• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.19-28
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• 2022

The current study was designed to explore whether taking English pronunciation classes could improve the realization of English rhythm by Korean learners of English. Specifically, this study used various rhythm metrics to examine the extent to which the learners' speech became rhythmically similar to the target language after taking classes that focused on English pronunciation. Sixteen learners who took a 15-week English pronunciation course at a university read an English passage twice (at the beginning and the end of the semester). The rhythm metrics such as Deltas, Varcos, and Pairwise Variability Indices were calculated for the learners' speech, as well as that of 8 native speakers of English. The results demonstrated that the learners' speech was slower, and they put more frequent within-sentence pauses than the native speakers even after the classes. The analyses also indicated that the speech recorded at the beginning of the semester was rhythmically much more different from the target language than at the end of the semester. After the classes, however, the learners' consonantal intervals became much more target-like, while the vocalic intervals were rhythmically even further from those in the target language. Overall, the findings suggested that the pronunciation classes helped the learners to produce English speech that was rhythmically similar to the native speakers.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.237-254
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• 2011

This study investigated Korean university students' perceptions of NESTs (Native English Speaking Teachers) and NNESTs (Non-native English Speaking Teachers) in TEE (Teaching English through English) courses to examine strengths and weaknesses of NESTs and NNESTs. 100 university students who had an experience in taking TEE courses with both NESTs and NNESTs answered the questionnaire in which they were asked to answer questions of general area, language skills, affective areas, and teaching behaviors. 20 students out of them were also interviewed to consolidate the data. The results revealed that except for speaking ability, students did not express a strong preference for NESTs and they did have a preference in learning some specific skills. In terms of affective areas, students had a preference for NNESTs. In addition, there were differences in teaching behaviors of NESTs and NNESTs. These findings have valuable implications for NNESTs to improve their speaking proficiency: analyzing and participating in discourses, and monitoring teaching practice through videotaping.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.149-155
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• 2023

Since developing digital technology requires new skills in digital literacy, digital competence also has become a keystone in English classes. This study explores three aspects of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners' digital confidence: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, and digital content creation, based on the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp). The participants were 150 Korean college students enrolled in two general English classes, and their English proficiency levels were from basic to advanced; each level consisted of 30 participants. In order to assess their digital confidence, I designed a Google survey form and collected data during two semesters. The survey results revealed that the participants had highest digital confidence in information and data literacy and overall, the female participants showed higher digital confidence than their male counterparts. It also showed that the learners' English proficiency and computer skills are important factors.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.615-623
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• 2013

The study is conducted as basic research to verify professional expertise and abilities of native English teachers who are teaching in Korea in objective and scientific ways. It aims to introduce a qualification certificate system which seeks to measure qualification by abilities, and to boost professionalism and morale, and finally, contributes to reinforcement of public English education in Korea. Therefore, this basic study is on the 'Practical use of native English teachers and general analysis.' The study seeks to evaluate the management system of English native teachers and find ways to improve it. Also, it is expected that this research would practically contribute to the development of Korean English education.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.81-87
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• 2019

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the realization of speech rhythm in English as spoken by Korean learners of English. The study particularly aims to examine the rhythm metrics of English read speech by learners who speak Busan or the South Kyungsang dialect of Korean. Twenty-four learners whose L1 is Busan Korean and eight native speakers of English read a passage wherein five sentences were segmented and labeled as vocalic and intervocalic intervals. Various rhythm metrics such as %V, Varcos, and Pairwise Variability Indexes (PVIs) were calculated. The results show that Korean learners read English sentences with significantly more vocalic and consonantal intervals at a slower speech rate than native English speakers. The analyses of rhythm metrics revealed that when the speech rate was not normalized, Korean learners' English showed more variability in the length of consonantal and vocalic intervals. However, speech-rate-normalized rhythm metrics for vocalic intervals indicated that Korean learners transferred their L1 rhythmic structures (a syllable-timed language) into their L2 speech (a stress-timed language). Overall, the results suggest that Korean learners' English reflects the rhythmic characteristics of their L1. The effect of the learners' L1 dialect on the realization of L2 speech rhythm is also speculated.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.345-355
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• 2020

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences of the metacognitive awareness of reading strategies which gifted English language learners (GELLs) and general middle school learners (GMSLs) used while reading English test-typed texts. 74 GELLs in a gifted program of C city and 90 GMSLs in the southern part of C city participated in this study. The MARSI questionnaire was administered to the GELLs and GMSLs at the end of the semester. Frequency and t-test were used to examine the differences in metacognitive awareness of reading strategy use between GELLs and GSMLs when reading the English test-typed texts. Based on the analysis, the study discovered that GELLs were likely to use metacognitive awareness of reading strategies more frequently than GMSLs. Also, GELLs tended to use more global and problem-solving strategies than GMSLs. However, there is no significant difference in support strategy use between the two groups. In conclusion, the study suggests pedagogical implications for GELLs and GMSLs' effective English reading.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.510-521
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to identify the differences of perspectives toward English education for infants between directors and teachers, and to find out perspectives of directors and teachers toward English education for infants. Research questions were developed as follows. 1. What was the current condition of English education for infants? 2. What were the differences of perspectives toward English education for infants between directors and teachers? The subjects of this study were 108 directors and 241 teachers of day care centers in Busan. The questionnaire consisted of three categories of general background, general perspectives, and conditions of English education in the classroom in charge. The results of this study were as follows: First, it was appeared that more than half of day care centers provided English education for infants, and infants of 24~36 months were mainly taught English for less than 30 minutes once or twice a week based on director's policy. English teachers were mostly Korean majored in English, and songs, finger plays, storytelling, games, repeating sentences based on picture card, picture books, and story books were mostly used teaching methods. Second, both directors and teachers thought that goal of English education for infants was motivation and interests in English, contents of English education were songs and finger plays, and Korean English teachers were appropriate for infants.

• 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.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.83-102
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• 2007

A math class in Korean university was taught in English for one semester and the students' improvement was measured in math content and English proficiency. Pre and post test in 9 week intervals showed that math content loaming in the immersion class was superior to the non-immersed class. Especially, the immersion class showed remarkable improvement in difficult problems among math content test problems. The immersion class improved in math-related English, but not in general English. It is discussed that the particular English expressions for math are hardly separable from the math content knowledge in English because understanding and using those expressions correctly means the students' understanding of math concept in English and thus the math concept itself.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.344-351
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• 2016

Recently, mobile application for english vocabulary learning is being developed actively. However, most mobile English vocabulary learning applications did not effectively connected with the technical advantages of mobile learning. Also,the study of mobile english vocabulary learning app are still insufficient. Therefore, this paper development a english vocabulary context-learning Agent that can practice context learning more reasonably using a location-based service, a character recognition technology and augmented reality technology based on smart phones. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed agent, we have measured the precision and usability. As results of experiments, the precision of learning vocabulary is 89% and 'Match between system and the real world', 'User control and freedom', 'Recognition rather than recall', 'Aesthetic and minimalist design' appeared to be respectively 3.91, 3.80, 3.85, 4.01 in evaluation of usability. It were obtained significant results.