Globalization and the Process of Transformation in Language of Korean

Students in America

Hi-Sun KimUniversity of Chicago

AATK 2012

Introduction

• Globalization and multilingualism in the 21st century

• Languages of Korean International (KI) students

• Languages of Korean American (KA) students

Research Questions• What kinds of new language profiles and identities

are constructed by the forces of globalization in KI and KA students in American universities?

• How do such identity constructions in turn influence their motivation in language practices and learning?

• What are the implications for Korean language teaching in the US and how will this new generation of KA and KI students, who are the products of new globalized economy, impact the Korean studies program?

Korean International Students

• 유학생 versus 조기유학생• 2005-2006 (KEDI, 2007; Shin, 2010)– 69.5% increase of elementary students– 38.6% increase of middle school students– 15.5% increase of high school students

• RQ: – Degrees of bilingualism for Korean & English?– Process of their new construction of language

profile?– Value or advancement of Korean language & culture?

Korean American Students• Immigrant language profile: shift to dominant

language (e.g. English)• Heritage language loss; attrition; assimilation• Degree of bilinugalism & Bilingual profiles

(Monstrul, 2009): Simultaneous/Sequential/Late child L2 learners

• RQ:– Change in value of heritage language (i.e., Korean)? – Shift in motivation to advance in heritage language

due to the globalized economy?

The Study

Questionnaire Survey

• Demographic information & place of education from K-12

• L1 and extent of Korean language exposure• Korean language usage with family, peers, etc.• Self evaluation/ confidence level in

translation• Expectation to use Korean & English in future• Korean language identity, value, and their

motivation for Korean language advancement

Participants

• 54 students (KI=37; KA=17/ M=29; F=25)• Age range 18-32 • Popular majors:– KI: 51% Economics– KA: Biology (3 out of 17)– Other majors: math, history, public policy, political

science, fine arts, music, human development, statistics, industrial design, architecture, philosophy

Background Information

N Age

(mean)

Gender Class Nationality Place of

Birth

Age of

Arrival

(mean)

KI 37 20.7 M=24

F=13

1st=15

2nd=9

3rd=4

4th-8

Korean

(100%)

Korea

(100%)

12.9

KA 17 21.6 M=5

F=12

1st=6

2nd=0

3rd=2

4th=2

Grad=7

US=15

(88.2%)

Both=2

(12%)

Korea=3

(17.6%)

US=14

(82.4%)

9.8

Education PatternKI KA

Korea Eng

Coun-

try

Both Other Korea Eng

Coun-

try

Both Other

Pre-

Primary

32

(88%)

2

(5%)

0

(0%)

2

(5%)

5

(29%)

12

(71%)

0 0

Primary 26

(72%)

6

(16%)

3

(8%)

2

(5%)

2

(12%)

13

(76%)

2

(12%)

0

Middle 24

(67%)

7

(19%)

4

(11%)

2

(5%)

2

(12%)

15

(88%)

0 0

High

School

11

(31%)

22

(59%)

1

(3%)

13

(35%)

2

(12%)

15

(88%)

0 0

Lived with Native Speaker

Grand-

father

Grand-

mother

Mother Father Sibling Relatives Spouse

KI 18

(49%)

17

(46%)

35

(95%)

35

(95%)

31

(84%)

14

(38%)

1

(3%)

KA 9

(53%)

6

(35%)

16

(94%)

16

(94%)

7

(41%)

4

(24%)

1

(6%)

L1 Age 0-5

English Korean Both

KI 0 37 (100%) 0

KA 2 (12%) 13 (76%) 2 (12%)

Exposure of Korean Language & Culture

Exposure

growing up

Residence

(more than 3 months)

Korean language at

University

KI 4.9 37 (100%) 2 (12%)

KA 4.3 9 (53%)

Mean: 4.6 months

12 (71%)

Speaking to and spoken to fromKI KA

Speak to Spoken to Speak to Spoken to

Korean friends 4.6 4.6 2.6 2.6

Significant

Others

2.1 2.1 0.9 0.8

Grandparents 4.4 4.4 3.1 3.2

Mother 4.8 4.8 3.6 4.0

Father 4.8 4.9 3.5 3.5

Siblings &

Cousins

4.4 4.5 1.9 2.1

Relatives

(Uncles/Aunts)

4.4 4.5 3.5 3.5

Other Usage and Exposure

KI KA

Korean TV/movies 3.8 3.1

Read in Korean 3.9 2.6

Write/Email Text in Korean 3.8 2.5

Listen to Korean music 3.2 2.8

I am confident communicating in:

