원어민 대학영어회화 수업에서의 학습자 배경, 정의적 요인, 말하기 성취도 간의 관계에 관한 연구

Abstract

Recently, the improvement of communicative competence has increasingly been stressed in Korea's English educational system. Therefore, the number of English conversation classes taught by native-English speaking instructors continues to increase in most Korean universities. However, there have been few studies published on the relationship between the affective factors associated with English conversation classes and English speaking achievement of university students. The affective factors may have a positive or negative influence on the language learning process and a student's proficiency in the target language. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the affective factors, background variables relating to English, and English speaking achievements among Korean university students. The study's research questions were as follows: 1) What relationship is there between the learners’ affective factors and background variables relating to English, 2) What relationship is there between the learners' affective factors and speaking achievements, and 3) What relationship is there between the experience variables relating to English and speaking achievements? The participants in the study were 169 university students enrolled in a sophomore English conversation class. Regarding the questionnaire on the affective factors, it was based on a version of Horwitz(1986)'s FLCAS (Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale) after interviewing six students about their classes. The questionnaire on the affective factors, which were sub-classified into four factors (trait anxiety, anxiety of negative evaluation from professors and peers, test anxiety, and class interest), was given to the participants. The background variables consisted of the starting point of English study, their English self-rating speaking proficiency, their grades from English conversation Ⅲ, and their TOEIC scores. Their English speaking achievements were assessed on oral midterm and final exams in terms of three criteria: pronunciation, fluency, and accuracy. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 12.0. To analyze the research data, frequency analyses, factor analyses, and regression analyses were implemented, and statistical significance was set at 0.05. Major findings of the study were as follows. First, between the affective factors and the background variables, all the factors except general anxiety were found to be related to English self-rating speaking proficiency. Class interest was affected according to the grades from English conversation Ⅲ. The TOEIC scores were positively correlated with the test anxiety and class interest. However, the starting point of English study did not show significant correlation on the affective factors. Second, class interest, among the affective factors, was the only one positively correlated with all English speaking achievements on the total scores, oral mid-term and final exam. However, the other anxiety factors did not have significant influence in all of the criteria of English speaking achievements. Third, between the background variables and English speaking achievements, their grades from English conversation Ⅲ, and their TOEIC scores were positively correlated with learners’ achievements on the total scores, oral mid-term and final exam. The starting point of English study was positively correlated with English speaking achievements on the total scores and oral mid-term exam. However, English self-rating speaking proficiency did not show significant correlation on English speaking achievements. The implication of this research for English education is that English learners and instructors should be aware of affective factors like anxiety, class interest and other potential interferences in the language classroom. In conclusion, the affective factors are positively or negatively correlated with language learning processes and achievements. Therefore, native instructors should make classes as interesting as possible, using a variety of amusing and educational activities and methods. Also they should design classroom procedures and activities in a way that will contribute to improving the learners’ speaking achievements and create a positive learning environment in the English classroom.