영어유치원에 자녀를 보내는 어머니들의 경험에 대한 현상연구

Abstract

Objectives This study aims to investigate the cultural phenomenon of early English education through interviews with three mothers who chose English kindergartens through phenomenological research methodologies.
 Methods The participants in this study are three mothers who are sending their children to an English kindergarten at the time of the interview. As a data collection method, open-ended and semi-structured interview techniques were used. The contents of the interview were recorded and then transcribed. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with questions about the motivation for sending to English kindergarten, mothers' beliefs about early English learning, and mothers' perceptions of their children's English kindergarten experience. Interviews took an average of 90 minutes, and telephone interviews were adopted, considering the mother's convenience.
 Results The motives of mothers who send their children to English kindergartens are as follows. Children's desire to learn English in nature, English as an area that mothers cannot teach, early English learning as an investment in the future, and positive attitude toward American English textbooks. In addition, mothers had a positive attitude toward their children's early English learning but also had awareness of the importance of their mother tongue. Mothers positively recognized early English learning based on their beliefs gained from past English learning experiences and recognized early English learning as the first step for the CSAT. Mothers felt satisfied through the evaluation of their children's English proficiency.
 Conclusions A parent's beliefs determine when and how a child learns English, and a mother's beliefs greatly influence a child's English learning. Therefore, it is necessary to think from the child's point of view, not the parent's, whether the child has difficulties learning English or what kind of thoughts the child has.