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English for young learners (EYL) teachers have practiced some creative activities to maintain their pupils' learning with natural exposure to the target language amidst the pandemic. One activity practiced by Indonesian and Korean teachers was an international collaboration to perform a virtual drama of each country's folktale. This phenomenological research aimed at tapping the teachers' perceptions regarding interculturality and world Englishes (WE) in the virtual dramatic play collaboratively conducted and delving into their commitments in honing interculturality and WE. Two Indonesian and Korean teachers were involved in three sessions of in-depth interviews using pre-prepared interview questions. The trustworthiness of the data was achieved by the group discussions allowing the participants to comment on and revise the transcribed data, as well as triangulation by two international collaborators. Thematic analysis was performed to identify emerging themes and to provide novel insights into EYL teachers' encounters with interculturality and WE. The Indonesian and Korean teachers admitted the compatibility between language and culture, the urgency of introducing varieties of English, and the merits of conducting international collaboration to promote interculturality and WE. The teachers are committed to integrate interculturality and WE in their instructions despite some differences in the stipulated curricula.

This study develops and validates an English communicative competence model for Korean high school students, in response to the need to redefine the relevant concepts and components of competence that are demanded by the rapidly evolving future society. Drawing on Celce-Murcia's (2008) theoretical model on communicative competence, this research conceptualized a model that could assess high school students' English communicative competence by examining relevant domestic and international studies as well as theoretical reflections. Expert opinions from a two-stage Delphi survey were compiled and incorporated to revise, supplement, and validate the English communicative competence among high school students reflecting Korea's English education environment. Following this process, the conceptual model for English communicative competence was reorganized into five sub-competences (sociolinguistic, discourse, linguistic, interactional, and strategic competence) and 15 corresponding subfactors. The content validity ratio values for the conceptual definition and factor structure of this model were all above 0.64, thus affirming the validity of the conceptual definition and factor structure.

In response to becoming a more multicultural society, the South Korean Ministry of Education has implemented a multicultural education policy since 2006 by promoting English as key for young learners' communicative competence in a global world. Despite numerous previous studies on government-led curriculum and textbooks for English as a foreign language (EFL) across many countries, little attention has been given to the cultural and linguistic aspects of primary-level EFL textbooks. Within the framework of intercultural communicative competence (ICC), this study investigated multicultural understandings, social values, and beliefs embedded in the reading passages of five Korean Grade 6 EFL textbooks. By employing multimodal content analysis, it also scrutinized what messages and meanings are constructed with semiotic devices and the extent of the textbooks to foster EFL students' ICC. Findings revealed that the textbooks (re)produce national pride and otherness and promote the idea of English for a White global world. The lack of interactive communication events in diverse settings was also found problematic in developing students' new identities as global citizens. The study argues for critical approaches to multicultural education and intercultural development in EFL education by reconceptualizing English as a mediator for developing intercultural contact with diverse others.

By participating in global projects, students learn to communicate, asynchronously or synchronously, through digital tools and media. The project in this article paired pre-service teachers in the United States with primary students, ages 8 to 10, in South Korea. The intent was to expose pre-service teachers to global collaboration projects, and to give them experience with the challenges that come with global collaboration so they can later support their own students in such endeavors. The project was evaluated through an open-ended survey for pre-service teachers (N=19) and results were coded according to the constructs of TPACK (technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge). Results showed that the most impactful aspects of the project were in the pedagogy and technology constructs. Surveys showed mostly positive (n=9) and mixed experiences (n=8) for pre-service teachers. Negative experiences were largely related to challenges with asynchronous collaboration. Future recommendations include developing companion lessons to precede this project, training teachers and students in techniques, expectations, and norms during non-face-to-face collaboration.l

The purpose of this study was to explore how college students perceived multiliteracy experiences through the intercultural exchange project in an online EFL class. This study explored students' perceptions of the communication experiences with partners from different cultures and their intercultural understanding. Two types of data were collected from 30 Korean college students: qualitative data including activity reports, reflection notes, and final tasks; quantitative data including the responses to the perception questionnaire and intercultural sensitivity survey. Results of statistical analyses did not reveal significant differences in paired t-tests for cultural sensitivity. However, data showed that students experienced meaningful practice of multiliteracy and intercultural understanding. Students experienced four dimensions of the pedagogy of multiliteracy and improved their cultural sensitivity. Researchers suggest that EFL teachers find ways for learners to become multiliterate communicators with learning experiences of multiliteracy in English classes.

This study showcases an International Learning Exchange (ILE) program between North Korean (NK) refugee students in South Korea and American university students from the US. ILE programs connect two or more linguistic/ cultural groups for intercultural awareness, which provide authentic communicative environments. However, the prevalent use of English and research focus mostly on non-native English-speaking students reflect the ideology of native-speakerism embedded in ILE programs. The purpose of this study was to develop an ILE program that resists native-speakerism and to investigate its influences on native as well as non-native English-speaking students. Adopting a case-study approach, data were collected from video-taping, fieldnotes, student documents, surveys, and interviews. Findings show how the authors designed and implemented a principle-based ILE program. The responses of NK students show their growing motivation and communication ability. The responses of American students show their critical reflections on their native-speaker identities. This study offers insights into designing ILE programs based on multilingualism and translanguaging.