KI KA

Korean 4.8 3.5

English 4.5 4.8

I am confident translating reading materials…

KI KA

From Korean to English 4.3 3

From English to Korean 4.1 2.9

I am confident in the following Korean language skills:

KI KA

Speaking 4.7 3.5

Listening 4.9 4.1

Reading 4.7 3.5

Writing 4.4 3.1

Grammar 4.5 2.7

Honorific use 4.6 3.4

Speech level 4.7 3.5

In the future, I expect to use

KI KA

Korean English Korean English

At home with

family

4.8 3.4 4.2 3.9

With friends 4.5 4 3.1 4.8

At work 3.4 4.4 2.6 4.6

Are you interested in improving your Korean language?

KI KA

Yes 26 (70%) 16 (94%)

Reading 7 (19%) 10 (59%)

Writing 19 (51%) 12 (71%)

Speaking 10 (27%) 12 (71%)

Listening 3 (8%) 7 (41%)

Vocabulary/Hanja 18 (49%) 14 (82%)

Are you interested in expanding your knowledge in other content areas?

KI KA

Yes 30 (81%) 15 (88%)

Literature 22 (59%) 9 (53%)

History 21 (57%) 11 (65%)

Popular culture 15 (41%) 6 (35%)

Economics 19 (51%) 6 (35%)

Politics 17 (46%) 11 (65%)

Sociology 12 (32%) 3 (18%)

Art 18 (49%) 7 (41%)

Linguistics 15 (41%)) 5 (29%)

Law 14 (38%) 4 (24%)

If Korea and the US played the World Cup finals, which team would you support?

KI KA

Korea 37 (100%) 13 (76%)

US 0 0

Both 0 1 (6%)

Neither 0 1 (6%)

Discussion

Globalization and Korean International Students

• Monica Heller (2010):“It is not the globalization alone that is so new, but

rather the emergence of the globalized new economy, which has new conditions for the production of language practices and forms and new challenges to current ways of thinking about language.” (p. 349)

Globalization and Korean International Students

• Acquisition of American (or British) English• Shift from hakwon to immersion ( 조기유학 )• 86% of KI students have experienced or started an English

immersion education in primary, middle, or high school• Possess a rather balanced bilingual identity (e.g. high

confidence in both languages reported)• Expects to use English at work and Korean at home &

with peers• Fluency not enough, but fluency with authentic or native-

like English pronunciation and proficiency

Globalization and Korean International Students

• 조기유학 = key to entering and competing in the new global market

• “Authentic” English as marker of elite status in the new economic order in Korea (Shin, 2010)

• Process of constructing a balanced Korean-English bilingual is not only economically driven, but also socially driven.

Globalization and Korean American Students

• Globalization = Americanization and McDonaldization (Crystal, 2004; Bhatt 2001; Phillipson, 2003, etc.)

• Exclusive reliance on English as a growing disadvantage in US and Uk (Djite, 2008) & multilingual education has social market benefit (Skutnabb-Kangas & Phillipson, 2010)

• Then, KA/HL speakers should have an advantage

Globalization and Korean American Students

• Kim (2002): Language usage, exposure, motivation, and attitude of Korean HL learners at UHM– L1 (2002) 34% (E) - 34% (K) – 29% (Both)– L1 (2011) 12% (E) – 77% (K) – 12% (Both)– Slightly more Korean language usage with similar

patterns (e.g. more Korean usage with mother than father)

– Rates Korean as difficult with most confidence in listening and least confident in writing

– Hence, global new economy does NOT seem to have any significant change in motivation

Globalization and Korean American Students

• With US ranking high in the global hierarchies, the study reveals KA students have different experiences of globalization by comparison with KI students, which is low (unchanged) motivation to invest in their HL language.

• However, overall increase on awareness of language as a resource

Globalization and Korean Language Program

• Globalization in the 21st century has brought new definition to KI and KA students

• KI students (compared to NS) possess gaps in knowledge of content areas (e.g., literature, history, etc.)

• KA students possess gaps in metalinguistic knowledge

CONCLUSION: Globalization and Korean Language Program

• Strong implications for Korean programs to incorporate metalinguistic based courses for KA students and content-based advanced level courses for KI students

• Korean language programs should meet demands of constructing new levels of Korean-English bilingualism for KI and KA students in order for them to successfully compete in the new global economy