• Journal of Korean language education
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.77-100
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• 2012

This study investigates issues in relation to text segmenting, in particular, line breaks in Korean language textbooks. Research on L1 and L2 reading has shown that readers process texts by chunking (grouping words into phrases or meaningful syntactic units) and, therefore, phrase-cued texts are helpful for readers whose syntactic knowledge has not yet been fully developed. In other words, it would be important for language textbooks to avoid awkward syntactic divisions at the end of a line, in particular, those textbooks for beginners and intermediate level learners. According to our analysis of a number of major Korean language textbooks for beginner-level learners, however, many textbooks were found to display line-breaks of awkward syntactic division. Moreover, some textbooks displayed frequent instances where a single word (or eojeol in the case of Korean) is split between different lines. This can hamper not only learners' learning of the rules of spaces between eojeols in Korean, but also learners' development in automatic word recognition, which is an essential part of reading processes. Based on the findings of our textbook analysis and of existing research on reading, this study suggests ways to overcome awkward line-breaks in Korean language textbooks.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.479-490
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• 2014

In this study, we investigated the characteristics of the reading materials in the elementary school science textbooks in order to obtain implications for the effective use of them. The reading materials in the elementary school science textbooks developed under the 7th and the 2007 revised National Science Curricula were analyzed. The criteria for classifying the reading materials were the type of theme, purpose, students' activity, the type of presentation, the type of images, the role of images, and readability. The results indicated that the reading materials in the 2007 revised science textbooks are more systematic than those in the 7th science textbooks in terms of their length and their distribution among energy, matter, life, and earth areas. It was also found that various types of reading materials are presented in the 2007 revised science textbooks covering new themes such as frontier science, job opportunity and career, and environment. In addition, the reading materials in the 2007 revised science textbooks introduce more visual images and the readability of them are also better than their counterpart. However, several limitations were still found to exist in the reading materials of the 2007 revised textbooks; most of them are non-inquiry and explanatory; most of the visual images are illustration and/or pictures. Educational implications are discussed.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.129-142
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• 2017

In this study, the characteristics of the reading materials in elementary school science textbooks developed under the 2009 revised National Science Curriculum were investigated. The criteria for classifying the reading materials were the types of topic, purpose, students' activity, and presentation. The visual images in the reading materials were also analyzed from the viewpoint of type, role, caption type, and proximity type. The results indicated that the number of the reading materials in the 2009 revised science textbooks decreased compared to that of the 2007 revised science textbooks. It was also found that the frequencies of the reading materials expanding concepts of the text and/or requiring corresponding students' inquiry increased. More visual images were used in the reading materials of the 2009 revised science textbooks. However, several limitations were still found to exist; most visual images were illustration and/or picture; many visual images were presented without a caption; there was a problem in the proximity of visual image to text.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.55-69
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• 2003

This study analyzed the contents of reading textbooks of Chinese-Korean $1^{st}$, $4^{th}$, and $7^{th}$ graders in Yanji, China with reference to ecological systems and values. Results showed that the literature genre of Korean textbooks in China was predominantly novels/stories(38.5%) rather than essays(13.7%), poems/verses/rhymes(16.2%) or others(31.6%). Characters were classified into 9 categories and analyzed by Bronfenbrenner's ecological paradigm. It was found that Chinese-Korean textbooks included more characters belonging to exo- or macro-systems including school, community, and government while Korean textbooks emphasized the self or the family, both belonging to the micro-system. Values in Chinese-Korean textbooks emphasized community and government. Korean textbooks emphasized individual life. Differences were more pronounced in textbooks of the upper grades.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.315-326
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated elementary school teachers' and students' perceptions of the reading materials in science textbooks. Participants were 181 teachers from 23 elementary schools who were teaching science and 643 third- to sixth-grade students from 12 elementary schools. A questionnaire for teachers consisted of 18 items and a questionnaire for students consisted of 11 items about their perceptions of the reading materials in science textbooks. Nine to twelve items, according to grades, examining the actual uses of each reading material in science textbooks were also included to both questionnaires. The results indicated that teachers have positive perceptions about reading materials and frequently use them in case of needs for supplement and/or enrichment of science learning. Novice teachers were found to have less positive perceptions about reading materials than expert teachers. Over 70 percent of students responded that they read all reading materials. Fifth- and sixth-grade students were tended to have less positive perceptions about reading materials than third-grade students. Finally, students tended to have more positive perceptions about reading materials than their teachers.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.365-382
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• 2009