South Korea is a popular destination for Chinese students studying overseas. Prior to the pandemic, Chinese students comprised the largest percentage of foreign students in South Korea. This paper provides insights into major trends germane to Chinese students studying in South Korea. In addition, it explores challenges that Chinese students encounter while studying in South Korean universities, which include socialization problems, Korean and English language barriers, academic difficulties, and discrimination and prejudice. It also examines historical and political issues that have an impact on Chinese people living in South Korea. Strategies for improving successful integration are discussed. These include having effective academic and social support systems, promoting intercultural communicative competence, advanced preparation before leaving China, mutual adjustment activities that enhance understanding and awareness between different cultural groups, reflective practice and quality improvement, and exposure to diverse viewpoints. Finally, practical implications, which could improve the overall adaptation of Chinese students in South Korean universities are discussed.

Despite the ever-increasing use of English in international business encounters, there seems to be comparatively little attention given to the interface between actual workplace communication and language programs in terms of identifying and meeting learners' needs. To fill that void, the present study reports on the routine communicative practices in English of fifty-one Korean corporate employees. Insightful data from the so-called 'domain experts' who use English on a regular basis were obtained through an online survey with eight participants invited to a follow-up telephone interview. Based on the types of needs operationalized in the study, the findings imply that there indeed exist different dimensions of needs. The study indicates that transactional and non-transactional communicative genres were both important but to a different extent with each genre being assessed differently according to their profession. Lastly, implications regarding the importance of incorporating needs analysis as a key process that requires constant reexamination of language programs concerning workplace communication is discussed.

Metadiscourse, a linguistic means that is used in the production and organization of ideas, is vital in achieving successful communication. In language studies, metadiscourse in writing and speaking have been disparately investigated, where the former received more attention than the latter. Thus, the present study analyzes metadiscourse in the speech production of 57 Korean L2 learners purposively chosen relative to their language proficiency. The current results suggest two significant findings. First, the quantitative analysis of metadiscourse "frequency" reveals the interactional category's superiority over the interactive metadiscourse, which implies that the Korean L2 learners are more interested in interacting with the listeners than organizing discourse and asserting their role as speakers. Secondly, the quantitative and qualitative analyses suggest that the "logical connectives," "relational markers," "hedges," and "personal markers" are metadiscourse features that significantly predict Korean L2 speakers' speech proficiency. Except for "personal markers," these proficiency indicators reveal a clear-cut divergence regarding the levels of lexical sophistication and lexical expansion among the proficiency groups using a vocabulary profiler. The present study proves that speech proficiency in the Korean context depends on the employment of metadiscourse in frequency and diversity. Possible future applications and directions relevant to the present study are also provided.

The aim of this phenomenological study was to explore South Korean university students' views of the importance of intercultural communication. It also sought to obtain participant recommendations on how to improve awareness of intercultural communication in their personal lives, on campus, and in society. Intercultural communicative competence is becoming increasingly important as the world becomes more interconnected online and through intercultural exchanges that take place in a variety of capacities. This study was conducted during the spring semester of 2020 at a university in central South Korea. Participants included 14 South Korean university students who were enrolled in an intercultural communication class that was conducted online and designed for English language learners. Data comprised individual interviews, a focus group, and essays. Data analysis centred on examining commonalities and key statements made by participants. In terms of why it is important to study intercultural communication, results highlighted the need for people to be understanding and knowledgeable about diverse cultures, have respect for other people and cultures, and ensure that past intercultural conflict does not happen in the future. Students provided a wide range of recommendations for improving their awareness of intercultural communication. This paper concludes with practical implications.

This study examined the intercultural competence and related characteristics of early childhood teachers. Significant positive correlations were found among attitudes, knowledge/awareness, and skills (sub-elements of intercultural competence); attitudes showed the highest score while skills showed the lowest score. Intercultural competence and its sub-elements were all slightly above average. There were differences in intercultural competency, attitude, perception, and knowledge according to teachers' educational levels. The multicultural experiences of teachers in Korea are significantly related to their intercultural competence and its sub-elements. These results suggest that we should continue developing training programs and learning communities wherein teachers can experience various cultures and nurture intercultural competency.

Short-term faculty-led study abroad programs have been offered in various institutions across the United States. Despite the many program offerings, students who are interested in the niche marketplace have been experiencing limited program participation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to introduce the use of online communication platforms in delivering a multi-institutional Paralympic study abroad experience among students from nine different universities across the United States and Canada. Specifically, this document intends to guide instructors in implementing a multi-institutional study abroad program. In addition, the paper shares thoughts on the beneficial opportunities study abroad trips can create for students who have a passion in the field of disability sport.

As the volume of research on intercultural adaptation of international students (IAIS) increases significantly over the past decades, a systematic review of the diverse literature on a global scale and its development process becomes essential. This study conducted a thorough bibliometric analysis for the knowledge domain of IAIS research using relevant articles (N = 1,126) from 1990 to 2022 in Thompson Reuter's Web of Science (WoS) database-Core Collection. This work aims to analyze the advances and trends on the subject using a set of bibliometric analytical tools, including Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and BibExcel. The research findings demonstrate that the number of published articles projects an ostensible upward trend in terms of temporal distribution, especially since 2007. The USA occupies a leading position in terms of the largest publication output and a greater influence therewith. The most productive journal, author(s), and institution(s) are "International Journal of Intercultural Relations," Brown L and Wang KT, and the University of Hong Kong and the University of Queensland, respectively. Collaboration in this field has become mainstream but still needs to be enhanced among researchers and at national and institutional levels. The frequency and co-occurrence analysis of keywords reveals that the main keywords for discussion include international students, adjustment, acculturation, adaptation, acculturative stress, identity, social support, stress, experiences, and depression, while cultural intelligence and intercultural sensitivity, culture shock and intercultural challenges, and integration and migration serve as the emerging themes. The study would aid academic researchers and policymakers in understanding the intricacies of IAIS and identifying areas that require further investigation.

