A Study on Using Foreign Language in the Korean Classroom -focused on teacher’s linguistic background and educational environment-.

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the cognition and practical use of foreign language in the Korean classroom. In order to examine the use of foreign language in various contexts, I classified the Korean teachers according to the linguistic backgrounds and the teaching locations. For the multi-faceted and in-depth study, an interview analysis of eight Korean teachers(2 each domestic native, overseas native, domestic non-native and overseas non-native teachers) and a survey of 117 Korean teachers were conducted. Through the interview analysis, we found some common ideas about using foreign language in the classroom. What should be emphasized here is that the use of the foreign language by the teachers surveyed is not determined by external factors but the active decision of the teacher through teacher cognition. In addition, the results of the survey showed that the rate of using foreign language in the overseas classrooms, and beginning levels are significantly higher than that of domestics and intermediate and above. And the analysis of the situations in which the foreign language is actually used and that is considered effective to use is conducted but still needs to be further analysed. (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies)