KJCKorea
Journal Central

This classroom-based study examines the views of 48 high school English learners on learning about World Englishes (WE) and English as a lingua franca (ELF) over a semester in two regular classes, as well as the views of two female teachers regarding teaching and assessment in WE/ELF-integrated settings. Pre- and post-surveys indicated statistically significant changes in the students' attitudes toward WE/ELF. Their responses to open-ended questions highlighted a positive outlook on learning diverse forms of English and using them for authentic communication. However, they expressed concerns about the increased content and the stress of exams associated with WE/ELF learning. The teachers noted a rise in student interest and active participation but recommended providing additional instructional materials and activities for conceptual topics. One teacher concentrated on linguistic aspects by utilizing web-based pronunciation materials, while the other suggested the use of online tools for post-class reviews, seeking assistance from experienced colleagues, and participating in training for teaching WE/ELF. Both teachers also suggested performance-based assessment, with one providing an example of an essay task. The study also includes a more in-depth discussion on teaching and assessment in WE/ELF-embedded classes, along with implications for future research.

This study examines how task type influences the distribution and functional use of discourse markers (DMs) in Korean university EFL learner interaction. Two task-based activities were compared: a structured Spot-the-Difference (SPOT) task and an openended Decision-Making (DEC) task. Based on Fung and Carter’s (2007) multi-functional framework, five DM categories—response tokens, interpersonal, referential, structural, and cognitive—were analyzed across dyadic interactions. Contrary to expectations, overall DM frequencies were comparable across the two task types; however, functional analysis revealed distinct interactional profiles for each. Specifically, the results showed clear functional differentiation: SPOT elicited substantially more response tokens, reflecting an interactional orientation toward maintaining conversational flow, tied to its convergent, visually supported design. In contrast, DEC elicited higher frequencies of interpersonal, structural, and referential DMs, suggesting a greater reliance on reasoning, negotiation, and collaborative meaning-making. A chi-square test of independence confirmed a significant association between task type and DM distribution. These findings support claims that task complexity and communicative purpose shape learners’ discourse behavior and DM deployment (Tavakoli & Foster, 2008). Pedagogically, the study highlights the value of selecting tasks strategically to promote targeted DM functions, suggesting that more complex, open-ended tasks foster richer pragmatic engagement. Directions for future research are also proposed.