Intercultural sensitivity is the affective dimension of intercultural competence. Recently, the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) was validated for Korean samples, which raised conceptual, translational, and metrological problems. This study improved on the previous ISS Korean version, developed the Respect for Diversity Scale (RDS), and reanalysed the results according to gender and school level. The sample comprised 542 native Korean-speaking high school and college students. Both scales confirmed the validity of 12 items across four dimensions. Notably, the mean ISS scores exceeded those of the RDS across most factors. Gender differences exhibited significance in the scores of both scales, while school-level differences did not prove significant. This study contributes to the literature that has adapted and validated the ISS with participants from non-English-speaking cultures. Additionally, it sheds light on the relationship between the ISS and measures of general diversity appreciation, highlighting variations based on participants' background characteristics.

This mixed method case study examines South Korean university students' social and academic interactions with international students. Data included a closed-ended survey, an open-ended survey, and a focus group. The participants comprised university students studying at a mid-sized university in central South Korea. Results indicate that students generally feel indifferent about interacting with international students and stated that communication barriers and lack of contributions by international students on assignments lead to less interaction. Moreover, quantitative data reveals a lack of interest in interacting with international students. To improve interaction, students recommended providing more opportunities to communicate in the classroom and taking intercultural communication classes to increase understanding of diverse cultures. Additionally, students recommended sharing dorm rooms with international students, creating more social activities for interaction, and developing language, culture, and mentoring programs. Various practical and theoretical implications are discussed to help improve social and academic interactions and increase intercultural communication on campus.

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived benefits of telecollaboration for Korean pre-service teachers of English. This study connected Korean pre-service teachers to American pre-service teachers. In a one-to-one relationship, each pair exchanged their weekly writings about the assigned topics over six weeks and shared their ideas. To explore the perceived benefits that the Korean pre-service teachers of English perceived and provide a rich description, this study focused on the five Korean pre-service teachers' thoughts reflected in their reflective papers, their writings in the Google Sites, and the final reflection paper. Data were analyzed based on a qualitative approach using the content analysis. The results showed that the Korean pre-service teachers perceived that the online interactions with the target language speakers promoted their intercultural and linguistic competences as well as some affective domains such as confidence and motivation levels. Building upon the findings, this study provides significant pedagogical implications for instructional practices for the educators and researchers.

This paper reports findings from a case study of intercultural telecollaboration between elementary school students in South Korea and the United States via the social networking service "Classting." The goal was to provide an opportunity for Korean students with limited exposure to authentic English language communication to interact with native speakers of English and for the US students to experience online intercultural activity in class with the hope of promoting intercultural communicative competence (ICC) in both student groups. The study applies Byram's (1997) model of ICC to analyze patterns of engagement within the communication between students. Findings indicate that although both student groups endeavored to create common ground in their intercultural encounters, there was a tendency to relate to each other by enacting a "Tour Guide Approach" towards their own culture and a "Tourist Approach" (Byram, 1997) towards the other culture. Findings also show, however, that students went beyond such approaches during "off task" interactional moments, drawing on shared small cultures to initiate more authentic interpersonal engagement and opportunities for knowledge exchange.

This article critically examines the current state of a cross-cultural distance learning program (CCDLP) for English learning in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context, which has been running since 1998 among four universities in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. The initial purpose of the program was to provide a networked English language learning program to overcome the limitations of Asian EFL contexts where authentic interaction in English is minimal and to enhance intercultural competence. With physical exposure to international students on campuses increasing and further developments in communication and educational technology, the CCDLP has needed to evolve. In this article, how courses offered in the program have changed is analyzed. Data from a survey given to participants in two courses in the program were examined to determine participants' perceptions towards their contributions and satisfaction with the courses in the program. Results show that courses need to be more customized to maximize interaction through online collaborative learning and that the technology part of such a program no longer needs to be emphasized in the wake of widespread remote learning. Lastly, implications for distance learning programs in general are discussed.

The objective of the research is to investigate if certain demographics of students help explain four areas of potential improvements in predominantly short-term study abroad programs. These areas are motivation, experience enhancement, benefits from various learning activities, and students' concerns regarding their experience. Pre-trip and post-trip surveys were conducted using logistic regression model. Our results showed that participants of a longer-term program were more likely than those in the short-term program to be expanded in their cultural understanding and global outlook. In contrast to many studies, males were found to be more motivated than females by a desire to experience foreign culture. Students with a higher GPA were found to have a more enhanced academic experience than those with a lower GPA. Finally, participants from a monocultural background were found to have a more culturally enhanced experience than the multicultural ones. The results will help improve the quality of study abroad programs.

