초등 사이버 가정학습이 영어 어휘력과 영어 어휘 흥미도에 미치는 영향

Abstract

Vocabulary is very important in language, and is an essential requirement for communication in the language. In order to improve vocabulary competence, it is necessary to expose the learners to vocabulary, but there are restrictions for the exposure under the current curriculum. As a solution for overcoming the restrictions, cyber home learning with no limitations in time and space can be an alternative education method. Thus, this study purposed to apply English learning through cyber home learning to fifth‐grade children and to examine how it affected the children’s English vocabulary competence and interest in English vocabulary. For this purpose, we set research questions as follows. 1) What effects does cyber home learning have on fifth‐grade children’s English vocabulary competence? 2) When the children were divided into high‐level and low‐level groups according to their English learning ability, what effects does cyber home learning have on each group’s English vocabulary competence? 3) What effects does cyber home learning have on fifth‐grade children’s interest in English vocabulary? 4) When the children were divided into high‐level and low‐level groups according to their English learning ability, what effects does cyber home learning have on each group’s interest in English vocabulary? In order to answer these questions, we selected two fifth‐grade classes at C Elementary School in Busan Metropolitan City as an experimental group (n=29) and a control group (n=28), respectively, and divided each group into two subgroups according to their English learning ability. The children’s English vocabulary competence and interest in English vocabulary before cyber home learning, and then the experimental group learned English through cyber home learning for 5 weeks and the control group did not. After the program was completed, each group had another test of their vocabulary competence and interest in English vocabulary. Conclusions drawn from this study are as follows. First, improvement in English vocabulary competence was not significantly different between fifth‐grade children who learned English through cyber home learning and those who did not. Second, improvement in English vocabulary competence was significant in the high‐level subgroup among the fifth‐grade children who learned English through cyber home learning. Third, improvement in interest in English vocabulary was higher in the fifth‐grade children who learned English through cyber home learning than in those who did not, but no difference was observed between before and after the program in each group. Fourth, improvement in interest in English vocabulary was not significant in either the high‐level or low‐level subgroup among the fifth‐grade children who learned English through cyber home learning. From the results of this study, it was concluded that English learning through cyber home learning is not effective for improving elementary school children’s vocabulary competence and interest in English vocabulary. Based on this result, we expect the development of more effective methods of English learning through cyber home learning, and make suggestions as follows. First, this study applied cyber home learning to children by giving it as their vacation homework, but if research is conducted in environment where children can find pleasure in cyber home learning and study by themselves, we may obtain more satisfactory results in enhancing children’s English vocabulary competence and interest in English vocabulary. Second, in this study, the fifth‐graders had cyber home learning during the winter vacation after they finished the 5th‐grade English curriculum. If cyber home learning is conducted along with English education in school, we may get more meaningful results. Third, because the contents of cyber home learning are mainly for listening and reading, it may be necessary to study how English learning through cyber home learning affects children’s listening and reading skills. Fourth, if English contents for cyber home learning are diversified in terms of level, children may be able to learn according to their learning ability and this will reduce the expenses of private education and contribute to improvement in children’s academic abilities.