Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

EFL Learning Motivation in Korea: Historical Background and Current Situation

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Palgrave Handbook of Motivation for Language Learning

Abstract

This chapter deals with motivations for English learning in Korea from two major angles: historical context and motivational changes that occur at each educational stage. In Part I, socio-historical incidents in Korea that impacted students’ motivations for learning English are examined, and reasons for the historical increase in competitive motivations, or for students’ desire to attain superior social status over their peers, are investigated. In Part II, motivational changes are discussed in chronological order as learners advance through school from elementary to junior high, high school, and eventually college level. For each educational stage, salient subcomponents of students’ motivational profiles are identified and analyzed, with specific attention paid to major historical incidents. Finally, a summary is provided and future directions for research are suggested.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    In Korea, while English has been taught as a major foreign language, German and French had been mainly taught as minor foreign languages in high schools (Kim, 2003), but over the past 30 years, the number of students taking Japanese and Chinese language classes has increased (Kwon, 1999). In terms of Japanese, the Japanese government provided funding to expand Japanese education. As diplomatic relations between Korean and the People’s Republic of China were established in 1992 and China’s economy has been growing fast, the number of the learners in Chinese classes has been increasing accordingly (Kim, 2003). In high schools, Japanese and Chinese languages are mainly taught as elective courses under the classification of liberal arts. Japanese classes are available in 57.3% of high school classes and Chinese ones are 40.6% (C. Kim, 2014). Those languages are elective subjects for CSAT, but those are not considered as significant in terms of university entrance. In this context, most learners in these elective courses tend to show a low level of interest (J.-E. Kim, 2014).

  2. 2.

    Kyungsung (or Keijo) Imperial University (京城帝國大學), founded in 1924, was the only existing university in Korea at the time, and was also one of the six imperial universities across Imperial Japan. After the liberation from Japan in 1945, most of the university’s facilities were annexed to Seoul National University. Besides Kyungsung Imperial University, quite a few professional colleges had been established either by Korean educators or by foreign missionaries, but none of them were officially accredited by the Japanese Governor-General’s office.

  3. 3.

    Expanding Dörnyei’s (2001) definition, Kikuchi (2015) defines demotivator as “the specific internal and external forces that reduce or diminish the motivational basis of a behavioral intention or an ongoing action” (p. 4) and demotivation as “the negative process that pulls learners down” (p. 5) (see Thorner & Kikuchi, this volume).

  4. 4.

    The number taking the TOEIC in South Korea was 2.07 million in 2013 (Park, 2017). TOEIC scores are widely used by companies and governmental organization as a default criterion for employment. Some top companies also require TOEIC speaking scores.

References

  • Ahn, T. Y., Kim, T.-E., & Roh, W.-K. (2015). Research on the gap between elementary and middle school classroom instruction: An analysis of the English classroom. Journal of Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction, 15(5), 159–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ames, C. (1992). Classrooms: Goals, structures, and student motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 84(3), 261–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, Y.-A., & Chung, H. Y. (2014). Demotivation and remotivation affecting L2 English learning of Korean college students. The 21st Century Association of English Language and Literature, 27(2), 387–408.

