To foster smooth communication skills among Korean learners, it is necessary to improve the pronunciation of learners of KFL as well as increase the complexity of their output in Korean. And this improvement in pronunciation and increase of complexity of speaking ability should be done the way learners are most used to, namely through classroom activities. However, most activities currently used in Korean conversation classes focus on just one of these two aspects; when performing activities to increase the complexity of output, the focus on pronunciation is not taken into consideration, and when performing pronunciation activities complexity of learners’ output is not an issue of focus. This study, therefore, examines the possibility of balancing both improvement in pronunciation and increase of complexity of learners’ output through 'retelling activities' in Korean conversation classes. This study is based on the following experiment. Eighteen learners who had completed a formal intermediate Korean course were recruited, and following preliminary speaking skill assessments were divided into a control and experimental group. The control group participated in a conversation class using activities from a current Korean textbook, while the experimental group was further divided into groups of three for a class including retelling activities. For this class, the researcher first distributed copies of the text to be discussed when the class next met; each participant was instructed to prepare to explain the content to the other group members. After each group had completed five classes, post-experimental assessments were conducted using the same format as the preliminary assessments. Both the pre- and post-experimental assessments were recorded, and subsequently evaluated by three Korean education professionals with over 7 years of teaching experience. Results indicated retelling activities did increase the complexity of learners’ output, however when it comes to the improvement of pronunciation of the learners' speaking ability the results were not meaningful; nevertheless, it is expected that more precise results are obtained in case if the experimental period is extended.
The official diplomatic relationship between Hong Kong and South Korea began in 1949 when South Korea established its Consulate in Hong Kong. Since then, the political, diplomatic and economic relations between Hong Kong and South Korea began to intensify and the number of Korean people living in Hong Kong increases year over year. According to the 2006 Hong Kong by-census, there are 4,812 Koreans living in Hong Kong. Among these, 6.9 percent were born in Hong Kong and 93.1 percent were born outside Hong Kong
An immigrant’s command of local language influences his or her life in the place he or she is living. Some studies have been made in the U.S focusing on the importance of language and linking language with success in adjusting to life in the U.S. However, the native-language maintenance is important for an immigrant’s identity and his or her behavior. Many of the sociological studies stress the influences of mother-tongue shift among immigrant groups and the importance of ethnicity, cultural identity and nationality as determinants of group behavior.
This research provides a brief overview of the history of the Korean community in Hong Kong and discusses the language education of young Koreans in Hong Kong and their use of language in their daily life. Most importantly, we would like to find out the influences of language study and using on their identity formation, adaptation of the culture and social relations with members of the host society.
Co-author: Higuchi Ken’ichiro, Associate Professor of the Sugiyama Jogakuen University, Japan
E-mail: higuchi@sugiyama-u.ac.jp
Address: Room 306, School of Culture-Information Studies, Sugiyama Jogakuen University, 17-3 Hoshigaoka-motomachi, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8662, Japan
This paper examines the process of producing family status through the children’s English language education. This is primarily initiated by the mothers as an important part of their household management work. English language proficiency has been regarded as one of the critical skills for career success in Korea since the mid-20th century, and its importance has become even more pronounced in the era of globalization. As education has often been one of the important means in climbing up the social and economic ladder in modern Korea, Korean mothers have employed a variety of methods to make sure that their children attain as high level of English proficiency as possible in addition to education at respectable schools. Many of these arrangements involve transnational movements of the family members, and the families often make significant investments of financial resources, and sometimes even risk instability of family relationship. In modern Korea, globally useful skills such as English proficiency comprise an important component of one’s cultural capital, and making sure that the children acquire these skills through proper arrangements has become an important part of women’s family status production work, that can contribute to the families’ present and future welfare. Anthropological fieldwork, including in-depth interviews and participant observation in various contexts where children learn English and the topic is discussed, was used in the research. This paper shows that children’s English education in today’s globalizing Korea is a fertile and pertinent arena where gender, family, and class identities are dynamically constructed and negotiated.
The official diplomatic relationship between Hong Kong and South Korea began in 1949 when South Korea established its Consulate in Hong Kong. Since then, the political, diplomatic and economic relations between Hong Kong and South Korea began to intensify and the number of Korean people living in Hong Kong increases year over year. According to the 2006 Hong Kong by-census, there are 4,812 Koreans living in Hong Kong. Among these, 6.9 percent were born in Hong Kong and 93.1 percent were born outside Hong Kong
An immigrant’s command of local language influences his or her life in the place he or she is living. Some studies have been made in the U.S focusing on the importance of language and linking language with success in adjusting to life in the U.S. However, the native-language maintenance is important for an immigrant’s identity and his or her behavior. Many of the sociological studies stress the influences of mother-tongue shift among immigrant groups and the importance of ethnicity, cultural identity and nationality as determinants of group behavior.
This research provides a brief overview of the history of the Korean community in Hong Kong and discusses the language education of young Koreans in Hong Kong and their use of language in their daily life. Most importantly, we would like to find out the influences of language study and using on their identity formation, adaptation of the culture and social relations with members of the host society.
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