“Sleeping Beauties” in English Classrooms: The English Divestment of Korean High School Students

Abstract

This study delves into English language “divestment” in Korean classrooms by focusing on why some students sleep in their English classes. Data were collected using interviews with 26 first and second year high school students who often fell asleep in English classes. The data were subjected to the conventional content analysis and interpreted using Darvin and Norton’s (2015) investment framework. The findings showed that the students divested from English classes for four reasons. First, they did not agree with the “English is a necessity” ideology and had no interest in participating in English classes. Second, although they wanted to study English, they believed that the school curriculum and the teachers were not helpful enough. Third, the students complained about not knowing how to study English, and fourth, they felt physically tired because they often spent much time the night before on activities unrelated to their studies, such as playing computer games and using social networking services. Most students had multiple reasons at once, which shows the intricate interrelationships among the English language ideology, the available capital for English learning, and the learners’ identities. The findings of this study emphasize the need to embrace these marginalized students based on a comprehensive understanding of the discursive nature of English divestment.