With the growth of chatbots, concerns about implementing artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in educational settings have consistently arisen, especially for the purpose of language learning. This study introduced a task-based voice chatbot called "Ellie", newly developed by the researchers, and examined the appropriateness of its task design and performance as an English conversation partner and students' perceptions on using it in EFL class. Korean EFL learners (N = 314) aged 10-15 years performed three speaking tasks with Ellie in their school classroom. The participants took 9.63 turns per session on average using the first 1,000-word band, indicating that the chatbot highly encouraged students to engage in conversation, which rarely occurs in general EFL classes in Korea. The high task success rates (88.3%) showed the design appropriateness of both L2 tasks and operational intents in terms of users' successful understanding and completeness of the given chatbot tasks. The participants' responses to the survey not only supported the positive potential of the chatbot in EFL settings but also revealed limitations to be resolved. Future suggestions for advancing and implementing AI chatbots in EFL classrooms are discussed.

Today's students -- a generation electronically connected since birth -- are trying new innovative technology before they reach university. Integrating technology tools in classes has never been more accessible. Research supports using social media in the classroom to boost student engagement and is a good idea for many different subjects (Rheingold, 2008). As Abe and Jordan point out, the creation of intentional instruction regarding social media is key to advancing student learning (Abe & Jordan, 2013, p. 17). Rheingold furthers this assertion by saying; "Moving from a private to a public voice can help students turn their self-expression into a form of public participation" (Rheingold, 2008, p. 25). As Joosten, Pasquini, and Harness note in their 2013 article referring to the book "Social Media for Educators: Strategies and Best Practices", technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have the potential to enhance learning and strengthen instructors' pedagogical practices" (Joosten, Pasquini, and Harness, 2013, p. 126; see Joosten, 2012). Moreover, students also demand intercultural experience as a result of the formation of the "global village" (Gullekson, Tucker, & Coombs Jr., 2011). Resent research has shown that implementing social media can help foster these types of international communication interactions for students and can boost their perceived improvement with English vocabulary (Dashtestani, 2018). This translates into an opportunity for English classes to encompass activities that include social media to promote intercultural competence and conversation practice. Instructors can introduce these tools to boost engagement by mirroring the tools used in global interactions with favorite channels such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. This practical paper explains the rationale behind using Twitter in class, outlines a pilot program that was done in South Korea, and provides two lesson plans that instructors can adapt using Twitter as the primary technology tool.

Awareness of transcultural pragmatics serves as the foundation for intercultural communicative competence. Explicit teaching of pragmatics in conjunction with intercultural communication training can contribute to the professional development of non-native English-speaking teachers. This article reports on an interdisciplinary attempt to develop a short-term professional development course for TESL teachers. The four-week course in transcultural pragmatics aimed to bring about efficient, learner-driven, experiential, and contextualized professional development through short-term immersion in an intercultural English-speaking environment. The goals of the designed course, introduced to TESL teachers from South Korea, were to (1) introduce pragmatics learning to teacher participants, (2) support participants' development of intercultural communicative competence during an immersion experience, and (3) facilitate preparation for teaching transcultural pragmatics. The authors conducted classroom research to evaluate the extent to which the course fulfilled the goals set forth. Nearly all of the twenty-five participating teachers self-reported an increase in pragmatics awareness and intercultural communicative competence by the end of the training. They also discovered new approaches for teaching transcultural pragmatics to their elementary students. This report concludes with insights for enhancing the effectiveness of a transcultural pragmatics course that fills a gap in English language teacher education.

This paper is based on ethnographic research of Australian and South Korean primary school students' experiences of on-line synchronous intercultural exchanges as part of a school partnership. Starting with an embodied understanding of learning, I discuss the applicability of body pedagogies to the on-line context in a classroom setting by analysing how the institutional dimension ('situated epistemic relations') informed how the children were taught to engage during on-line intercultural exchanges in relation to the children's embodied experiences of the exchanges ('practical epistemological analysis'). Through a more holistic approach that includes the body as integral to the students' digitally-mediated interactions, this paper provides a deeper understanding of the students' intercultural learning that is not limited to a cognitive focus on language learning and skill acquisition. I conclude with thoughts on future research directions including how children's embodied experiences of intercultural exchanges may contribute to the longer-term development of an 'intercultural habitus'.

Indonesian Major at Busan University of Foreign Studies has no standardized curriculum in the program. Since the program was established in 1982, teaching process is given based on lecture's lesson plans. This method brings to inconsistency in grading the language competence. This affect the language skill of the students in the working fields. The goal of the study is to develop a curriculum model that will relate the standard of competence, syllabus, and lesson plans with cross-cultural understanding, namely culture-based curriculum. The materials of the curriculum are compiled from selected cultural elements. Cultural aspects that can be utilized in the preparation of teaching materials are (1) a system of life equipment and supplies; (2) The livelihood system; (3) the social system; (4) language, (5) the arts; (6) the knowledge system; and (7) the religious system.

The study investigated the effects of recasts and prompts on learning language forms that arose incidentally in dyadic interaction, focusing on the degree of explicitness of each type of feedback and learner proficiency levels. The data were collected from 64 beginning and upper-intermediate English learners of Korean. Thirty-one beginning learners were randomly assigned to a feedback group and to a control group, and thirty-three upper-intermediate learners were also assigned to a feedback group and to a control group. Each learner was paired with an English speaker and worked on a picture-sequencing task. The learners in the feedback groups received recasts or prompts on their erroneous utterances while the learners in the control groups did not. The effects of feedback were measured by pre-interaction picture descriptions and immediate and delayed post-interaction correction tasks. The study found that both recasts and prompts had some effects on learning the targeted forms, and more explicit forms of each feedback resulted in a higher rate of correction. The beginning learners took more advantages of recasts relative to the upper-intermediate learners, and explicit prompts worked better for the upper-intermediate learners. The effects of prompts sustained longer than recasts in both levels.

