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Discourse markers are important to help interact in spoken discourse. Especially since Korean is a context-dependent language, it is very important to use them in appropriate situations. This study aims to suggest that the adverb ‘yakgan’ discussed as one of the degree adverb until now has expanded its meaning in the actual spoken discourse and plays a role of a discourse marker. To discuss this, this study used spoken corpus composed of the Sejong and semi-subcorpus composed of twitter comments and Kakao Talk. Then to compare the learner’s using of ‘yakgan’ patterns through the spoken corpus of ‘Korean learner corpus (KLC)’. Through this, this study intends to search for a way to contribute to the smooth communication of learners by illuminating the ‘약간(yakgan)’ as a discourse marker which is known only as degree adverbs so far.

This study aims to select contents for Korean social culture education by the period for foreign students, and propose measures for Korean social culture education using Korean popular songs. To this end, we first presented the contents of Korean social culture education in the past 70 years from 1946 in 10-year units. We referred to a study that analyzed the key words in newspaper articles and the Korean history curriculum suggested by the Department of Education to identify social culture education by the period. The following educational contents were identified: “The Korean War and division of the South and North Koreas”(1946- 1955), “Changes of social aspect before and after war”(1956-1964), “Light and darkness of government-led economic development”(1965-1974), “Urbanization and youth culture”(1975-1984), “Advent of new generation and new technology and environmental problems”(1985-1994), “Adolescent issues and the financial crisis” (1995-2002), and “Youth unemployment and class conflict”(2003-current). In addition, Korean popular songs about Korea’s social culture were selected by reviewing previous studies and popular Korean music websites. Next, the contents about “Urbanization and youth culture”(1975-1984) were presented as a class model. Korean culture is the classic channel through which Korean language learners are introduced to Korea, and among various Korean cultural media, Korean popular song attracts the most attention. Thus, Korean popular song may be an effective pedagogic instrument to teach Korean social culture to foreign students.

The purpose of this study is to examine the experience and attitude of Korean learners about using online machine translation tools. To accomplish this goal, 99 Korean learners of elementary and intermediate level were surveyed and their results were analyzed by each item. As a result, most Korean learners have experienced using machine translation tools in Korean language learning, and have found that a large part of Korean language learning relies on the use of machine translation tools. However, it was still recognized that the use of machine translation tools was an auxiliary means of Korean language learning. For some items, there was a difference in response outcome by proficiency. There was a significant difference between the types of machine translation tools used, the purpose of using machine translation tools, and the degree of dependence on machine translation tools. The results of this study showed that Korean learners have some experience and awareness about online machine translation tool. Also, we could see how these experiences and attitude differ according to learners’ level. This study has significance in that it is the first attempt as a specific research study on this field.

The purpose of this study is to analyse the effects of a Korean course using Korean wave contents and smartphones, specifically for Singaporeans who are learning Korean for hobby purposes(KHP). Based on KHP learners’ needs and characteristics, which were found through the statistical analysis of survey data, the design principles for KHP courses were made as follows: 1) Maximise the use of Korean wave contents. 2) Use smartphones for more practice outside of the classroom. 3) Focus more on the spoken language rather than the written language. 24 KHP learners who have the same proficiency were divided into two groups, experimental and control groups. The class in the experimental group were designed according to the principles by using Korean wave contents, Quizlet and speaking tasks whereas the control group used conventional methods. As a result, it was found that the experimental group achieved higher scores and made positive changes in their affective aspects of Korean learning. This study is significant as it suggested the principles of KHP courses based on the KHP learners’ needs and has shown its effects. However, this study was carried out with a small number of students in a short period of time, thus it is necessary to carry out a more extensive investigation for future research.

This study aims to explore the pathways of developing Korean MOOC in China by using the method of survey research. Firstly, this paper investigates the construction of Korean MOOC on 15 MOOC platforms. The results show that Korean MOOC is relatively underdeveloped both in quality and in quantity compared with MOOCs of other disciplines. Secondly, this paper does a questionnaire survey on the use of Korean MOOC `among Korean learners and researchers in 18 universities and research institutions of 19 regions. Most of the respondents show an inadequate satisfaction toward the status quo of Korean MOOC. Many problems exist in Korean MOOC such as unspecified course objectives, unsystematic course content, non-interactive teaching process, and uni-dimensional evaluation method. Based on the surveys, combined with relevant research findings and learner requirements, the paper proposes the pathways of developing Korean MOOC, namely, the hierarchization of course objectives, the systematization of course content, the interaction of teaching process, and the diversification of evaluation.

