예비초등교사의 영어와 영어사용에 대한 인식연구

Abstract

This study examined the perceptions of pre-service elementary school teachers who have more roles and opportunities as English language users. A mixed methods was used through a survey of 109 pre-elementary school teachers and semi-structural interviews. The results were as follows: First, as Korean English speakers in one of non-English speaking countries, the participants showed strong identity as English users and openness to various forms of English. Nonetheless, they still recognized English as a subject of learning which belongs to English-speaking countries such as the United States and the UK. In addition, they showed a strong perception that the culture of English speaking countries should be learned when it comes to learning of culture, although they recognized English as an international language and appreciated its varieties. With the findings about the participants’ perceptions toward English and English use, implications are suggested including the urgency of raising awareness of having critical perspective in English language learning.