Korean College Students Research Articles

Determinants of Lifestyle Choices Among South Korean College Students: An Experimental Analysis.

PurposeBased on theoretical predictions from human capital theory, the aim of this exploratory study is to analyze the relationship between experimentally elicited, incentivized economic preference parameters, Big Five and Grit personality traits, cognitive ability, and the Alameda Seven lifestyles: smoking, drinking excessively, being overweight or obese, experiencing stress, following a healthy diet, exercising, and sleeping enough. In addition, self-reported general physical and mental health are analyzed.Materials and MethodsData collection took place in an incentivized paper-and-pencil experiment. Undergraduate students were recruited as subjects, with the requirement that they be freshmen, but no restrictions based on gender, major, or age. A pre-test and three experimental sessions were conducted in March and in April 2018, with a total of 178 subjects participating. After deleting observations with missing values, a total of n = 138 subjects remained. Regression analysis (multivariate probit models, resulting marginal effects and changes in predicted probabilities of adopting a lifestyle for “ideal types”) was used to analyze and compare the determinants of the Alameda Seven health behaviors.ResultsFindings suggest that preference parameters, a measure of cognitive ability, and Big Five personality traits are statistically significantly estimated in regressions for the determinants of adopting Alameda Seven health behaviors, but the Grit score is only statistically significantly estimated in a regression for the determinants of reported better general mental health.ConclusionThe findings regarding preference parameters partly lend support to predictions from human capital theory and partly confirm previous findings in health psychology. Those results might be explained by the relatively small sample size and the inclusion of a measure of cognitive ability in addition to personality traits and preferences.

Exploring Korean College Students’ Attitudes Toward General English Program and Influencing Factors

Exploring Korean College Students’ Attitudes Toward General English Program and Influencing Factors

The Factors Affecting the Face Mask Use Preventive Behaviors of Korean University Students: Focusing on Knowledge, Risk Perception, and Anxiety of COVID-19

The Factors Affecting the Face Mask Use Preventive Behaviors of Korean University Students: Focusing on Knowledge, Risk Perception, and Anxiety of COVID-19

Korean College Students’ Self-Directed Use of Machine Translator in an English Writing Class during the Digital Era: Is This a Crisis or a Chance?

The purpose of this research was to investigate how EFL college learners self-directed their English writing using MT in an English writing class. Specifically, this study focused on 1) What types of errors are identified the most frequently in the students’ writings?, 2) How those errors have been changed through the students’ self-directed revision process?, and 3) In what ways does this activity influence students’ perceptions toward English writing? The participants were six university students who took a 3-credit English writing class, and completed their writings using MT throughout the semester. The students’ written outcomes, in-depth interviews with them and results of writing tests were analyzed. The findings of data analysis indicated that first, the highest frequency of errors was seen in lexical errors at the rate of 65.5%, followed by morphological errors at the rate of 19.7%. Second, there has been a significant decrease in the overall types of errors between the first (35.0%) and second (20.9%) drafts, from the no-use of MT to the use of MT. Lastly, it can be said that the MT-assisted writing practice which took place during a short period of time had positive influence on students’ perceptions toward English writing. Implications for online classes in the Corona era are presented.

中韩大学生寒暄语使用情况考察

Greetings have distinctive national cultural characteristics and rich cultural heritage. This paper studies the use of greetings by Chinese and Korean college students through questionnaire survey, analyzes the differences between the usage learned by students from textbooks, classes or other ways and the actual use of native speakers, and finds the deficiencies of language learners in the acquisition of greetings. It reflects the characteristics of the times and social changes of greetings, and puts forward some substantive suggestions in the field of cultural development and teaching.

Effects of Culture on L2 Writing: A Case Study of Korean University Students

Drawing on the cultural background of the East (i.e., Korea) and the West (i.e., U.S.), I aimed to investigate the influence of L1 culture on L2 writing by focusing on the usage of “I” and the logical structure in the participants’ English writings. Ten Korean university students learning English as a foreign language (L2) participated in this study. The data was collected through questionnaire, interviews, process logs, and the participants’ English writings (They wrote four English essays and one personal narrative). The number of the essays that did not use “I” at all was 13. Five participants did not use “I” at all in at least one of their essays. Nine participants wrote “Chun” (deviation form) in their English writing. All participants employed the combination of English (e.g., U.S.) rhetoric and Korean rhetoric: The rhetorical structure of introduction-body-conclusion (English rhetoric) was mixed with ki-sung-chun-kyul (Korean rhetoric). A new converged mode of writing appeared when there was a fusion between a collectivist culture-based writing and an individualistic culturebased writing, which I coined as “Convergent rhetoric.” The convergence of Korean rhetoric and English rhetoric yielded diverse writing styles, yet a general pattern was graphically represented.