Previous studies on intercultural rhetoric have frequently drawn from examples from Asian writers, especially those of Chinese and Japanese origin, but relatively little information has surfaced in scholarly literature regarding L2 writers from Korea. To fill this gap, this article provides an overview of how academic writing is conceived and practiced in Korea. By examining current practices and conceptualizations concerning academic writing, the study highlights strong similarities between Korean and Anglophone academic writing. In doing so, it seeks to demonstrate the importance of considering complex institutional, political, as well as individual factors that influence second language writers in their home culture in advancing the ongoing disciplinary dialogue on intercultural rhetoric.

This study utilises the 'small story' approach to investigate metaphor in mobile students' narratives of intercultural experience. Metaphor in narrative is seen as a dynamic, discursive, and sociocognitive phenomenon. The narrative accounts presented in this paper derive from interviews conducted for mobility project evaluation. The participants were South Korean student teachers, and English was used as a lingua franca. The segments demonstrate how metaphor emerges in the flow of interview talk; for instance, using oppositional image schemas, the exchange students tell how they experienced school education and people's identities in their host and home contexts.

This paper explores how immersion and engagement with different cultures in the home environment impacts Korean children's intercultural learning. More specific attention is given to the experience of nine Korean children whose families have voluntarily served as homestay host families and hosted foreign guests for more than seven years. This qualitative inquiry is drawn from data including participant observations, semi-structured interviews with children and their parents, and the collection of artefacts and documents. Four themes were identified regarding the impact of homestay hosting experiences on the focal children: (1) experiencing intercultural encounters in the home environment; (2) building close, long-lasting intercultural relationships; (3) recognising preconceived prejudices and undoing cultural stereotypes; and (4) challenging a singular and oversimplified representation of cultures. Given the modern, global context in which children engage in frequent contacts with individuals from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, the findings demonstrate the necessity of fostering intercultural learning among school-aged children and suggest homestay programmes are a potential means for developing students' intercultural learning in a local context.

Drawing from Appadurai's notion of mediascape, in which global cultural flows simultaneously construct local/global perspectives, I explored how youth and young adults across the globe make sense of digitally shared space, with a specific focus on the Webtoon reader discussion forum. Findings illustrated that the participants constructed the notion of care as standing up for others, raised awareness of social justice, and mobilized transcultural values to construct a cross-cultural community with multimodal engagements. By understanding the reader discussion forum as a mutually constitutive negotiated space, the voluntary decision of these young individuals to engage in Korean Webtoon digital space underscores how they construct literacy practices across the globe while transcending demarcated categories of race, gender, language, culture, and other essentialized identity markers.

Studies of English as a lingua franca (ELF) in higher education institutions have focused on students' learning outcomes and intelligibility in ELF, but little attention has been given to local students' resistance to the use of ELF. Utilising the concept of language ideology and interactive regimes, I demonstrate the tensions and dilemma arising from the choice between English and the local language in the international university context where English has been adopted as an official language. This paper focuses on a specific institution in Korea, but the findings have broader implications for higher education's pursuit of internationalisation.

This paper investigates the 'imagined' English language learner (ELL) identities of Korean undergraduates in comparison with the construction of their 'past/current' identities. In an environment of globalization and accelerated development of technology, South Koreans view English as a crucial medium to obtain success. In this educational and societal context, this study examines how ELLs view their imagined ELL identities and communities through their drawings and written descriptions. Grounded in the notion of imagined communities and identity, the study explores how 159 Korean undergraduate students present their expected or desired transformation of identity and communities taking place through English learning. A multimodal analysis was employed to unravel the multifaceted, composite, and fluid attributes of ELL identity from its visual and narrative elements. The findings yield insights into the purposes, orientations, and dispositions of EFL learners, their beliefs about imagined English-speaker identities, and their awareness of the broader global, intercultural context. Concentrating on the transformation in the relational aspect of ELL identity, the study discusses the weight and affordances of English and its relation to ELLs' imagined ELL identity and further demonstrates their language and cultural awareness in the globalized setting.

This quantitative study examines whether and to what extent affective factors (i.e. motivation, self-confidence, risk-taking, L2 speaking anxiety, and grit) and virtual intercultural experiences are linked to willingness to communicate in a second language (L2 WTC) in in-class, out-of-class, and digital settings. Participants included 176 Korean undergraduate and graduate students of English as a foreign language (EFL). After adjusting for demographic factors, hierarchical regression analyses revealed three major results: first, those with higher levels of L2 motivation and grit as well as a lower level of L2 speaking anxiety had higher L2 WTC inside the classroom. Second, students who majored in English and had higher levels of L2 self-confidence and risk-taking had higher L2 WTC outside the classroom. Third, individuals who were younger, had a higher level of L2 self-confidence and engaged more frequently in virtual intercultural experiences had higher L2 WTC in digital settings. Results suggest that demographic and affective variables as well as involvement in virtual intercultural activities play distinct roles in influencing EFL students' WTC in three different L2 communication contexts. Based on these findings, this study provides pedagogical suggestions for L2 practitioners.

