영어전용수업과 이중언어수업 비교를 통한 초급 영어 학습자의 교육적 효과에 관한 연구- 한국 대학생을 중심으로 -

Abstract

This study investigated the efficacy of the current English classes that have been taught to students whose English proficiency is very low in the country of South Korea. The following study compared a student group that had been taught by native English-speaking (ES) professors and a second student group that had been taught by bilingual-speaking (BS) Korean English professors. Through class observations and in-depth interviews with both professors and students who participated in this study, the researcher found out some critical factors that may affect the participants’ achievement and attitude change. Thus, the significance of this study lies in the investigation of both qualitative and quantitative analysis in order to find out the efficacy of the English classes for the low-level of English college students in Korea. The researcher pursued the evidence for: (1) factors that elicit differences between those taught by the ES professors (making up the ES group) and those taught by the BS professors (making up the BS group) on students’ achievement progress and attitude, (2) whether there are any significant differences between both student groups with their achievement progress in English proficiency, and (3) whether there are any significant measurable differences with each group’s attitude after getting instructions from each professor. The study included 91 college students enrolled in an ESL program at J College located in Kyunggi province in Korea. They are all at beginner levels in terms of English proficiency and they were divided into two groups. The students who were taught by native English speaking professors were assigned to the ES group and those taught by Korean English professors were assigned to the BS group. This study was conducted during ESL class time in the spring semester in 2009 (2-hour classes, once a week for 15 weeks). There were many comparisons made between the two groups that focused on their diagnosis test scores, achievement test scores, and attitude changes through pre- and post-test periods, pre- and post-survey periods, attitude questionnaires, interviews and class observations. Through qualitative analysis from the data of Study 1, Study 2, interviews, class observations, and questionnaires, the researcher found some factors that may affect the students’ achievement and attitude as follows: students’ level of English proficiency, students’ experiences due to exposure from certain professors, input from professors, professors’ teaching techniques, and interaction degree and communication degree. From this data, the researcher concluded that English classes should be placed according to the appropriate level of students. For example, native English speaking professors teach high-level students and bilingual professors teach low-level students. Though it sounds quite natural, in the Korean EFL context, the Korean government stressed an English-only policy in 2008. Because of this all schools in Korea from the elementary level to the university level tried to recruit as many native speakers as possible with the aim of teaching English-only classes. However, under the English-only policy, not all students benefited from it. For example, the low-level English learners had difficulties understanding native speakers’ impromptu and natural input. Indeed, in this study, there have been significant differences between the groups that have been taught by native professors only in English and the groups that have been taught by Korean professors using a bilingual approach. Also, for the low-level English learners, they should be exposed to a variety of class activities and be actually involved in them so they should be taught by bilingual teachers who can communicate and interact with them in English and their first language as well. Bilingual teachers can more easily communicate with the students especially whose English proficiency is very low and can handle whenever there is a problem so that they can manage the class and students better than native English speakers who can speak only in English. Actually, in terms of students’ preferences, 78% of the students preferred Korean professors, in contrast to only 4.8% of them who chose to be taught by native professors. Also, the students in the BS group participated more in a variety of activities as a pair, whole group, and individually, and they did not have any difficulties interacting or communicating with the professor. As a result, the students who studied English with a bilingual professor were satisfied with the class in general. On the contrary, the students in the ES group had a hard time understanding and there were not many activities that students could actually be involved in; only four active students occupied every chance to speak out or participated in the class activities, and there was very limited interaction with each other so they had a harder time understanding and communicating with each other most of the class time. Input from the native professor was too difficult to understand for the students because the students’ English proficiency level was very low. It was impossible to negotiate meaning for the professor and the students in English-only classes. Through quantitative analysis, the BS group students had higher scores than the ES group students that means Korean English professors who are bilingual are more helpful for the students whose English proficiency is very low rather than native English speaking professors who teach English only in English. According to the factor analysis, the degree of participation affected the post-test score significantly only in the ES group students. Therefore, in English-only classes, the degree of participation is very critical. Only a few students whose English proficiency is high enough to communicate with native speakers can participate actively in English-only class and therefore, they can get benefits from native speakers through active interaction and communication with native speakers. Now it is time to rethink the English-only policy at all levels of education; it needs to be adapted to consider more efficient methods of matching native speakers with students of higher level of English proficiency.