International graduate students' investment in a South Korean TESOL graduate school program

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Due to the effects of internalization and globalization, governments across the world are improving their universities to appeal to international students. South Korea is not an exception, enrollment of international students in South Korea has increased rapidly. Investment may play an important role in not only the students’ learning process, but also overall learning goals students want to achieve, therefore, it is particularly important to find out the specific reasons and motivations behind why international graduate students invest in a TESOL degree in South Korea instead of other inner-circle countries where English is the first language, which have been traditionally associated with TESOL degrees, as their engagement is strongly driven by various personal aspirations. Investigating the sociocultural and academic experiences that influence international students’ investment positively or negatively is also significant, since it can help deeply understand international students’ perceptions regarding their chosen major, helping the government or higher educational institutions provide better services to international students so that they can meet their aspirations. Thus, this study firstly examines the reasons international students choose to pursue a TESOL degree from a foreign university that is not typically known for such programs. Next, the study investigates the academic and sociocultural experiences that influence students' investment in their degree programs. Finally, it discusses how these experiences affect their willingness to invest in their chosen degree. The research questions include 1) Why do international students invest in learning the TESOL program in a South Korean graduate school? 2) What sociocultural experiences positively and negatively impact their willingness to invest in the TESOL program? 3) What academic experiences positively and negatively impact their willingness to invest in the TESOL program? Using a qualitative paradigm, in- depth data was collected through the medium of admission essays, narrative frames, and semi-structured interviews. The result of the study showed that the positive impacts of sociocultural and academic experiences reported by the participants that influenced their willingness to invest in the TESOL program were perceptions of the degree from participants’ home countries, independence from studying abroad, relationships formed with peers, and the acquisition of the Korean language. The negative impacts of sociocultural and academic experiences reported by the participants that affected their willingness to invest in the TESOL program were negative perceptions of the degree from South Korea in the participants’ home country, perceptions of employment opportunities in Korea for non-native speakers of English teachers, lack of assistance from administration, lack of adequate communication with peers due to the online classes, culturally specific knowledge, medium of instruction issues in the lectures, and lack of practical teaching opportunity. Thus, the findings suggested further implications related to efforts to enhance the college's international reputation, schools should adopt inclusive hiring policies for non-native speakers of English teachers, improving services and facilities of administration, providing cross-cultural language teaching strategies during the class, engaging EMI and translingual educational teaching method into the TESOL course, and providing practical teaching opportunities for TESOL graduate students. Keywords: Investment theory, Motivation, International TESOL graduate students, Cultural capital, Economic capital, Social capital, Sociocultural experiences, Academic experiences

국문 초록 (Abstract)

