An Analysis of Foreign Undergraduates' Perceptions of a Good Class in College Writing

Abstract

This study aims to find out what constitutes a good class as seen by foreign undergraduates in liberal arts college writing courses. A survey on the perception of a good class was conducted for 211 foreign students taking the College Writing courses. As a result, the factors that constitute a good class according to the students were the following: first, the instructors, second, the class environment, third, the evaluation and the atmosphere, fourth, the contents of education, and lastly, the teaching method by category. The students judged whether the class was good or not, largely according to the instructors’ kindness, the degree of care he or she gave to the students, and the ability of the instructor to communicate. Next, the study found that there was a difference in the perception of a good class according to the level of students’ Korean proficiency. Compared to intermediate and advanced learners, beginner learners recognized writing courses involving the learners' participation as worse in terms of teaching method, evaluation, and atmosphere. If instructors in charge of university writing courses for foreign undergraduate students plan and operate classes with the results of this study in mind, it is expected that the educational effect and student satisfaction will be enhanced.