Korean English Teacher’s Disempowerment in English-only Classes: A Case Study Focusing on Korea-specific Cultural Aspects

황성삼; Kim， Tae-Young (김태영); 서효선

Korean English Teacher’s Disempowerment in English-only Classes: A Case Study Focusing on Korea-specific Cultural Aspects

The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea
Abbr : 사회언어학
2010, 18(1), pp.105-135
Publisher : The Sociolinguistic Society Of Korea
Research Area : Humanities > Linguistics

황성삼 ¹, Kim， Tae-Young ¹, 서효선 ¹

¹중앙대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

In this case study, we have focused on the disempowerment of a Korean English teacher (KET) in English-only classrooms. Six English as a foreign language (EFL) classrooms in a Korean high school were observed and analyzed by using interpretive discourse analysis. Out of the six classes, three representative classrooms were both video- and audio-taped. The results show that the English-only classes could weaken the KETs’ power via three mechanisms: (a) calling the KETs’ last name for choral greetings at the beginning of the class, (b) students’ group solidarity and peer pressure between classmates, and (c) the students’ excessively collaborative approach to peer assistance. It is argued that the exclusive English-only instruction disempowers the KETs’ status and dismantles their vocational identity. In order to remedy the current situation, within a scaffolding supported by the eclectic use of first language where necessary for effective class management, KETs are empowered and overcome constraints imposed by the limited L2 oral competence of some non-native English teachers.

KEYWORDS

English-only instruction, Korean English teacher, disempowerment, Confucian academic culture, teaching English through English (TETE), English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

[journal] Allwright, D / 1983 / Classroom-centered research on language teaching and learning: A brief historical overview / TESOL Quarterly 17(2) : 191~204

[book] Allwright, D / 1991 / Focus on the Language Classroom / Cambridge University Press

[book] Atkinson, J. M / 1984 / Structures of Social Action: Studies in Conversation Analysis / Cambridge University Press

[journal] Auerbach, E. R / 1993 / Reexamining English only in the EFL classroom / TESOL Quarterly 27(1) : 9~32

[book] Benson, P / 2001 / Teaching and Researching Autonomy in Language Learning / Longman

[book] Bond, M. H / 1986 / The Psychology of the Chinese People / Oxford University Press

[book] Bond, M. H / 1991 / Beyond the Chinese Face: Insights from Psychology / Oxford University Press

[book] Byram, M / 1997 / Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Communicative Competence / Multilingual Matters

[book] Canagarajah, A. S / 1999 / Interrogating the “Native-speaker Fallacy”: Non-linguistic roots, non-pedagogical results. In Non-native Educators in English Language Teaching / Lawrence Erlbaum : 77~92

[journal] Cheng, X / 2000 / Asian students’ reticence revisited / System 28(3) : 435~446

[web] Choi, H.-J / TETE will be mandatory in Seoul-based secondary schools once a week / Hankyre Sinmoon / http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/schooling/270222.html

[journal] Cook, V / 2001 / Using first language in the classroom / The Canadian Modern Language Review 57(3) : 402~423

[journal] Dash, P. S / 2002 / English-only (EO) in the classroom: Time for a reality check? / The Asian EFL Journal 4(4) : 22~43

[book] Denzin, N. K / 1970 / Sociological Methods: A Source Book / Aldine

[book] Dörnyei, Z / 2005 / The Psychology of the Language Learner: Individual Differences in Second Language Acquisition / Lawrence Erlbaum

[book] Dörnyei, Z / 2009 / Motivation, Language Identity, and the L2 Self / Multilingual Matters

[book] Duff, P. A / 2008 / Case Study Research in Applied Linguistics / Lawrence Erlbaum

[book] Fairclough, N / 1989 / Language and Power / Pearson Longman

[journal] Flowerdew, J / 1995 / On the notion of culture in L2 lectures / TESOL Quarterly 29(2) : 345~373

[book] Geertz, C / 1973 / The Interpretation of Cultures / Basic Books

[book] Glaser, B. C / 1967 / The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research / Adline

[journal] 황성삼 / 2008 / Constructing rating scales for oral performance tests at secondary schools based on the EBB model. / 영어교육 / 한국영어교육학회 63(2) : 307~331

[journal] 전인재 / 2008 / Korean EFL Teachers’ Beliefs of English-only Instruction / 영어교육 / 한국영어교육학회 63(3) : 205~229

[journal] Sung-AeKim / 2002 / A Critical Reflection on the ‘Teaching English Through English’ Classes in the Korean Context / 영어교육 / 한국영어교육학회 57(4) : 315~346

[journal] Sung-YeonKim / 2002 / Teachers’ Perceptions about Teaching English Through English / 영어교육 / 한국영어교육학회 57(1) : 131~148

