In recent years, the ways in which to read English picture books to young children has become diverse in English as a foreign language (EFL) context. The present study examined the effect of parent-child interactions and digital pen use during English picture book reading in the child’s interest in learning English. A total of 320 Korean mothers of three to five year old preschool children participated in the study. The results revealed the following. First, children’s interest in learning English was higher when they used digital pens and engaged in frequent parent-child interactions during English picture book reading. Second, parent-child interaction was a more significant variable in children’s interest in learning English compared to digital pen use. Third, the moderator effect of digital pen use in the relation between parent-children interaction and children’s interest in learning English was insignificant. In other words, parent-child interaction was important in increasing children’s interest in learning English, regardless of digital pen use. While rapid advances in technology enhanced teaching pedagogy, parent-child interaction in foreign language learning still remains as a crucial factor. Further implications and future directions are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a mother’s motivation for providing English education to a young child on the provision of English education and the child’s interest in learning English. Also, the mediating role of the type of English education provided (English interaction at home and English private lessons) between a mother’s motivation and a child’s interest in learning English was examined. In total, 414 Korean mothers of 3-to-5-year-olds reported their motivation for providing English education to their child, frequency of English interaction at home, and the duration of English private lessons the child experienced. The degree of a child’s interest in learning English was measured by both the child’s mother and the teacher. The main results are as follows. First, a mother’s integrative motivation had a positive effect on the provision of English education. On the other hand, a mother’s instrumental motivation did not have a significant effect on the provision of English education. Also, a mother’s integrative motivation had an indirect effect on a child’ interest in learning English through English interaction at home. A mother’s integrative motivation had a direct effect on a child’s interest in learning English as well. This study is theoretically meaningful in that the concept of integrative and instrumental motivation of foreign language learners is extended to the mothers who provide foreign language education to their young children. Also, this study provides practical implications for early childhood mothers by highlighting the importance of integrative motivation and English interaction at home to enhance the child’s interest in learning English.

This paper examines what affects adolescents’ English anxiety in the English as Foreign Langauage (EFL) context. A total of 414 adolescents in South Korea participated in the study and the AMOS 20.0 was used in structural equation modeling for statistical analysis. The results are as follows. Girls showed a higher level of English anxiety and self-directed learning ability than boys. Second, adolescents’ English self-efficacy had a partial mediating effect on the relationship between parental pressure expectation and English anxiety. Third, parental pressure expectation had a significant effect on English anxiety through self-directed learning and English self-efficacy. Fourth, a gender difference in the paths of the models was significant. This provides supporting evidence to many educators and parents for the implementation of effective support practices for adolescents who learn English in EFL contexts similar to Korea to reduce thier English anxiety.

This study investigates the South Korean perception of “native” speaker of English (NSE), namelywon-eo-minandne-i-ti-beuin Korean, with an examination of the use of such terms in the news and social media. To do this, the study examined news topics covered in the South Korean news media including newspapers and television news channels that mention or discuss these terms.Secondly, words used along with these two terms in social media forums such as Twitter or weblogs were examined. In order to realise this, two major data mining programs called the BIGKinds program (Korea Press Foundation,Big Kinds: News Big Data & Analysis,https://www.kinds.or.kr/; accessed 14 May 2018) and the Social Metrics program (Daumsoft, Social metricsTM,http://academy.some.co.kr/login.html; accessed 1 May 2018) were employed. This study shows that the concept of the “native” speaker in the forms ofwon-eo-minandne-i-ti-beuis deeply manifested in the minds of South Koreans, especially when talking about the pronunciation of “native” speakers as the model of “correct” pronunciation of English. Such perceptions need to be critically revisited in an era where English is the most common medium of communication in the global community.

Factors of graphomotor skills may serve as indicators to determine a writer’s handwriting proficiency or acclimation to different writing surface textures. This study examines differences in children’s graphomotor skills based on types of writing medium and gender. Participants were 97 six-year-old Korean preschool children who had not received formal writing training prior to the study. Writing tasks were completed on a tablet screen and paper. Writing samples were analyzed using the Eye and Pen software to investigate spatial, temporal, and pressure exertion exhibited during the writing tasks. A repeated measures ANOVA revealed differences in graphomotor skills such as print size, writing speed, and writing pressure. Writing on a tablet screen decreased clarity of writing; print size and speed increased as the stylus slides across the tablet surface with relatively less friction, thereby decreasing the exertion of writing pressure. Analysis of writing differences according to gender indicated that boys generated larger print sizes than girls. Results suggest that while simple writing tasks may be feasible on the tablet screen, providing children with a larger writing medium and encouraging larger print sizes for writing practice, especially for boys, may be beneficial in the development of graphomotor skills among young learners.