투자는 학생들의 학습 과정뿐만 아니라 학생들이 성취하고 싶어하는 전반적인 학습 목표에도 중요한 역할을 할 수 있다. 유학생들의 투자에 긍정적 또는 부정적으로 영향을 미치는 사회문화적 및 학술적 경험을 조사하는 것도 중요한데, 이는 유학생들이 선택한 전공에 대한 그들의 인식을 깊이 이해하고 정부 또는 고등 교육 기관이 유학생들이 그들의 열망을 충족시킬 수 있도록 더 나은 서비스를 제공하는 데 도움을 줄 수 있기 때문입니다.
이 연구는 국제 대학원생들이 비영어권 국가인 한국 대학에서 TESOL 학위를 선택하는 이유 (cultural capital, economic capital, social capital관련), 그리고 TESOL 학위에 대한 투자에 영향을 미치는 학문적 및 사회문화적 경험을 조사하였다. 또한 이런 경험들이 그들이 선택한 학위에 대한 투자 의지에 어떻게 영향을 미치는지에 대해 논의하였다. 질적 패러다임을 활용하여 입학 연구계획서, 서술형 틀과 반구조화 인터뷰를 매개로 심층적으로 자료를 수집하였다.
연구 결과, TESOL 프로그램에 대한 투자 의향에 영향을 미친 사회문화적, 학문적 경험의 긍정적 영향은 국제 대학원생들의 모국으로부터의 한국 학위에 대한 긍정적인 인식, 유학으로 부터의 독립성, 동창들과의 관계 현성 그리고 한국어 습득으로 나타났다.
반면에, 국제 대학원생들의 TESOL프로그램에 대한 투자 의향에 영향을 미친 사회문화적 및 학술적 경험의 부정적인 영향은 그들의 모국에서의 한국으로부터의 학위에 대한 부정적인 인식, 영어가 모국어가 아닌 사람들을 위한 한국에서의 고용 기회, 학교 행정부의 도움 부족, 코로나 시기에 온라인 수업으로 인한 동료들과의 의사소통 부족, 한국 맥락에 너무 밀접하게 맞추어진 지식 습득, 한국어 능력 부족으로 인한 학습 문제, 그리고 실용적인 수업 기회 부족 등이었습니다.
따라서 연구 결과는 대학의 국제적인 명성을 높이기 위한 노력, 영어 교사의 원어민이 아닌 사람들을 위한 포괄적인 고용 정책, 학교 행정 서비스 및 시설 개선, 수업 중에 문화 간 언어 교육 전략 제공, EMI 및 다국어 교육 교수 방법을 TESOL 과정에 참여시키고 TESOL 대학원생들에게 실질적인 교수 기회를 제공하는 것과 관련된 추가적인 시사점을 제시했습니다.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1
• 1.1. Background and Context 1
• 1.2. Purpose of Study 8
• 1.3. Relevance and Importance of the Research 10
• 1.4. Structure of the Research 11
• CHAPTER II. LITERATURE REVIEW 14
• 2.1. Investment Theory. 14
• 2.2. Investment and Second Language Acquisition 15
• 2.3. Investment vs. Motivation. 16
• 2.3.1. Motivation. 17
• 2.3.2. Investment. 18
• 2.4. Investment and Capital. 19
• 2.4.1. Forms of Capital. 19
• 2.4.2. Forms of Capital in Language Education 20
• 2.5. Investment, Capital and Language Education. 26
• 2.5.1. Investment theory and TESOL. 27
• 2.5.2. Investment theory and language learners. 28
• 2.6. Research on International Students in South Korea. 30
• 2.6.1. Language of Instruction Issues 30
• 2.6.2. Culture Differences. 31
• 2.6.3. International Graduate Students in Korea 32
• 2.6.4. Native Speakerism and its Impact on International Students 34
• CHAPTER III. DESIGN OF THE STUDY 37
• 3.1. Research Questions. 37
• 3.2. Research Design. 38
• 3.3. Participants and Context 38
• 3.4. Data Collection Instruments 41
• 3.4.1. Admission Essays 42
• 3.4.2. Narrative Frames. 43
• 3.4.3. Semi-structured Interviews 44
• 3.5. Procedures 46
• 3.6. Data Analysis. 47
• 3.6.1. Admission Essay Analysis 47
• 3.6.2. Narrative Frame Analysis 48
• 3.6.3. Semi-structured Interview Analysis 49
• CHAPTER IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 52
• 4.1. Forms of Capital 52
• 4.1.1. Cultural Capital 52
• 4.1.2. Economic Capital 72
• 4.1.3. Social Capital 81
• 4.2. Impact of Sociocultural Experiences on Willingness to Invest in Degree 87
• 4.2.1. Positive experiences 88
• 4.2.2. Negative experiences. 91
• 4.2.3. Summary of impact 100
• 4.3. Impact of Academic Experiences on Willingness to Invest in Degree. 103
• 4.3.1. Positive experiences 104
• 4.3.2. Negative experiences 108
• 4.3.3. Summary of impact 124
• CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION. 129
• 5.1. Summary of findings 129
• 5.2. Implications 133
• 5.2.1. Theoretical Implications 133
• 5.2.2. Practical Implications 136
• 5.3. Limitations and Suggestions 140
• REFERENCES. 141
• APPENDICES 151
• ABSTRACT IN KOREAN 155