Telecollaboration has received growing interest in second language teacher education, due to the link between knowledge and practice in telecollaboration. The current research examined affordances and challenges of telecollaboration in teacher education by connecting American pre-service teachers to Korean pre-service teachers. The data for this paper focused on pre- and post-questionnaires, reflective journals, blog posts, and interviews from nineteen American preservice teachers. This study provides an empirical account of how pre-service teachers benefit from interacting with international partners for improving ICC [intercultural communicative competence], teaching skills, and digital literacy skills. The study also presents some challenges of implementing telecollaboration. By presenting the affordances and challenges of telecollaboration in a teacher training program, the study provides implications for educators about how to better assist preservice teachers while using telecollaboration.

In the highly multicultural workplace of today's multinational corporations (MNCs), translating across different cultures becomes a crucial issue. But what precisely counts as culture in the global workplace of the MNC? What does it exactly mean to be able to translate across cultures under the regimes of evaluation adopted by MNCs? In this article, I consider these questions through a discussion of the corporate discourse of diversity management, in which the cultural diversity of the workforce is understood as a resource for maximizing profit. Based on a critical review of diversity management literature and a study on Korean managers working for non-Korean MNCs in Singapore, I first show how diversity management's claim of openness and inclusivity actually works to reproduce unequal relations in the workplace. I then argue that attention to the politics of translation, where the ideological nature of evaluations of cultural (in)commensurability is highlighted, is needed for applied linguists' engagement with language and communication in the multicultural workplace.

The purpose of this study is to examine if providing an intercultural online collaboration experience is beneficial to enhance pre-service teachers' self-efficacy for technology integration, intercultural sensitivity, and communication and collaboration skills. The authors compared the experiences of two groups (intercultural group vs. same-culture group) by using mixed-design ANOVA and content analysis. A total of 115 pre-service teachers from two universities in the USA and one university in South Korea participated. The results indicated that students in both groups significantly improved their self-efficacy for technology integration and technology skills after participation. Although no significant difference between groups was found in quantitative data, qualitative analysis showed that students in the intercultural group demonstrated a more in-depth understanding of effective ways to communicate with people from different cultures online. We conclude that intercultural online collaboration enhanced pre-service teachers' confidence in working with overseas partners and provided them with authentic collaboration opportunities.

This study examines the impact of group composition (one-on-one vs. multiple-to-multiple) and task design (student-selected vs. teacher-assigned) on undergraduate foreign language learners' interactions in a mobile-based intercultural exchange. The participants, 27 Korean students learning English as a foreign language and 27 American students learning Korean as a foreign language, interacted in pairs and groups via mobile phones to complete weekly tasks for eight weeks. This study used mixed methods to analyze the data from mobile chat scripts, questionnaires, and interviews. The results indicated that the one-on-one and multiple-to-multiple groups did not differ significantly regarding contact frequency or number of written chats. However, one-on-one and multiple-to-multiple interactions did differ with regard to the quality of the interactions, reflecting the unique nature of each group composition. A one-on-one relationship promoted a higher level of intimacy and friendship, thus rendering it appropriate for providing linguistic and emotional support in learning foreign languages. In contrast, multiple-to-multiple communications were found to be more beneficial for learning about different perspectives on the target cultures. In terms of task design, teacher-assigned tasks guided students to engage in productive interactions effectively, whereas student-selected tasks elicited their personal investment in the tasks. Supporting social interdependence theory (Johnson & Johnson, 1989, 2009), we argue that the establishment of intimate relationships among group members may be the key to quality interactions in mobile-based intercultural exchanges.

This exploratory study examined the potential connections between informal digital learning of English (IDLE), strategic competence for cross-cultural communication and perception of varieties of English. A total of 266 Korean EFL university students, who had no overseas experience, filled in a questionnaire survey. Follow-up semi-structured interviews were also carried out to complement the quantitative data. Results of structural equation modelling showed that perception of varieties of English mediated the relationship between IDLE and strategic competence for cross-cultural communication. The qualitative data also confirmed that EFL students without overseas experience tended to adopt more effective cross-cultural communication strategies when their perception of different varieties of English became more positive through their engagement in IDLE activities. These results can offer pedagogical insights into how ELT researchers and teachers can better prepare contemporary English learners for cross-cultural interactions in multicultural environments, whether in digital or face-to-face milieus.

This article investigates the intercultural competence and identities of undergraduate heritage language learners (HLLs) studying abroad under the auspices of the U.S. Flagship Program. Based on survey responses and interviews with HLLs from Flagship Programs across the country, the article aims to assess the preparation of HLLs for study abroad and provides recommendations on the advisability of adopting an IC Level 3 standard that HLLs must meet prior to departure. We argue HLLs in study abroad programs require a specialized approach to achieve intercultural competence, with attention to cultural differentiation, development of an intercultural identity, and appreciation of the culturally-specific nature of language use.

This study uses critical race theory as a lens and narrative inquiry as a methodological tool to examine how the term native English speaker (NES) is socially constructed when subscribed to two Black teachers of English (BTE) working in South Korea's secondary educational system. In addition to examining how these two BTEs interpret themselves as NESs, this study analyzes how being a NES influences pedagogical approaches in the classroom and their identity as an English language teaching (ELT) professional. Data from this study are taken from a larger research project comprising five participants' ELT experiences as a NES in South Korea. Data collection consists of a questionnaire survey and Skype interviews as a means of reporting how these teachers construct their identities. Research shows participants navigating constructs of privilege and marginalization as a NES and ELT professional. Participants reported being cultural ambassadors of not only the English language but also their racial and ethnic background as Black Americans. Participants, also, attributed their identities as a NES and ELT professional to their ability to connect with the students, establish rapport, exchange cultural knowledge, and overall engage and educate students about cultures comprising the English language.

