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This thesis contrasts the sound systems, negation, and expression of definiteness of English and Korean. It analyzes the substitutions Korean learners of English made on both the phonological and syntactic levels. It also predicts possible problem areas and describes the sources of potential problems.By means of a contrastive analysis, the researcher found out that the greatest source of Korean learners' sound substitutions, incorrect uses of the response words Yes/No, and 'the-omission' errors is interference stemming from differences in the linguistic systems of the native and target language.This thesis proves the validity and practicability of Contrastive Analysis as a useful tool for teaching students English as a second or foreign language.

The notion that tests have a strong influence on teaching and learning is referred to as 'washback' or 'backwash'. Questioning the assumption that washback occurs automatically, without the basis of empirical research, studies have been conducted in various contexts of English teaching and learning. No research, however, on the washback effect of tests within the Korean English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context has been carried out. The present study was designed to examine the washback effect of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), a university entrance exam, on EFL teaching and learning in Korean secondary schools. / This study first investigates the relationships among the curriculum, the school textbooks, and the CSAT: (1) the relationship between the curriculum and the textbooks and (2) the relationship between the curriculum and the CSAT. Second, this study examines if a washback effect from the CSAT exists. This study further discerns the nature of washback and the variable(s) influenced by the washback effect. The results indicate that the curriculum corresponds to the textbooks, while the CSAT does not represent the curriculum, and that there is a negative washback effect of the CSAT on EFL teaching and learning. The variable(s) influenced by the washback effect are negative attitudes that the participants of the study have toward the test.

This study explores culture teaching in English classes in urban and rural elementary schools in Korea from the perspectives of both teachers and students. Language and culture theories provide a framework for the data interpretation. As well, qualitative research methodology depicts a picture of much deeper understanding for teachers' and students' perceptions. Interviews were audiotape recorded as a primary tool to gather information for the inquiry for three months (May-July, 2004). Data also included document analysis and participant observations in schools. From the research findings, I conclude that not only can teachers not fully engage in culture teaching in elementary English education, but also students are not exposed to sufficient cultural education. Sociocultural contexts significantly affect teachers' and students' perceptions of English-speaking cultures and their English education. Elementary English textbooks also play an essential role in culture teaching in Korea.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 133-139). / ix, 139 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Doctor of Education / The teaching and learning field has been renowned for being a rapidly changing and multifaceted environment. Moreover, being both intensely personal and public, the process of cultivating, discovering and relaying knowledge has also been influenced from a wide range of participating individuals to the broader groups in society. Such numerous possibilities for interaction have highlighted the difficulty of defining ‘good’ teaching and learning, especially considering the growing objectivism of modern day value systems. An increasing number of educators have thereby responded to this confusion by returning to more fundamental and holistic views of ‘knowing’ the ‘other.’ Such rising concerns for holistic teaching and learning practices represent many exciting possibilities for developments towards authenticity and autonomy, as teachers become responsible explorers of their profession. The current study is an autoethnography of my own teaching experiences at a small Korean Christian University. It captures my desires to develop greater sensitivity and empathy as a critical teacher practitioner, and further documents efforts to acquire aesthetic and creative skills as a writer. Ultimately, through my experiences as a teacher researcher, I have sought to develop a deeper picture of the knowing process as a rich and mutual dialogue between the 'knower' and the 'other.’ To do this, I have constructed eight stories based on my teaching experiences. The first describes the reflections accompanying my experiences of writing, whilst the next three involve narrative portrayals of certain striking colleagues and students. The following two stories convey the ‘faith’ and ‘acceptance’ experienced through the study, and the last two act as a form of reflective closure to the overall teaching and researching experience Since I believed that the symbolic and holistic nature of story writing could convey the depth, complexity and open-endedness of the knowing process, I have chosen narratives and reflective writing to capture and depict my experiences (Van Manen, 1997). Interviews and journals writing of my students and my colleagues have also been included to further explore these ideas. Accordingly, this current study seeks to portray a view of 'knowing' that enables teachers and students to become co-researchers, who can cultivate sensitivity, creativity and empathy towards the 'other.’

Doctor of Education / The teaching and learning field has been renowned for being a rapidly changing and multifaceted environment. Moreover, being both intensely personal and public, the process of cultivating, discovering and relaying knowledge has also been influenced from a wide range of participating individuals to the broader groups in society. Such numerous possibilities for interaction have highlighted the difficulty of defining ‘good’ teaching and learning, especially considering the growing objectivism of modern day value systems. An increasing number of educators have thereby responded to this confusion by returning to more fundamental and holistic views of ‘knowing’ the ‘other.’ Such rising concerns for holistic teaching and learning practices represent many exciting possibilities for developments towards authenticity and autonomy, as teachers become responsible explorers of their profession. The current study is an autoethnography of my own teaching experiences at a small Korean Christian University. It captures my desires to develop greater sensitivity and empathy as a critical teacher practitioner, and further documents efforts to acquire aesthetic and creative skills as a writer. Ultimately, through my experiences as a teacher researcher, I have sought to develop a deeper picture of the knowing process as a rich and mutual dialogue between the 'knower' and the 'other.’ To do this, I have constructed eight stories based on my teaching experiences. The first describes the reflections accompanying my experiences of writing, whilst the next three involve narrative portrayals of certain striking colleagues and students. The following two stories convey the ‘faith’ and ‘acceptance’ experienced through the study, and the last two act as a form of reflective closure to the overall teaching and researching experience Since I believed that the symbolic and holistic nature of story writing could convey the depth, complexity and open-endedness of the knowing process, I have chosen narratives and reflective writing to capture and depict my experiences (Van Manen, 1997). Interviews and journals writing of my students and my colleagues have also been included to further explore these ideas. Accordingly, this current study seeks to portray a view of 'knowing' that enables teachers and students to become co-researchers, who can cultivate sensitivity, creativity and empathy towards the 'other.’

This thesis aimed to study and analyze the intercultural and intracultural encounters of students enrolled in an ESL writing class at a large community college in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Two basic questions guided the study: first, how did ESL students from Korea react to each other as well as to students from other countries while studying English in the United States; and second, how did these reactions affect Korean students' perceptions of their ESL classes? The purpose of this study was to investigate the intercultural experiences of Korean learners in an intensive ESL program, and based on its findings, to suggest ways to improve intercultural relations in such classes. The study used reflective journals to ascertain Korean learners' perceptions of their intercultural encounters with classmates. The study findings demonstrated a surprising candor and sophistication on the part of Korean learners to express themselves about these encounters. Based on the research findings, recommendations were made for incorporating intercultural relations sensitivity training into ESL course curricula. This descriptive study contributed to the body of education literature that advocates focusing more attention on students' perceptions of their learning environment.

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