Perceptions of the Importance of Studying English among Average Korean University Students
Keywords:
Perceptions of English, Korean Students’ Perceived Importance of EnglishAbstract
When students undertake English studies, one might assume that their natural drive and curiosity for the subject would lead them. However, in Korea, my observation is that most students study English at the behest of some influential force or figure in their lives or that it is a compulsory requirement not because it is their own earnest passion. This paper will attempt to answer that question. I have surveyed 359 students directly at two average Korean universities about their personal feelings about the importance of learning English. I hope to determine whether, despite the hardships, they think it is worth the effort or if they are simply learning to please overzealous parents, school, and government administrators or prepare for the corporate sector's current hiring requirements.
References
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[14] J.-j. Na and S.-y. Yun, "Budget cut puts foreign English teachers’ jobs at risk in Gyeonggi," The Korea Times, 20 July 2011.
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[17] S.-h. Yim, "Foreign English teachers facing massive job cuts," Korea Joongang Daily, 8 December 2011.
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[19] A. J. Geddes, "Korean University Students' Attitudes and Motivation towards Studying English," Universal Journal of Educational Research, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 704-715, 2016.
[20] J. Kwon and A. Field, "South Koreans are working themselves to death. Can they get their lives back?," CNN News, 5 November 2018.
[21] Staff-writer, "1 in 3 young students felt suicidal due to academic burden: poll," Yonhap News Agency, 19 April 2021.
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[2] G.-s. Park and A. E. Kim, "Nationalism, Confucianism, Work Ethic and Industrialization in South Korea," Journal of Contemporary Asia, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 37-49, 2003.
[3] B.-M. Chang, "Cultural Policy of English Language Education in South Korea," International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 109-15, 30 June 2020.
[4] S.-w. Kim, "Koreans’ education zeal unparalleled globally," The Korea Times, 2 July 2010.
[5] J.-K. Park, "'English Fever' in South Korea: its history and symptoms 25(1)," English Today, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 50-57, 2009.
[6] H. W. Shin, J. Lee, J. Brawn and Juhyun, "EPIK Teachers’ Beliefs About Language Learning," English Teaching, vol. 76, no. 2, pp. 81-105, 2021.
[7] "EPIK English Program in Korea," 2013. [Online]. Available: http://www.epik.go.kr/contents.do?contentsNo=83&menuNo=333. [Accessed 14 Feb. 2022].
[8] J.-K. Kim, "Globalization and English language education in Korea: Socialization and identity construction of Korean youth," ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, vol. 3053643, 2002.
[9] A. Schenck, "Examining the influence of native and non-native English-speaking teachers on EFL writing," Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, vol. 5, no. 2, 2020.
[10] G.-W. Shin, "Gi-Wook Shin on Racism in South Korea," 11 March 2021. [Online]. Available: https://fsi.stanford.edu/news/gi-wook-shin-racism-south-korea.
[11] S.-j. Lee, "Saying Goodbye to an Era," The Korea Herald, 5 March 2013.
[12] Y.-j. Oh, "Native English Instructors 'Not Cost Effective'," The Korea Times, 2 March 2018.
[13] Y.-j. Oh and S.-y. Cho, "Natis-English-speaking Teachers Fight Back," The Korea Times, 5 March 2018.
[14] J.-j. Na and S.-y. Yun, "Budget cut puts foreign English teachers’ jobs at risk in Gyeonggi," The Korea Times, 20 July 2011.
[15] N.-J. Howard, "Constructing Professional Identities: Native English-speaking Teachers in South Korea," The Qualitative Report, vol. 24, no. 7, pp. 1478-1510, 2019.
[16] K. Lee, "The Politics of Teaching English in South Korean Schools: Language Ideologies and Language Policy," Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations, vol. 1339, 2014.
[17] S.-h. Yim, "Foreign English teachers facing massive job cuts," Korea Joongang Daily, 8 December 2011.
[18] A. Dijksterhuis and A. van Knippenberg, "The relation between perception and behavior, or how to win a game of Trivial Pursuit.," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 74, no. 4, pp. 865-877, 1998.
[19] A. J. Geddes, "Korean University Students' Attitudes and Motivation towards Studying English," Universal Journal of Educational Research, vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 704-715, 2016.
[20] J. Kwon and A. Field, "South Koreans are working themselves to death. Can they get their lives back?," CNN News, 5 November 2018.
[21] Staff-writer, "1 in 3 young students felt suicidal due to academic burden: poll," Yonhap News Agency, 19 April 2021.
[22] G. J. Hofstede, G. Hofstede and M. Minkov, Cultures and Organizations: software of the mind, 3rd ed., New York: McGraw Hill, 2010.
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Published
2022-03-13
How to Cite
Peter Daniel Klein. (2022). Perceptions of the Importance of Studying English among Average Korean University Students. International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research (IJSBAR), 62(1), 55–68. Retrieved from https://gssrr.org/index.php/JournalOfBasicAndApplied/article/view/13888
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