Hea-suk Kim , Yoonjung Cha

DOI: Vol.20(No.1) 11-34, 2017

This study investigates the effects of two types of pre-reading activities(vocabulary pre-teaching, and pre-questioning with YouTube) on reading comprehension. Participants consisted of 73 students enrolled in a General English course at a university in 2016. They were assigned into one of two groups: a vocabulary pre-teaching group and a pre-questioning with YouTube group. Both groups were taught with the same textbook and instructed to perform each pre-reading activity. To measure the effects of each pre-reading activity, both groups read the same passage and carried out two different pre-reading activities. A reading comprehension test was administered before and after the treatment, and a questionnaire was conducted to explore the participants` attitudes toward the pre-reading activities. According to the statistical analysis of the data, both pre-reading activities proved to be a useful tool in facilitating participants` reading comprehension. Moreover, both groups (vocabulary pre-teaching, and pre-questioning with YouTube) did not show any significant differences between the groups, including their proficiency levels. Regarding the students` attitudes, feedback varied between the two pre-reading activities. The results also revealed that the group with YouTube videos were highly satisfied with the pre-reading activity. Pedagogical implications and suggestions for future studies follow.

schema theory, pre-reading activity. vocabulary pre-teaching, pre-questioning, YouTube, proficiency level

Hyung-sun Kim , Baegseung Kim

DOI: Vol.20(No.1) 35-59, 2017

This study aimed at two major goals: first, it introduced a drama-assisted KSL teaching and learning model within the framework of the cognitive + communicative approach employing the K-drama, Descendents of the Sun; and second, it investigated the KSL students` perception of the linguistic, cultural, and affective aspects of Korean language and culture as influenced by the course by means of mixed-methods. The class was offered as a three-credit-point course requiring forty-five class hours during a one-month international summer school program held by a Korean university. Thirty students from various countries, ranging in age from eighteen to twenty-six, attended the course; nineteen students answered both pre- and post-surveys, which were analyzed through the paired-samples t-tests, and twenty-six students submitted open-ended comments on the course. Participants` self-perceived KSL competence was enhanced with statistical significances for every single item in the linguistic domain encompassing the four skills, vocabulary, and grammar. While their responses to the items in the cultural and affective domains deviated, explanations were found in their open-ended comments. The study concludes with suggestions for a more beneficial drama-embedded KSL class.

drama-assisted class, cognitive + communicative approach, cognitive learning stage model

Kyung-sook Kim

DOI: Vol.20(No.1) 60-81, 2017

For reading-integrated writing tasks, L2 writers` inappropriate source use has been a continuous issue. Thus, this study is designed to investigate Korean college students` textual borrowing behaviors in summary writing, a reading-based writing task. Textual borrowing was assessed in terms of individual words and word strings based on text difficulty (easy vs. difficult) and text structure (comparison vs. description). To examine borrowing of individual words, the RANGE program was used, which provides the percentage of the shared vocabulary between texts in terms of token, type, and family. As for borrowing of word strings, three variables were adopted: exact copy, near copy, and paraphrase. An analysis of 228 summary protocols showed that text difficulty had a significant influence on borrowing of individual words, but not word strings. Also, it was found that text structure did not have a direct impact on borrowing of both individual words and word strings, except for paraphrasing. The findings indicate that L2 writers` source text dependency is strongly related to text difficulty rather than text structure. Based on the results, pedagogical implications were suggested.