[journal] 김성연 / 2008 / Five Years of Teaching English Through English: Responses from Teachers and Prospects for Learners / 영어교육 / 한국영어교육학회 63(1) : 51~70

[journal] Kim,T.-Y / 2006 / Motivation and attitudes toward foreign language learning as socio-politically mediated constructs: The case of Korean high school students / The Journal of Asia TEFL 3(2) : 231~256

[journal] Kim, Tae-Young / 2006 / L2 Learning Motivation from a Sociocultural Theory Perspective: Theory, Concepts, and Empirical Evidence / 영어교육 / 한국영어교육학회 61(4) : 51~76

[journal] Kim,T.-Y / 2007 / The dynamics of English name maintenance and change: Cases of Korean ESL immigrants in Toronto / Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development 28(2) : 117~133

[journal] Kinney, D. A / 1993 / From nerds to normals: The recovery of identity among adolescents from middle school to high school / Sociology of Education 66(1) : 21~40

[journal] Koerner, E. F. K / 2008 / The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis: A preliminary history and a bibliographical essay / Journal of Linguistic Anthropology 2(2) : 173~198

[book] Kohonen, V / 1992 / Experiential language learning: Second language as a cooperative learner education. In Collaborative Language Learning and Teaching / Cambridge University Press

[book] Lee, H.-S / 2008 / Understanding of English education policies in Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. In :A Training Material for the First Level Certificate of English Teachers / Seoul Teacher Training Center

[journal] 이진화 / 2007 / Where to Start Teaching English Through English:Based on Perceived Effectiveness of Teachers’ English Use / 영어교육 / 한국영어교육학회 62(4) : 335~354

[confproc] Lee, K.-R / 2008 / New challenges of English teachers in Korea / Plenary paper presented at the 6th Asia TEFL International Conference

[other] Lee, W.-J / 2008 / 33,000 Korean English teachers cried “Oh my god!” / Chung-Ang Ilbo Sunday

[journal] 이윤진 / 2006 / A Study on Teaching Korean Terms of Address as a Second Language. / 한국어 교육 / 국제한국어교육학회 17(1) : 287~306

[journal] Lee, Yo-An / 2006 / Speaking Proficiency of Non-native English Teachers: Constructing Multiple Utterances / 영어교육 / 한국영어교육학회 61(3) : 189~212

[book] Lincoln, Y. S / 1985 / Naturalistic Inquiry / Sage

[journal] Liu, D / 2004 / South Korean high school English teachers’ code switching: Questions and challenges in the drive for maximal use of English in teaching / TESOL Quarterly 38(4) : 605~638

[journal] Luthar, S. S / 1996 / Peer reputation among inner-city adolescents: Structure and correlates / Journal of Research on Adolescence 6(4) : 581~603

[book] MacDonald, C / 1993 / Using the Target Language / Mary Glasgow

[book] Min, C / 2008 / Innovative English education curricula and the strategies of implementation in Korea. In ELT Curriculum Innovation and Implementation in Asia / Asia TEFL : 101~129

[other] Ministry of Education and Human Resources / 2007 / Annual education tatistics on English teachers in primary and secondary schools

[journal] Ok, J.-S / 2000 / Address terms revisited: English and Korea / The Jungang Journal of English Language and Literature 42(2) : 191~218

[journal] Park, C.-W / 2000 / Peer pressure and learning to speak English / English Teaching 55(4) : 231~268

[journal] 박휴용 / 2006 / ‘세계화시대의 영어학습’ 열기에 대한 비판적 담론분석:사회적 기호화과정(social symbolization)의 탐색 / 사회언어학 / 한국사회언어학회 14(2) : 169~196

[book] Powney, J / 1987 / Interviewing in Educational Research / Routledge

[journal] Son, A / 2006 / Confucianism and the lack of the development of the self among Korean American women / Pastoral Psychology 54(4) : 325~336

[other] Swender, E / 1999 / Oral Proficiency Interview Tester Training Manual / The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages

[journal] Turnbull, M / 2001 / There is a role for the L1 in second and foreign language teaching, but.. / The Canadian Modern Language Review 57(4) : 531~540

[journal] van Lier, L / 1995 / The use of L1 in L2 classes / Babylonia 2 : 37~43

[book] van Lier, L / 2006 / Case study. In Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning / Lawrence Erlbaum : 195~208

[book] Wallace, P / 1998 / Action Research for Language Teachers / Cambridge University Press

[journal] GillianWigglesworth / 2002 / The Role of the First Language in the Second Language Classroom: Friend or Foe / 영어교육 / 한국영어교육학회 57(1) : 17~31

[book] Yao, X / 2000 / An Introduction to Confucianism / Cambridge University Press

KJCKorea
Journal Central

The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.57