This study considered ways to use reformulation feedback(RF) in re-teaching and learning to improve the writing skills of Korean learners for academic purposes. Taking advantage of this benefit, the present study provided a sample of Korean learners with RF appraisals and obtained the following results. First, the error correction rate and average error correction rate of each session were obtained by counting the number of errors in vocabulary, grammar, and sociolinguistic competence. The results found that the error correction rates of sessions other than the fourth session (an essay) increased. Second, the subjects were divided into three groups by language proficiency: group A(high scoring test takers), group B(intermediate scoring test takers), group C(low scoring test takers) and the pre- and post-feedback treatment improvements of each competency area were separately examined for each group. The results found pre-feedback differences in vocabulary, grammar, and text content between group A and group C, but there was only regarding grammar between group B and group C. Large post-feedback differences were found in vocabulary, grammar, text content, and text structure between group A and group C and between group B and group C because group A and group B made large improvements. Accordingly it is proved that learners with high language proficiency have higher feedback acceptance of RF. Third, the average scores on the pre-feedback essays and post-feedback logical writings were compared to determine the influences of RF regardless of genre or topic. The results found statistically significant increases in the average scores in language forms and discourse.

Yoon Dong-Ju’s poetry collection ‘Sky, Wind, Stars and Poems’ was translated in Japanese by Ibuki Go for the first time in 1984. After that, in 1990, the Japanese translation of ‘Seo si’(the prologue in Sky, Wind, Stars and Poems), as a poem that was written by a Korean, was printed in Japanese junior high school textbooks of Modern Japanese Language for the first time. This made Yoon Dong-Ju widely known in Japan and until today he is still loved by Japanese people. But in 1995, 10 years after the first Japanese translation, named ‘Sky, Wind, Stars and Poems’, was published, it has been pointed out that there are many excessive mistranslations about the original proem, and some researchers at home and abroad continue to criticize the original translation. In this context, this thesis aims to reveal whether the evaluation of mistranslation of this work is appropriate by re-finding the criticism of Yoon Dong-Ju’s Japanese translation since the 1990s.

This study aims to enhance the Korean language peer tutoring program by examining the satisfaction and effect of the Korean peer-tutoring program between foreign post-graduate students and Korean post-graduate tutors majoring in Korean language education. The results of the study are as follows: First, the satisfaction were high in both the tutor and the tutee, and both groups had a positive attitude toward the program showing that Korean language tutoring programs were helpful to both groups. Second, the effect of the program affecting the satisfaction varied from group to group. Results showed that satisfaction tended to be higher in the tutee who indicated that the program helped them ‘improve Korean skills needed for studies and school life’ and tutors who indicated that the program helped them ‘develop self-directed learning skills’. Third, continuous review and development are needed in areas of tutoring team study period tutor training and managing compensation for tutors. More consideration on how the role of the Korean tutors are different when tutoring foreign students is needed and support in providing assistance to these tutors in performing their role well should be developed. This study is significant as it presented a model of peer-tutoring program during a period where there is an increase of foreign post-graduate enrollees and this study may serve as a basis for developing peer tutoring programs for foreign post-graduate students in the future.

This study focused on attempting in detail about the patterns of pragmatic errors of learners occurring in the classroom. This study also examined the feedback that the teachers used to correct errors of the learners and the distribution of the learners’ uptake by following this. In order to get data for this study, the lessons of speaking for level 5 courses at a language academy were recorded, and the data was analyzed on the error movements of the learners whose errors were corrected by the teacher, and the feedback movements of the teachers, and the uptake move of the learners on the feedback. The result shows that the teachers provided a high percentage of feedback to the learners based on the politeness devices. The types of feedback that the teacher used frequently were explicit correction and metalinguistic feedback. In the highest percentage of the teacher’s feedback was found in explicit correction on address terms, syntactic downgraders and pragmatic routines, in metalinguistic feedback on politeness devices. In the distribution of the learners’ uptake following the feedback, teachers’ repetition, and correction by means of repeated feedback showed a high percentage of correction, and this was the type of error correction by means of recasts and explicit correction.

‘The King Sejong Institute that teaches Korean abroad, needs to develop an education course that can meet the students’ diverse needs, considering the purpose of learning Korean and the time available for learning. Development of a Korean language curriculum for learners aimed at traveling to Korea can encourage learners’ interest in learning Korean through diversification of the Korean curriculum. In addition, this curriculum is meaningful in that it can expand the demand for Korean language learning for the practical purpose. Although the travel Korean textbooks were published by individual researchers or publishers, those developed by Korean language education institutions or developed by professional Korean language educators were difficult to find. Therefore, the King Sejong Institute wants to develop a travel Korean curriculum and materials as part of a special education program. A survey was conducted on learners and teachers to develop the curriculum. The survey of teachers’ demands consisted largely of the demand for <Travel Korean> education courses and textbooks and the demand for travel programs in Korea. The survey for learners was conducted separately according to the existence or absence of travel experiences in Korea and consisted of the demand for education courses and textbooks, the survey of travel demand in Korea, and the survey of travel experiences in Korea. Based on this, the development of the travel Korean curriculum will contribute to meeting the needs of learners and expanding the externalities of learning Korean.