번역기를 사용한 학습이 한국 대학생의 영작 능력에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the use of a machine translator on Korean university students" English writing. 50 non-English major students engaged in the 15-week experiment. To examine the effectiveness of using a machine translator, pre-writing tasks without the help of a machine translator and post-writing tasks with it were performed every week and Grammarly, a writing assistant tool, was employed to rate students" writing proficiency. A perception survey was also conducted to explore students" perceptions and satisfaction toward the use of a machine translator. An SPSS statistical analysis was used for data analysis. Findings indicate that participants improved their writing proficiency, especially in vocabulary and sentence length. The survey resultevealed that participants showed high satisfaction with a machine translator. Based on the findings, using a machine translator in English writing had positive effects on students in terms of writing proficiency, study attitude, and satisfaction.

국내 대학생의 학술적 영어 글쓰기의 수사학적 수행에 대한 사례 연구

The L2 writers’ rhetorical performance is considered to be influenced by L1 rhetorical transfer or L2 writing proficiency. However, no affirmative answer has yet been given regarding what exactly determines L2 writers’ rhetorical performance. Accordingly, the present study aims to investigate what rhetorical structure Korean EFL college students use in their academic argument and what elements construct their rhetorical performance during the writing activity. To this end, a case study was conducted on two advanced learners of English in Korean college. First, the rhetorical structure of the students’ argumentative essays was examined based on Swales move analysis. Then, multiple sources of data collected from the text-based interviews and survey were analyzed qualitatively based on activity theory. It was found that the students’ imagined discourse community was a significant factor that determined their genre awareness of L2 academic argument. Based on their genre awareness, students built an understanding of the rules of and their roles in L2 academic writing, all of which dynamically constructed their own L2 rhetorical performance. These findings suggest pedagogical implications for L2 academic writing in Korean college.

The examination of the learning variables affecting academic achievement of an online general English course in the emergency remote teaching environment

This study examined the learning variables affecting college learners achievement in a general English course under the Emergency Remote Teaching Environment. For the study, six learning variables were selected: checking the bulletin-board, learning progress, access to the LMS, watching video lectures using mobile devices or PCs, and learning time. 133 Korean college students participated in the online general English courses. Their data were collected through the Learning Management System. The data were analyzed to examine the learning variables affecting their academic achievement according to their characteristics using the independent t-test and multiple regression. The research findings are as follows. First, checking the bulletinboard, access to the LMS, and learning progress were correlated highly with their academic achievement. Second, checking the bulletin-board and watching video lectures using mobile devices contributed to the achievement for the male students. However, only the variable of access to the LMS affected the female students. Access to the LMS was the primary variable for the 1st grade students; checking the bulletinboard and watching video lectures using mobile devices affected the achievement in the Engineering college. In the low-level group, access to the bulletin-board was the only effective variable. Some discussions and implications for examining the learning variables affecting academic achievement are illustrated.

A study on Korean university students’ perceptions and attitudes towards their online English reading and writing classes under COVID-19 pandemic

This study paid attention to the characteristics of online classes under the COVID-19 pandemic and was designed to find out the responses of students to online classes conducted in 2021. Ahead of the return from online classes to face-to-face classes, it aims to reflect on students’ attitudes and perceptions of online classes and present discussions on post-COVID-19 classes by examining the degree of satisfaction of students in English reading and writing classes. In order to achieve this, the research was implemented for 15 weeks with 394 university students. The research questions set up for the research purpose are as follows: in online English reading and writing classes, what is the interaction 1) between learners and instructors?, 2) between the learner and the teaching content?, 3) between learners?, 4) between the learner and the system? and finally, what is the satisfaction level with English reading and writing learning? On the whole, students responded positively to online English reading and writing classes, but there was a high negative perception of the communication aspect. Base on the results, some suggestions are made, and discussion points for English reading and writing classes post COVID-19 were proposed.

University Students’ Perspectives on Synchronous Online Teacher- and Student-led Group Activities: Based on General English Classes

For nearly two years, virtual learning has been employed by most Korean university instructors and students in online teaching environment. A major negative result of prior research on this issue has been a feeling of isolation and desire for more interactions by students. Therefore, this study was conducted to elicit student insights and feelings related to their satisfaction, self-ratings, and advantages and disadvantages of online Teacher-led (TL) versus Student-led (SL) team activities in their online learning environment. A total of 53 freshman students in two general English classes took part in four Zoom group meetings. The surveys and reflection essay were analyzed through qualitative methods. Major findings included: students from both the TL and SL groups reported relatively higher satisfaction and self-ratings of English skills through the four team activities. However, the TL group indicated that there was a lack of emphasis on reading skills, and an overreliance on teacher interventions led to a lack of team cooperation. While the SL group reported that a lack of teacher interaction led to confusion, poor time management, increased Korean use, and fewer listening comprehension opportunities. Implications and a discussion of team activity use in general English programs are included.

