A Study on the Relationship between Competency Achievement and Academic Achievement in Core Competency-based College English Classes

Abstract

This study aims to diagnose and analyze the effects of core competency-based college English classes through the relationship between learners' competency achievement and academic achievement, and to suggest the direction for a more even cultivation of both competency and academic achievement in future general English classes. To this end, the researchers collected the results of the core competency diagnosis, the scores of mid-term and final exams, and the evaluation results of competency-building activities from 145 students. Three classes taking college English at H University in the central region participated in this study for a total of 12 weeks. Independent sample t-validation, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were conducted for the purposes of this study. The results are as follows: First, we found that the teamwork competency level of learners taking this college English class improved. This result shows that students’ experiences performing the competency-building activities led to their competency achievement, and it also indicates that continuous and detailed activity-based teaching design is necessary to create college English classes that can guarantee the competency achievement of the learners. Second, learners who had improved their level of teamwork competency showed high satisfaction with the class, confirming that whether or not their core competencies were improved plays a role when it comes to the learners’ satisfaction with such classes. Finally, we found that learners with higher academic achievement had higher evaluation results regarding competency-building activities. This shows that competency-based college English classes have a positive effect in regards to improving both the core competency and the academic achievement of students. In conclusion, these results suggest that the instructional design for competency-based college English education can be an effective way for learners to develop both competency and academic achievement while putting their competency knowledge to use on their own.