This study aims to examine the reading materials of high school English textbooks to propose the integration of the literary texts into reading materials in the classroom for development of communicative competence. Five kinds of high school English textbooks were critically examined in terms of three factors -limited text types, deficit of emotional adjectives and non-authenticity- selected by the author as characteristics of non-communicative language teaching materials. With regard to text types, more than half of the reading materials were expository and simple narratives. This imbalance of text types led materials to the deficit of emotional vocabulary. These factors seem to be closely related to the issue of authenticity of reading materials. Compared to the authentic texts, fabricated texts are likely to make reading vapid and boring task. On the basis of these results, some pedagogical suggestions are made.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.111-122
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• 2019

In this study, the characteristics of the reading materials in the chemistry domain of elementary school science and middle school science textbooks and chemistry I and II textbooks developed under the 2009 Revised National Science Curriculum were investigated. The criteria for classifying the reading materials were the types of theme, purpose, types of presentation, and students' activity. The inscriptions in the reading materials were also analyzed from the viewpoint of type, role, caption and index, and proximity type. The results indicated that more reading materials were included in the elementary science textbooks compared to middle school science, chemistry I, and/or chemistry II textbooks. The percentage of application in everyday life theme was high in the reading materials of elementary science textbooks, whereas the percentage of scientific knowledge theme was high in those of middle school science, chemistry I, and/or chemistry II textbooks. It was also found that the percentage of expanding concepts purpose was high in the reading materials of elementary science textbooks, whereas the percentage of supplementing concepts purpose was high in those of middle school science, chemistry I, and/or chemistry II textbooks. Several limitations in the use of inscriptions were found to exist; most inscriptions were photograph and/or illustration; most inscriptions were supplementing or elaborating texts; many inscriptions were presented without a caption or an index; there was a problem in the proximity of inscriptions to text.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.201-215
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• 1998

This study analyzed the contents of "Reading" textbooks for 1st-6th grades. The focus of the analysis was on philosophical thinking methods designed to help children to think for themselves. Following the analysis, methods were designed for the application of effective use of Philosophy in the elementary school curriculum. Analysis of works of children's literature in "reading" textbooks show patterns of logical, ethical and creative thinking. Therefore, "reading" textbooks can be used to help children to think philosophically. Five stages of discussion can be applied in the classroom; these are: establish the issues, outline the process of discussion, discuss the issues, evaluate and summarize the discussion, apply the learning to other subjects. Teachers can use philosophical thinking methods to improve the quality and quantity of instruction with various questions, having children express their opinions, interpreting their thoughts clearly, maintaining logical consistency, and evaluating the procedures and results of discussion. These methods can be used in the teaching-learning process in the elementary school to develop rich findings and meaningful communication.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.412-422
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• 2018

The purpose of this research was to compare structural organization of North Korean English textbooks pre and post North Korean 2013 curriculum revision. 5 revised textbooks were selected and compared with old textbooks. First, revised textbooks are dramatically changed into colored printed edition. Second, there appears phrases related to Kim Jong Un for the very first time in the preface. Third, while old textbooks emphasized only reading and writing skills, new textbooks integrate 4 skills. Fourth, new textbooks follow united organization system according to the kinds of school; 7 sub skills of Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing, Grammar, Vocabulary, Pronunciation for general high middle textbooks and 5 sub skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, English in Use for the first high middle textbooks. Also, new textbooks integrate English and other subject contents such as science, geography or computer. Finally, the changed structure organization of new textbooks seems to be similar with the ones of English books in the reference which is presented for the first time in North Korean textbooks.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.679-687
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• 2020

The present study aims to investigate lexical coverage of BNC (British National Corpus) word lists and 2015 Basic Vocabulary of Ministry of Education in 2020 EBS-linked textbooks and CSAT. For the data analysis, AntWordProfiler was used to find lexical coverage and frequency. The findings showed that Students can understand 95% of the tokens with a vocabulary of BNC 3,000 and 4,000 word-families in 2020 EBS-linked listening and reading books respectively. 98% can be understood with 4,000 word-families in the EBS-linked listening book while the same lexical coverage can be covered with 8,000 word-families in the EBS-linked reading textbook. By the way, 95% of the tokens can be understood with 2,000 and 4,000 word-families in 2020 CSAT listening and reading tests respectively, while 98% requires 4,000 and 7,000 word-families in the 2020 listening and reading tests respectively. In summary, students should understand more words in 2020 EBS-linked textbooks than in 2020 CSAT tests confirming Kim's (2016) findings. In summary, students should understand more words in 2020 EBS-linked textbooks than in 2020 CSAT tests.