The relationship between learning styles and learners’ satisfaction in online college English classes

The purpose of this study is to investigate how satisfied university students are with online English classes and find out the relationship between their learning styles and their satisfaction with the classes. The study was conducted on thirty-three Korean university students for 15 weeks. The students’ satisfaction with the class was examined to find out their overall perceptions and attitudes. Also, the relationship between the students’ satisfaction with the class and their learning styles was analyzed. The results were as follows. First, online asynchronous English classes had a positive effect on the students’ satisfaction. That is, the students showed positive perceptions and attitudes toward the classes. Second, all of the students with the learning styles, diverging, assimilating, converging, and accommodating, showed positive satisfaction with the online English classes. The ranking of the learning styles with high class satisfaction was in the order of diverging, assimilating, accommodating, and converging. The students with diverging showed statistically significant differences in class satisfaction from the students with converging, and accommodating. This finding indicates that teachers should consider learners’ characteristics with various learning styles to design more effective online classes. Based on the study, some guidelines for effective online English classes were suggested.

Exploring Risk and Protective Factors for Cyberbullying and Their Interplay: Evidence from a Sample of South Korean College Students

This study explored risk and protective factors for cyberbullying perpetration and examined whether they independently and interactively predicted cyberbullying perpetration. Based on key propositions of micro-level theories of crime and delinquency, we adopted two risk factors, cyberbullying victimization and association with cyberbullying peers, and two protective factors, morality and self-control. Using a sample of South Korean college students (N = 244; 112 women (45.9%), 132 men (54.1%); Mean (age) = 22), we found that the two risk factors were positively associated with cyberbullying perpetration, while only one of the two protective factors, which is morality, had a negative relationship with cyberbullying perpetration. In addition, the two protective factors partially buffered the effects of both risk factors on cyberbullying perpetration. The implications and limitations of these findings were also discussed.

Filling the Gap between Active and Passive Word Knowledge with the Focus on Colligation

Objectives This paper discovered what it takes to convert passive vocabulary into active vocabulary. Methods Forty-six Korean EFL college students participated in this study. Two vocabulary tasks - matching and translation tasks - were administered to assess their passive and active word knowledge. Both tasks included 15 target words, all of which are high-frequency vocabulary. The translation task featured colligation, one aspect of vocabulary knowledge. Based on the results of the two tasks, eight students - four had good active vocabulary and the other four did not - were chosen as interviewees. The interview focused mainly on how students with good active vocabulary have built on such vocabulary. Results Students with good active vocabulary in terms of colligation turned out to be fully aware of the importance of high-frequency words, putting a premium on high-frequency words in their vocabulary study. They were also found to have their own learning strategies for enhancing their active vocabulary: using self-talk, writing a vocabulary journal, paraphrasing, and using online resources. Conclusions EFL students need to be helped to realize that high-frequency words should be prioritized in improving active vocabulary, given that it would be unrealistic for them to be able to accurately use every English word. They should also be encouraged to find learning methods and resources that work for them to turn their passive vocabulary into active one.

The role of learners’ socioeconomic status and perception of technology use in their second language learning motivation and achievement

As digital technology is becoming an increasingly critical component of education, learners’ socioeconomic status (SES) and technology use are becoming more important in their learning. In the context of English learning, the present study modeled how learners’ SES and their perception of technology use for language learning are linked to their motivation for learning English as a foreign language (EFL) and level of English achievement. To this end, 306 South Korean college students’ learner factors, motivation, and English achievement were measured. The results of the structural equation modeling analysis indicated that learners’ SES was positively associated with their perception of technology use and motivation and indirectly associated with their language learning achievement. Furthermore, we found that learners’ perception of technology use in language learning is associated with their motivation and achievement. In addition, among the several learner factors measured in this study, learners’ expectancy of being successful in language learning as part of achievement motivation emerged as the strongest predictor of their language learning achievement. An in-depth discussion of pedagogical and policy implications is also provided.

A Comparative Study on the Financial Literacy of Korean and Japanese College Students

This study compares Korean and Japanese college students financial literacy to identify their relative strengths and weaknesses, as well as subject matters of poor understanding. Overall, Korean students perform significantly better on a financial literacy test than Japanese students. Korean students demonstrate relative weakness on concepts such as insurance, the relationship between education level and income, the source of national pension, credit scores, and cost-benefit analysis. Korean students also struggle with auto insurance coverage and the relationship between interest rates and bond prices. The results suggest that the determinants of financial scores differ significantly between students from the two countries, with some coefficient estimates having opposite signs. For Korean college students, majors in economics or related fields and students with a positive attitude toward money are significantly more likely to be knowledgeable about personal finance. In addition, a family s economic status, reading economic news, math skills, and investment experience are significant predictors of an individual s financial literacy.

