Experiences of Ideology and English Language Learning in South Korea

Abstract

Recently, Park (2009) has highlighted a trio of ideologies that circulate in Korea regarding English: necessitation, externalization, and self-deprecation. However, the interaction of these ideologies with classroom practices remains an under-researched area of study. This narrative study analyses three different teacher-student interactions and finds that Park’s framework provides a powerful, if not fully satisfactory, framework for understanding these students’ conflicting ideological positions regarding English. Further, this study finds that making issues of ideology subject to study within English classes productively allows students to question and change certain assumptions implicit in both their learning and classrooms.