Although a number of studies have investigated study abroad or telecollaboration separately, none to date has included both methods with the aim of differentiating their impacts on the development of intercultural communicative competence (ICC). Using mixed methods, the current study compared foreign language learners' perceived ICC development under three different conditions over 6 weeks: 1) a study-abroad program (n = 52) in Korea, China, Japan, France, and Spain designed for American undergraduates; 2) telecollaboration (n = 54) between Korean students of English and American students of Korean; and 3) on-campus language study (n = 44) among Korean students of English and American students of Chinese who were learning languages at their home institutions. Data from 150 students were collected from pre- and post-study questionnaires measuring cognitive, affective, and behavioral aspects of ICC; reflective writing; exit essays; and interviews. The results indicated that the study abroad and telecollaboration groups exhibited significant improvement in perceived cognitive, affective (engagement and confidence), and behavioral aspects of ICC over time, whereas the on-campus (control) group showed little change in any aspect of ICC. Although the study-abroad group displayed significantly higher levels of intercultural knowledge than the telecollaboration group, both groups showed similar degrees of improvement in the affective and behavioral aspects of ICC. We argue that online interactions with members of the target culture can be as beneficial as studying abroad and that it is at least more beneficial than traditional classroom language learning in the development of L2 learners' perceived ICC.

This study aims to review the development of NWCCDL Project during the last 10 years from (2005 to 2014) and evaluate the effects of NWCCDL Project on the students' satisfaction of the project and their affective domain. The research data was analyzed from the results of the questionnaires which were conducted at the end of every semester. This research paper consists of three parts. The first is to review the development of NWCCDL Project from fall semester 2005 to fall Semester 2014. The second part is to prove that the participants are satisfied with this project. The students' satisfaction was analyzed on the results of the questionnaires focusing on several items. The third part is to prove that this project is very effective in cultivating the motivation and interest of EFL learners in the Korean university-level education context. This study can give much significant implication in the ELT area. First, this research is very important in the globalized educational context because NWCCDL Project is the international distance learning project designed to improve English proficiency through the interaction between Japan and Korea university students. Second, this research shows that the participants are satisfied with this project, which implies that using ICT in ELT area can be very effective in a foreign teaching and learning context. Third, this research can show that the interaction of non-native speakers of English through distance learning is effective in cultivating the motivation and interest of EFL learners in Asian countries. So the analytic results from the students' responses through the questionnaire provide significant implications for the effectiveness of NWCCDL Project in cultivating the motivation and interest of EFL learners in the Korean university, and also for the effectiveness of non-native speakers' interaction in learning English as a foreign language in Asian countries.

The distance between language learners' culture and the culture of the target language community is considered to play a crucial role in determining the level of pragmatic comprehension. In this respect, a study was conducted over 30 German students, perceived as culturally close to the British, and 30 South Korean students, perceived as culturally distant from the British, studying English as a Foreign Language at a university in their home countries. Pragmatic comprehension ability was assessed through a 24-item multiple choice pragmatic comprehension test. The findings suggested the crucial role of cultural distance in pragmatic comprehension ability, that is, a shorter distance from the culture of the target language community led to a higher level of pragmatic comprehension. The pedagogical implications of the findings suggested the provision of opportunities for the students of English as a Foreign Language to be exposed to the culture of the target language community through cultural instruction, educational sojourn, or telecollaborative partnership.

Recently, second language (L2) instruction has benefitted from the development of instructional technology such as synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC). The present study was conducted to investigate learner perception of the effectiveness of SCMC interactions for L2 learning and building intercultural competence. Students (n = 55) from three different universities in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan participated in a joint online class for one semester. The purpose of the class was to facilitate students' development of linguistic and intercultural competence by interacting with peers from different cultures online. This study set out to examine the relation between learner perception and interactional features during group discussions. A range of data collection instruments were employed, including a questionnaire to track change in learner perception over time, interviews, and transcripts of interactions during each chat session. Results from linear mixed effect models suggest that among various interactional features, the following two variables were found to be significant predictors of positive attitudes towards SCMC: the amount of students' attention to language and cultural issues during online discussion. Findings are discussed in light of developing effective SCMC-based language courses.

The 'intercultural turn' in foreign language education has brought to the fore the need to foster intercultural competences. Yet in contexts where virtually all intercultural communication is mediated by English as a foreign language (hereafter EFL), proficiency in that language determines to a large extent access to intercultural experiences, including coveted opportunities for international work and study. Such high stakes mean that acquiring competence in the language can be an emotionally charged process, and using it an emotionally salient feature of intercultural encounters. This paper draws upon an interview-based study of South Koreans' ideologies of the intercultural to explore the complex emotions associated with using EFL in intercultural experiences.

Preservice English teachers' perceptions about English as an international language (EIL) have not been adequately examined in different cross-cultural contexts. To fill that void, a total of 590 preservice English teachers from Indonesia (n = 344) and South Korea (n = 246) completed an EIL perception questionnaire. Subsequently, an independent samples t-test was conducted to examine differences between Indonesian and Korean preservice teachers with regard to their EIL perceptions. Three major findings were identified: first, Indonesian preservice teachers reported a higher level of perceived capacity to employ effective cross-cultural communicative strategies in comparison to their Korean counterparts. Second, although Korean preservice teachers acknowledged the existence of non-native varieties of English, they seemed hesitant to include non-native English accents in ELT listening materials. Intriguingly, the same phenomenon was not observed with the Indonesian group. Third, Indonesian preservice teachers were perceived to have a higher degree of ownership over their own English accents in contrast to the Korean group. These results are discussed with consideration of geographic, sociocultural and educational contexts of both countries that might have influenced shaping preservice English teachers' language perceptions. Lastly, three pedagogical suggestions (i.e. "Exposure and Critical Reflection," "EIL Pedagogy Implementation," and "Reality Check") will be offered.