Relations among Socially Prescribed Perfectionism, Career Stress, Mental Health, and Mindfulness in Korean College Students.

Korean young adults are exposed to higher career stress than ever before, and such stress exerts a negative impact on mental health outcomes. The present study aimed to understand the mediating effect of career stress on the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and mental health using a sample of 420 Korean college students. The present study also investigated the moderating role of mindfulness in the mediated pathways across gender groups. This study’s results showed that there are considerable gender differences in this relationship. Career stress significantly mediates the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and depression and life satisfaction only for females. Study findings also indicated that the moderating effect of mindfulness was more remarkable for female students than for male students. Implications and future directions are discussed.

A Qualitative Study on the Successful University Life Experiences of North Korean college students

목적 본 연구는 학업 및 대학 생활 전반을 성공적으로 하고 있는 탈북대학생들이 성공적인 대학 생활을 할 수 있는 이유는 무엇인지, 그리고 성공적인 대학 생활 가운데서도 어떤 점이 어려웠는지를 살펴보았다. 방법 이를 위해 학업 성적, 대학에 대한 애착, 교우관계 등 대학 생활 전반에서 본인이 성공적인 대학 생활을 하고 있다고 생각하고 있는 탈북대학생 6명을 대상으로 질적 연구를 진행하였고, 심층면담의 유형 중 반구조화된 면담을 통해 자료를 수집하였다. 결과 연구 참여자들은 대학 입학 전 사회 경험과 자발적 선행학습을 통해 대학 수학에 대한 사전 준비를 하였고, 북한에서는 꿈꿀 수 없었던 대학 생활을 할 수 있다는 그 자체, 그리고 과제 발표와 동아리 활동 등 입학 초기의 성공적 적응 경험과 지도교수와 동기의 따뜻한 배려가 큰 힘이 되었다고 답했다. 그러나 탈북 시기에 대한 고려 없이 일률적인 북한이탈주민 대학 입학 특별전형의 적용과 탈북대학생에 대한 지원의 사각지대 발생, 사적 인간관계에 의존한 탈북민 지원 정보의 취득 및 탈북민이라는 특수한 배경으로 인한 취업 걱정은 원활한 대학 생활 적응의 장애 요인이 되었다. 결론 이러한 연구 결과를 바탕으로 탈북대학생들이 대학 입학 전 충분한 대학 수학 준비를 하도록 제도적 정비와 대학에 입학한 후 지속적인 관심을 바탕으로 탈북대학생이 처한 상황에 따른 맞춤형 지원, 탈북민 지원 관련 정보 제공 체계의 보완 및 홍보 강화, 그리고 공적 차원에서 탈북대학생이 민간 탈북민 조력자로부터 도움을 받을 수 있도록 관계 형성의 창구를 마련할 것 등을 시사점으로 제시하였다.

Calm down: A mediation model on the mitigating effect anxiety has on learner interactions and learning outcome

AbstractLearners in videoconference‐mediated classrooms are expected to interact regardless of their varied demographic and behavioral characteristics, including susceptibility to foreign language (FL) anxiety. With a focus on apprehension, the present study aimed to better understand the influence students’ FL anxiety has on the relationship between learner interactions and academic self‐efficacy beliefs. To this end, questionnaire data was collected from 647 South Korean university students attending emergency remote online classes through Zoom's videoconference platform. Structural equation modeling was carried out to identify the mediating effect of FL classroom anxiety on the relationship between academic self‐efficacy beliefs and interactions. Findings revealed full mediation on the path coefficient from learner–learner interaction to learning expectations, while no mediation effect was observed between learner–instructor interactions and learning expectations. Increasing levels of learner–learner interactions were associated with increasing FL anxiety, partly explaining the positive path between learner–learner interactions and expected academic performance. Unlike learner–instructor interactions, learner–learner interactions increase communication anxiety, consequently decreasing expected learning outcomes.

Willingness to Read in Class and Outside Class, Reading Anxiety, and Comprehension of Korean EFL College Students

The purpose of this study is twofold: to examine whether and to what extent reading anxiety is associated with Korean EFL college students’ willingness to read (WTR) in and outside class; and to investigate whether and to what extent WTR inside, and outside class are related to reading comprehension in English. Participants included 108 undergraduate students. Simple regression and standard multiple regression using SPSS reveal two major findings: First, Korean college students are more affected with anxiety when they are willing to try read in English outside class than inside; second, students who willingly try to read English outside class are better at reading comprehension than those who are more willing to read inside class. The results of the study suggest that instructors need to be aware of EFL students