• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.18 no.8
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• pp.353-360
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• 2020

This study was executed to be used as the basic data for the improvement of Korean Chinese undergraduates' English proficiency. Descriptive statistics and t-tests were used for data analysis on the differences between Korean Chinese and Han Chinese students' preparedness and learning outcomes of 203 undergraduates at a four-year college in China. Results showed that Korean Chinese students were significantly less prepared and had weaker learning outcomes than Han Chinese students. Analysis on the factors that affected learning outcomes showed significant differences in oral English skills, attitudes toward curriculum, beliefs in their own fluency, and learning strategies. On the other hand, no group difference was shown in learning interests. Based on these findings, implications for the improvement of Korean Chinese undergraduates' preparedness and learning outcomes in EFL class were described.

• 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.

• Journal of Engineering Education Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.64-78
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• 2007

For Korean researchers, English is essential. In fact, this is the case for any researcher who is a non-native English speaker, as recognition and success is predicated on being published, while publications that reach the broadest audiences are in English. Unfortunately, university science and engineering programs in Korea often do not provide formal coursework to help students attain greater competence in English composition. Aggravating this situation is the general lack of literature covering this specific pedagogical issue. While there is plenty of information to help native speakers with technical writing and much covering general English composition for EFL learners, there is very little information available to help EFL learners become better technical writers. Thus, the purpose of this report is twofold. First, as most Korean educators in science and engineering are not well acquainted with pedagogical issues of EFL writing, this report provides a general introduction to some relevant issues. It reviews the importance of contrastive rhetoric as well as some considerations for choosing the appropriate teaching approach, class arrangement, and use of computer assisted learning tools. Secondly, a course proposal is discussed. Based on a review of student writing samples as well as student responses to a self-assessment questionnaire, the proposed course is intended to balance the needs of Korean EFL learners to develop grammar, process, and genre skills involved in technical writing. Although, the scope of this report is very modest, by sharing the considerations made towards the development of an EFL technical writing course it seeks to provide a small example to a field that is perhaps lacking examples.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.267-286
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• 2006

The purpose of the study was to investigate what kinds of learning strategies EFL learners use to learn English grammar and what is benefit from structured grammar input processing. Students of the study consisted of 48 college students who took Practical English Grammar at a university in Kyung-Gi area and were divided into two groups based on grammar scores. The students were asked to take two grammar tasks and grammar tests and complete a survey including questions on grammar strategy and input processing. The results of the study are as follows. First, learners' grammar level has an effect on use of grammar attack strategy including asking teachers, using grammar books and given contexts whereas there was no significant difference between groups in the planning strategies, Among memory strategies, using grammar exercise and linking with already known structure demonstrated a significant difference between groups. Second, with regard to input processing, high level students got higher score on how much they understood the structured grammar input compared with low level students. Third, explicit implicit instruction added to input processing seems more comprehensible and more available than structured input only, Finally, it showed that there is positive relationship between perception and score of input processing tasks and grammar tests. Especially, learners' perception of input processing correlated more with final tests and tasks. Therefore, it suggests that the more input processing task need to develop and utilize in order to facilitate learners' intake.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.123-130
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• 2018

The present study aims to investigate how Korean EFL learners' views of form-focused instruction, integrated and isolated FFI (form-focused instruction), are related to their beliefs about grammar and attention and how different these relationships are between high and low proficiency levels and between males and females in Korean college contexts. The findings indicated the participants' strong preference for integrated FFI, which was significantly correlated with two factors, attention in English class and English proficiency. On the other hand, the isolated FFI was strongly correlated with their beliefs about grammar learning, that is, independent learning of grammar and importance of learning grammar rules. In conclusion, the integrated FFI was associated with students' proficiency and attention, while the isolated FFI was related to their views of grammar learning. In conclusion, it is suggested that we need to use integrated FFI in Korean EFL contexts considering students' levels of proficiency and attention.

• 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.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.1-24
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• 2006

This study investigated differences in beliefs about English learning of 286 EFL college students and 52 English teachers in Korea. Data was collected using Horwitz's Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory and compared between students and teachers in beliefs. To address the research questions, the data were analyzed through descriptive statistics including frequencies, factor analysis, MANOVA, ANOVA, t-test, and reliability coefficients. The results showed four factors in student beliefs: Difficulty of learning English, nature of learning English, importance of correctness in learning English, and motivation and perceived importance of learning English. Clear differences were found in students and teachers' beliefs in English learning aptitude and importance of translation, error correction, and grammar rules. A few belief differences were also identified between Koreans and native-speaking English teachers related to the importance of vocabulary learning, pronunciation, and cultural knowledge. The findings of the study indicated that background variables such as gender and major field of study have an effect on student beliefs about L2 learning. The present study also provided pedagogical considerations to reduce mismatch between students and teachers beliefs and to improve the L2 planning and instruction.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.127-152
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• 2006

For the past 20 years the process approach to writing has been popular in second language writing classrooms. However, there have been very few studies conducted in Korea with regard to the composing processes and the effects of proficiency on writers' usage. The present study attempts to begin to fill this gap. Three groups of college students with different writing proficiency participated in the study: the advanced group, the intermediate group, and the beginning group. The verbal protocol of their writing processes revealed that they approached writing tasks differently. While the advanced writers focused on generating texts and ideas and examined their writing at both global and local levels, the other two groups of students tended to focus on evaluating text at the local level and generated fewer ideas and less text. The findings from this study are then compared to those of some major studies of the composing process as conclusions are subsequently drawn about the specific needs of Korean college writers.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.27-46
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• 2007

Teachers can maximize students' L2 learning by knowing preferred learning styles. This paper presents the results of a survey that asked 309 English learners to identify their perceptual learning style preferences. It further compared students' favored learning styles in terms of their gender and major field of study and explored a possible link between learning styles and English achievement. Collected data using Reid's (1995) questionnaire were analyzed by descriptive statistics, MANOVA, ANOVA, correlations, multiple regressions including squared partial correlations, and Cronbach's alpha. The results indicated that Korean students favored English learning in group regardless of gender, while their preferred mode of learning was significantly different in regard to their major field of study. Certain learning styles might be profitable for English achievement. Multiple regression analyses revealed that individual mode of learning was the best predictor of students' English achievement. It furthermore showed significant relationships between visual and individual styles of learning and English performance. The findings of the study reflected students' English learning context in which English native-speaking teachers frequently used communicative pair and small group activities for speaking practices that were consonant with students' learning styles.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.83-104
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• 2009

This study examined whether self-correction or metalinguistic explanation might make a difference in the ability to accurately write two English grammatical structures when learners received indirect teacher feedback in the form of underlining target errors in a Korean EFL college classroom. With the goal of helping low-proficiency students improve their ability to accurately write sentences including nonfinite present participial relative clauses and present participial constructions, four groups were formed: a group which received indirect feedback, a group which received indirect feedback and metalinguistic explanation, a group which received indirect feedback and self-corrected errors, and a group which received indirect feedback and self-corrected errors after receiving metalinguistic explanation. The results showed that the effects of either metalinguistic explanation or self-correction integrated with indirect feedback on learners' ability to accurately write the target structures were not meaningful, while the combined effects of metalinguistic explanation and self-correction were statistically significant.