English writing, reading-based writing, textual borrowing, source text dependency, source text use

Yong Ju Lee , Young Woo Cho

DOI: Vol.20(No.1) 82-108, 2017

This study reports on coaching for English speaking and self-directed language learning (SDLL) conducted in a blended learning environment. Twenty-eight Korean university students participated in a 13-week English coaching program. The learners completed an English speaking pre-test and a questionnaire on SDLL capacity. Then, they practiced English speaking independently using computer software and interacted with a coach as a group on a weekly basis. There were two groups. Group 1 received questions revolving around their personal lives in relation to the English stories they read online. In contrast, Group 2 learners were given questions to deepen their understanding of the stories. Both groups were told to keep a weekly planner and a journal to raise their SDLL awareness. Finally, the learners completed an English speaking post-test, the SDLL questionnaire, and two exit questionnaires. The results indicated that 60.71% of the learners improved their speaking ability, but only 39.29% improved their SDLL capacity. Group 2 improved speaking more than Group 1. The exit questionnaires revealed, however, that Group 1 felt more improvement in speaking than Group 2. Further analysis found that depending on question type, learner perceptions of their coaching experience differed.

self-directed language learning, self-directed English learning, coaching, speaking, blended learning

Sung Hee Lim

DOI: Vol.20(No.1) 109-143, 2017

This study explores how non-native English teachers in South Korea empower one another through an online community. A growing number of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher in Korea have begun to implement a recently introduced pedagogical approach, Flipped Classroom, in their classes. For learning to teach Flipped Classroom, ninety-five Korean EFL teachers built their online (SNS-based) community on NAVER BAND to share their classroom materials, knowledge, experience related to Flipped Classroom. This study investigates how an online community of the Korean EFL teachers participate and engage in professional development using collaborate web 2.0 technologies. With a qualitative, netnographic approach, data includes over seven months of online participant observation, and computer-mediated activities from the virtual community. Findings describe the characteristics of the community of practice (CoP) of Flipped EFL Classroom teacher`s NAVER BAND in terms of domain, community and practice. Furthermore, the study links the changes of the teachers from their engagement in the community with the characteristics of the CoP in relation to the effectiveness of online teacher community as a means of sustained and significant teacher learning. This study concludes with suggestion of online (SNS)-based community as a workable alternative to current in-service teacher training.

Flipped Classroom, teacher learning, community of practice, online community of practice, in-service teacher education

박미현 Park Mi-hyun , 이성원 Lee Seong-won

DOI: Vol.20(No.1) 144-166, 2017

The present study examined whether learners with low English proficiency pay more attention when learning vocabulary using smart devices and learn vocabulary better. The experiment was conducted in a middle school. Four lower level classes each of which has 10 students participated in the study. Ten target words were selected from the textbook based on the vocabulary pre-test. The researcher observed the students` attitude using a classroom observation scheme to see whether students showed more interest and were more motivated when using smart devices. Both experimental and control groups studied the vocabulary for four lessons, the former using a tablet PC and the latter only with the teacher in the traditional classroom. After each lesson, both groups took a post-test immediately. Delayed post-tests were administered two weeks later for each lesson. The result showed that the experimental group was more motivated and gained better grades in both the post-tests and the delayed-post tests. However, when comparing the post-test and the delayed post-test grades for each group, there was not a significant difference. This may mean that learners with low English proficiency learn vocabulary better when using smart devices but still need support to put their vocabulary knowledge into long term memory.

smart learning, CALL, digital, MALL, smart device, tablet PC, TALL, technology-based, vocabulary learning, vocabulary teaching, web-based

이문복 Lee Moonbok , 주헌우 Joo Hunwoo

DOI: Vol.20(No.1) 167-185, 2017

The main purpose of the present study is twofold: firstly to develop an Internet-based English speaking performance assessment support system(ESPASS) and secondly to apply ESPASS in high schools in order to investigate its usefulness for both teachers and students. For this study, 13 English teachers and 835 students from 11 Korean high schools participated in the field test of ESPASS. A post field test survey and in-depth interview were carried out respectively with the students and the teachers. Another survey was conducted with 80 English teachers who attended the workshop on best practices in the use of ESPASS. The field test results indicated that the teachers and the students were satisfied with the convenience and usefulness of ESPASS. Especially, the workshop participants showed high satisfaction with ESPASS. Based upon the results, some pedagogical implications and policy suggestions were discussed for expanding online English speaking performance assessment.

Online, English speaking, performance assessment