped monolingual society, both educational institutions and individual students need to seek and create more English-mediated interactional opportunities to develop their English proficiency and adapt to local English learning communities.

• Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.609-627
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• 2001

Pronouns are frequently used in English, and their resolution is important to capture meaning of sentences. This paper provides a computational implementation for pronoun readings in English, based on Chierchia's (1988) Binding Theory in Categorial Grammar. A CCG-like system is newly devised for implementing his ideas, where syntactic phenomena are represented by the functor-argument relations of categories. This relation triggers resolution algorithms, and reflexives and pronominals are resolved succinctly. In sum, this paper gives an efficient resolution algorithm for English pronouns within Categorial Grammar.

• Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2003

This paper proposes an empty constituent, a silent beat, to express long duration of stressed syllable in the word final position and rhythmic correspondence in English. This empty constituent has an important consequence. It helps reveal one of the characteristics English feet have: they must be non-final in nouns as well as in verbs. In addition, the silent beats overcome the shortcomings of empty constituents proposed previously, namely null vowels (Burzio 1994) and invisible suffixes (Hammond 1999).

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.291-315
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• 2010

The present study examined the role of dialogue journaling in Korean students' English writing development. Thirteen Korean middle school students participated in a five-week dialogue journal writing program. The participants' English writing skills before and after their dialogue journaling were compared in terms of holistic and analytical scores of their English essays. The study also examined the changes in the participants' language use, as manifested in their dialogue journals. The results indicated the positive influence of dialogue journal writing on the participants' English writing skills in the areas of content and lexical fluency. As for the linguistic evidence that related dialogue journaling to English writing development, the three patterns of change in language use emerged from the participants' dialogue journals: a) raised awareness on grammar conventions, b) raised awareness on discourse conventions, and c) increased depth and richness in idea development. There were also three unhelpful factors associated with little improvement of English writing: a) lack in basic writing skills, b) repetitive use of identical sentence patterns, and c) lack in grammatical and lexical awareness. Overall, the results suggested that dialogue journaling could facilitate Korean students' English writing development when it creates authentic communicative interactions between the teacher and students.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.161-180
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• 2011

This study aims to illustrate the value of teaching English drama in the course of teaching primary English and suggests a model for primary English drama in an English camp for Children. Drama is the world of assumption where language is used just like in real life. It has a positive effect on foreign language learning by encouraging the operation of certain psychological factors which facilitate oral communication. Dramatic techniques such as storytelling, role play, chant, song and games can be used in the EFL classroom to help bring about such results. Meanwhile, making a primary English drama in an English camp for Children would be practical mode to attain the essential purpose of EFL teaching particularly to get over the drawbacks of Korean students' communicative competence under the school's inflexible EFL education curriculum. In this paper, I will present the effectiveness of English drama and the skills for using it with ESL students and suggest some notes that can be used to reinforce the goals set out from the position of the teacher, student and teaching material. It is confirmed that the trained leader, students' affirmative attitude and systematic teaching materials are needed to maximize the effects of drama activities. In addition to that, there will be showed a model of instruction targeted to the primary students learning English in an English camp for Children.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.91-114
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to investigate teachers' perspectives on content-based instruction (CBI) in English at a higher education in Korea. Based on the assumption that content-based instruction programs could be successful if teachers were actively involved not only in transmitting the content knowledge but also in students' development in the second or foreign language competence, the study explores teachers' treatments of language in relation to the students' language development in CBI classes. Research questions were related to five areas such as (1) the goals of CBI programs, (2) difficulties in CBI classes, (3) the use of native language, (4) teaching strategies and techniques, and (5) factors that affect the success of the CBI programs. Data gathered from 24 college instructors from a large university located in the metropolitan city of Korea. Results of the study indicated that college instructors of CBI programs had keen interest in developing students' language competence, experienced difficulties in designing course syllabus for mixed leveled group of students, rarely used Korean in class and used successful teaching strategies. Also factors needed to improve the CBI programs were recommended at the end of the study. Results of the study implied that teachers needed to be more aware of the students' learning process of English and to be more communicative with students in English in class. Further studies were needed in relation to the CBI courses for students of different age levels.

• Journal of English Language & Literature
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• v.60 no.2
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• pp.395-400
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• 2014