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi, I. C. (2008). The impact of EFL testing on EFL education in Korea. Language Testing, 25(1), 39–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choi, Y.-H. (2006). Impact of politico-economic situations on English language education in Korea. English Teaching, 61(4), 3–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, NY: Plenum.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Dörnyei, Z. (2001). Teaching and researching motivation. Harlow, UK: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dörnyei, Z. (2009). The L2 motivational self system. In Z. Dörnyei & E. Ushioda (Eds.), Motivation, language identity and the L2 self (pp. 9–42). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Engeström, Y. (2001). Expansive learning at work: Toward an activity theoretical reconceptualization. Journal of Education and Work, 14(1), 133–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gan, Z. (2009). ‘Asian learners’ re-examined: An empirical study of language learning attitudes, strategies and motivation among mainland Chinese and Hong Kong students. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 30(1), 41–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitude and motivation. London, UK: Edward Arnold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hwang, J. (2013). A case study of motivation types and motivation changes in the college EFL classroom. Journal of the Korea English Education Society, 12(1), 97–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hwang, Y. (2014). The history of American English education in Korea: Reflection and new direction. The Korean Journal of American History, 40, 201–238.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jang, I. C. (2015). Language learning as a struggle for distinction in today’s corporate recruitment culture: An ethnographic study of English study abroad practices among south Korean undergraduates. L2 Journal, 7(3), 57–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jo, H.-Y. (2015). A study on the college students’ beliefs on the importance of English ability in the process of career and employment preparation. Journal of Employment and Career, 5(4), 29–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jung, S. K. (2011). Demotivating and remotivating factors in learning English: A case of low level college students. English Teaching, 66(2), 47–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jung, Y.-J. (2015). Korean elementary school learners L2 motivational self system and the moderating effects of gender and grade differences. The Journal of Linguistics Science, 74, 253–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kang, J. (2009). Atrocious history of university admission war. Seoul, Korea: Inmulgwa Sasangsa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kikuchi, K. (2015). Demotivation in second language acquisition: Insights from Japan. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, C.-N. (2014). The present conditions of high school foreign language instruction. Research of Japanese Culture, 52, 101–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J.-C. (2003). French education in secondary schools in Korea. 2003 French Language and Literature Education in Korea Conference (pp. 17–41).

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J.-E. (2014). “‘Je 2oegug-eo’ pudaejeob, haedo neomuhae” [decline of second language education]. Retrieved from http://weekly.donga.com/List/3/all/11/98140/1o

  • Kim, J.-R. (2014). Continuity problems of elementary and secondary English education: Sequence analysis of English textbooks. Language Research, 50(1), 161–184.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, K. J. (2014). A structural model of demotivational factors affecting English achievement for middle school students. Journal of the Korea English Education Society, 13(3), 41–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, M., Choi, D.-I., & Kim, T.-Y. (2019). South Korean jobseekers’ perception and (de)motivation to study for standardized English tests in neoliberal corporate labor markets. The Asian EFL Journal, 21(1), 84–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, M.-B. (2006). A tale of English in the enlightenment period in Korea. Seoul, Korea: International Graduate School of English Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, S. H. (2017). Analysis of changes in the 2015 revised National English Curriculum. Modern English Education, 18(3), 91–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, S.-I., Yoon, M., & So, Y.-H. (2008). Academic interests of Korean students: Description, diagnosis, and prescription. Korean Journal of Psychological and Social Issues, 14(1), 187–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • 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), 165–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, T.-Y. (2010). Socio-political influences on EFL motivation and attitudes: Comparative surveys of Korean high school students. Asia Pacific Education Review, 11, 211–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, T.-Y. (2011). Korean elementary school students’ English learning demotivation: A comparative survey study. Asia Pacific Education Review, 12, 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, T. Y. (2012). The L2 motivational self system of Korean EFL students: Cross-grade survey analysis. English Teaching, 67(1), 29–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, T.-Y. (2015). The sociocultural meaning of English learning and its implication to English education: Four sociological approaches. Studies in English Language & Literature, 41(3), 105–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, T.-Y. (2016). An investigation of socio-educational aspects of English education during Japanese colonial period: Focusing on Chosun Ilbo and Donga Daily articles. Studies in English Education, 21(1), 179–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, T.-Y. (2017). EFL learning motivation and influence of private education: Cross-grade survey results. English Teaching, 72(3), 25–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, T.-Y., & Kim, Y.-K. (2015). Elderly Korean learners’ participation in English learning through lifelong education: Focusing on motivation and demotivation. Educational Gerontology, 41(2), 120–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, Y., & Kim, J. (2016). An analysis of English needs of Korean adult learners: Focusing on students in K cyber university. English Language Teaching, 28(3), 63–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim, Y.-C. (2011). English, enlightening Joseon. Seoul, Korea: Ely.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim-Rivera, E. G. (2002). English language education in Korea under Japanese colonial rule. Language Policy, 1(3), 261–281.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kwon, J.-H. (1999). The present conditions of Germany education in high schools in Korea. Germany Education, 17, 31–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kwon, O. (2000). Korea’s education policy changes in the 1990s: Innovations to gear the nation for the 21st century. English Teaching, 55(1), 47–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kwon, O., & Kim, J.-R. (2010). History of English education in Korea. Seoul, Korea: Hangookmunwhasa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, G.-R., & Hwang, J.-B. (2017). A study on demotivating factors in Korean high school students’ English language learning. Secondary English Education, 10(2), 43–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, H.-W. (1996). The effect of attitudes and motivation on learning English in Korean middle and high school students. English Teaching, 51(2), 3–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. K. (1999). Historic factors affecting educational administration in Korean higher education. Higher Education Review, 32(1), 7–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, K.-S. (2017). The birth of exam-oriented people. Seoul, Korea: Pooreunyeoksa.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, Y., & Ahn, K. (2013). English learning motivation and English academic achievement of Korean elementary school students: The effects of L2 selves, international posture, and family encouragement. Modern English Education, 14(1), 127–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, Y. J., & Koo, H. (2006). ‘Wild geese fathers’ and a globalised family strategy for education in Korea. International Development Planning Review, 28(4), 533–553.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma, J. H., & Cho, Y. A. (2014). The analysis of demotivators and remotivators for Korean L2 English learners. Studies on English Language & Literature, 40(2), 137–161.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marginson, S. (2011). Higher education in East Asia and Singapore: Rise of the Confucian model. Higher Education, 61(5), 587–611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray, B. (2007). Classroom motivation of Korean EFL students from the perspective of self-determination theory. English Teaching, 62(4), 391–409.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, E.-S. (2012). Korean middle school students’ English learning motivation and their perception of teacher factor. Studies in English Education, 17(2), 71–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, E.-S. (2013). A study of university students’ private English learning and their perceptions toward learning experience: With the special reference to Busan and Kyunganam regions. Journal of Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction, 13(6), 87–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Park, J. K. (2009). ‘English fever’ in South Korea: Its history and symptoms. English Today, 25(1), 50–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, J. S.-Y. (2011). The promise of English: Linguistic capital and the neoliberal worker in the south Korean job market. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 14(4), 443–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, K.-H. (2017). “A yesnal-iyeo” jeomul-eo ganeun toighag-won, sinsa-eob anganhim [Decline of TOEIC industry, trying new business]. Retrieved from http://www.edaily.co.kr/news/NewsRead.edy?SCD=JC61&newsid=01312006615962376&DCD=A00306&OutLnkChk=Y

