Affective Filter in Second Language Learning in South Korea

Abstract

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), South Korea has ranked at the top among nations for spending on education for at least a decade. It is also well known that an important aspect of this so-called “education fever” is the significance of English. However, a growing body of research indicates that despite such a robust input of money, as well as of time, South Korean students nonetheless enjoy only lackluster to mediocre levels of English fluency, which are incommensurate with their investments compared to other countries. To students of English, and students in South Korea, this situation should be disturbing and concerning. The researchers of this paper decided that if some reasons could be identified as to why levels of fluency are lower than desired, then perhaps suggestions could be made to improve the situation. Based on the researchers experience, a hypothesis was created to test: The second language education environment prior to university in South Korea is not oriented toward fluency creation, but instead reinforces hierarchical and teacher-centered methods to teach a second language. Ultimately, this results in lowering student motivation and confidence while increasing anxiety about learning English. This was discovered to be called an increase in affective filter. To test this hypothesis, qualitative and quantitative research techniques were used. In addition to researching how students learn a second language and what techniques are most effective, a survey analysis was conducted where students were asked to selfreport about their English education learning experiences and feelings. For a comparative case, non-Korean students studying a second language (Korean) in South Korea were also asked to report about their Korean learning experiences and feelings. As we anticipated, a majority of students (out of n=127) self-reported that their English education experiences prior to university consisted primarily of listening to teachers lecture, with little time spent speaking. However, motivation results were unexpectedly mixed. For some this educational experience had a negative impact on motivation, selfconfidence, positive self-image, and anxiety, which according to the literature are prerequisites for second language acquisition: results consistent with our hypothesis. However, about a third experienced no change in motivation and more than a third were motivated by the experience. This is an important and novel finding. As for the non-Korean group, similar results were reported, although they indicated a greater time spent speaking. Both groups pointed to certain extra-curricular activities involving the second language, such as studying abroad, making foreign friends, and developing cultural awareness, as elements that would, or had, improved their motivation and confidence to acquire the second language.