Integrating computer-mediated intercultural communication (CMIC) activities into language curricula has been discussed as an innovative approach. Despite the increasing number of successful examples reporting positive outcomes of adopting CMIC activities in language-learning environments, it has also been noted that there are significant pedagogical challenges observed when CMIC activities are introduced into classrooms. However, previous studies tend only to briefly mention some of those challenges and to list general solutions to them, rather than deeply engaging with the issues and their educational and social consequences upon students' learning practices. Thus, this qualitative case study documents diverse pedagogical challenges faced by Korean students and teacher in their English-as-a-foreign language classroom, in which a series of CMIC activities were set up and conducted. The challenges analysed in this paper include the unrealistically high implementation cost, the educational inequality issues created by irreducible gaps in students' socio-economic backgrounds, and the unresolved struggles to develop positive student subjectivities and linguistic identities. In conclusion, the article proposes three instructional principles, drawn in turn from the two closely interrelated theories: multiliteracies pedagogy and critical pedagogy. Fundamentally, the author argues that effective adoption of CMIC activities needs a more pedagogically, socially, and culturally sensitive approach.

This paper discusses what intercultural English learning/teaching (IELT) is in English as a world Englishes (WEes) and how IELT can contribute to the development of proficiency/competence among WEes and can be fitted into actual WEes classrooms. This is to claim that IELT be a pivotal contextual factor facilitating success in proficiency/competence among all varieties of Englishes in today's globalised world and suggest that IELT be listed as a requirement for professional ELT qualifications in South Korea. To do this, the paper first talks about the present status of English as a world Englishes and its implication for the language/culture education. Then the study provides what IELT is and it consists of, and how IELT components can be realised in WEes classrooms. At the end, this paper presents some of the teaching activities conducted in the present author's classes throughout two semesters of 2011. This may help WEes teachers especially from the inner circle varieties in South Korea to be equipped with the awareness and understanding of the main issues in IELT for his/her classrooms since students' progress towards intercultural competence is under threat (Sercu, 2002) without teachers' adequate development in intercultural communication and their active involvement and commitment with/to learners.

Higher Education is experiencing an increasingly diverse student population. Students bring a range of skills and experiences to their courses; they have different backgrounds and different needs. This fluidity requires an approach to teaching that encompasses the social aspects of learning. It has been suggested that authentic approaches to teaching and learning can assist in offering a perspective on learning which views learning as "enabling participation in knowing". We propose that the authentic learning practices developed in The Gift design project, discussed in this paper, constituted approaches which acknowledged that students' interests and experience are intrinsically bound up with motivation and engagement and, as such, have a major influence on the ways in which learning is constituted and developed. The Gift project has developed a range of innovative formative strategies which have provided both students and tutors with opportunities to become involved in peer assessment and review, peer feedback and reflection on learning outcomes. This re-conceptualisation of the assessment process has provided valuable insights into the development of learning skills such as problem solving, critical analysis, and the development of creativity and learner autonomy.

The aim of this study is to investigate which pronunciations of English are difficult or different from one's first language, as well as to explore which factors are crucial for communication with people from other cultures when English is used as one of the World Englishes. Ninety-one undergraduate students (85 females and 6 males) from two different Korean universities participated in this study. A survey was conducted to determine their background information and to find out their attitudes toward World Englishes. This study was based on two concepts: "intelligibility" (focusing on words) and "comprehensibility" (focusing on meaning) when communicating with people from different countries. For attaining intelligibility, one must overcome such factors as pronunciation, stress, intonation, and the vowel and consonant sounds of English. On the other hand, for achieving comprehensibility, there are other factors predominate such as grammatical, cultural, socio-linguistic and pragmatic aspects. Thus, in order to avoid intelligibility and comprehensibility problems, EFL/ESL students should learn all the common varieties of English used between native speakers and non-native speakers (NSs-NNSs) and between two non-native speakers (NNSs-NNSs). Additionally, students should consider and respect different situations and different cultural backgrounds to establish successful intelligibility and comprehensibility. (Contains 9 figures, 5 tables, and 5 footnotes.)

This study aims to investigate the cultural identity of Korean English and to make the intercultural communications among non-native speakers successful. The purposes of this study can be summarized as follows: 1) to recognize the concept of English as an International Language (EIL), 2) to emphasize cross-cultural understanding in the globalized world, 3) to investigate the cultural identity in Korean English, and 4) to suggest a good model for cultivating the cultural intelligence in EFL. For these purposes, this study focuses on investigating characteristics of Korean English based on value systems. Also this research surveys the para-linguistic features and socio-cultural characteristics of Korean English through analyzing word's connotations, syntactic differences, non verbal actions and gestures, address terms, interpersonal relations among Koreans, communicative behaviors, pragmatic features of Korean English, and emotions. As a conclusion, it is necessary to cultivate the cultural intelligence among English language learners in the globalized world. (Contains 3 tables and 1 footnote.)