  • Richards, J. C., & Rodgers, T. S. (2014). Approaches and methods in language teaching (3rd ed.). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Seth, M. J. (2002). Education fever: Society, politics, and the pursuit of schooling in South Korea. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shin, H. (2016). Language ‘skills’ and the neoliberal English education industry. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 37(5), 509–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song, J. (2010). Language ideology and identity in transnational space: Globalization, migration, and bilingualism among Korean families in the USA. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 13(1), 23–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song, J. J. (2012). South Korea: Language policy and planning in the making. Current Issues in Language Planning, 13(1), 1–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trang, T. T. T., & Baldauf, R. B. (2007). Demotivation: Understanding resistance to English language learning-the case of Vietnamese students. The Journal of Asia TEFL, 4(1), 79–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ushioda, E. (1998). Effective motivational thinking: A cognitive theoretical approach to the study of language learning motivation. In E. A. Soler & V. C. Espurz (Eds.), Current issues in English language methodology (pp. 77–89). Catello de la Plana, Spain: Universitat Jaume I.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea

    Tae-Young Kim & Youngmi Kim

Authors
  1. Tae-Young Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Youngmi Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Martin Lamb

  2. Faculty of Humanities, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

    Kata Csizér

  3. Department of Social and Behavioural Studies, University West, Trollhättan, Sweden

    Alastair Henry

  4. School of Culture, Media and Society, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

    Stephen Ryan

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Kim, TY., Kim, Y. (2019). EFL Learning Motivation in Korea: Historical Background and Current Situation. In: Lamb, M., Csizér, K., Henry, A., Ryan, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Motivation for Language Learning. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28380-3_20

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28380-3_20

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-28379-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-28380-3

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation