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When Confucianism Meets Vygotskian Practices : an Ethnography of Teaching and Learning EFL in a Korean University

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When Confucianism Meets Vygotskian Practices : an Ethnography of Teaching and Learning EFL in a Korean University University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-2004 Globalization of English teaching practices : when Confucianism meets Vygotskian practices : an ethnography of teaching and learning EFL in a Korean university. Sun Joo Huh University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Huh, Sun Joo, "Globalization of English teaching practices : when Confucianism meets Vygotskian practices : an ethnography of teaching and learning EFL in a Korean university." (2004). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 5686. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/5686 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GLOBALIZATION OF ENGLISH TEACHING PRACTICES: WHEN CONFUCIANISM MEETS VYGOTSKIAN PRACTICES - AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING EFL IN A KOREAN UNIVERSITY A Dissertation Presented by SUN JOO HUH Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF EDUCATION May 2004 School of Education © Copyright by Sun Joo Huh 2004 All Rights Reserved GLOBALIZATION OF ENGLISH TEACHING PRACTICES: WHEN CONFUCIANISM MEETS VYGOTSKIAN PRACTTICES-AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING EFL IN A KOREAN UNIVERISTY A Dissertation Presented by SUN JOO HUH Approved as to style and content by: Theresa Austin, Chair ja—~£= Margaret Gebhatfi Member Jo^rater, Member DEDICATION I dedicate this dissertation to my beloved son, Vincent Doe Hyun Kim, hoping that someday he would understand the complexities of life and inevitable sacrifices we are forced to make. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Theresa Austin for the years of support and guidance she has given me as an advisor as well as a mentor. She taught me how to develop critical perspectives, which I found at first the most challenging aspect of my doctoral studies. Dr. Austin guided and led me to form and explore my theories and gave me insights whenever I felt limited. I would also like to thank Dr. Margaret Gebhard and Dr. Joe Pater for their valuable feedback, their patience and for accommodating my needs. Dr. Gebhard challenged me to think less structurally about culture and to understand the ways in which the use of language affects both its nature and potential. Dr. Pater helped me focus on communicative-based language teaching and its assumptions. Last but not least, I thank my parents and my siblings for the encouragement and moral support they have provided throughout my intellectual journey in pursuit of the doctoral degree. v ABSTRACT GLOBALIZATION OF ENGLISH TEACHING PRACTICES: WHEN CONFUCIANISM MEETS VYGOTSKIAN PRACTICES - AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING EFL IN A KOREAN UNIVERSITY MAY 2004 SUN JOO HUH, BA, EWHA WOMEN’S UNIVERSITY M.Ed., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Ed.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Theresa Austin This ethnographic study examines how students learn English through classroom experiences that challenge their current cultural practices. In particular, I examine how learning language through activities affects students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) in a Korean university. It is based on the assumption, that learners have knowledge and use what they know to learn when presented with conflicting cultural models of learning. Because of globalization of English instruction, traditional Confucian values now co-exist in many Asian university EFL classrooms. My theoretical framework to explore these issues in Korea includes an examination of English language education policies through effect of globalization in Korean education, Confucianism and Vygotskian theories on language learners. In this ethnographic study, I have a dual role as the classroom teacher and a participant observer. I selected four focal participants for my research. My data include vi field notes, audio-tapes and notes from interviews, audio tapes from group activities, and notes from triangulations, verifications and peer reviews. Conceptual tools for data analysis are formulated using sociocultural theory together with activity theory (Engestrom, 1996). This perspective allowed me to provide a macro level analysis. In addition, I used Fairclough’s Critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 2001) for microanalysis of classroom in teaching and interview data. My findings from the macro level show how suggest that group interactions within an “English only policy” classroom re-created power structures derived from Confucian ideologies even though students’ level of communicative abilities differed and institutional policies constrained them. Each student struggled in creative ways to respond to ideological conflicts presented to them. I document a shift in their learning ideologies, ! a shift in their levels of confidence and their identities after reflecting on their past learning experiences in two contrasting Freshman EFL classes. I also learned that as an international scholar educated in the US, I in many ways have become an agent of globalized English practices. Therefore I must also actually review my own biases and reflect on my actions. Vll TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.v ABSTRACT.vi LIST OF TABLES.xiii LIST OF FIGURES. xiv CHAPTER L INTRODUCTION.1 Background.1 Effect of Globalization.3 * Human Capital Theory.4 Neo-liberalism.9 Conflict of Ideologies: CLT in Confucian-Influenced Classroom Education.10 Conflicts in Power, Identity and Language Use.11 Conflicts in Roles.12 Statement of Problem.13 Purpose of Study.15 Significance of Study.16 2. LITERATURE REVIEW.18 Introduction.18 English and Power.18 Influences of Globalization in EFL settings.19 English for Social Mobility.20 Hybridity.20 Recognition and Use of Multilingual Varieties of English.22 Synthesis.24 3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK.27 Introduction.27 Confucianism in Korean Context.30 Confucian Philosophy.35 Hierarchy.36 Filial Piety.38 Against Criticism.42 Individual Learning Through Great Exemplars.44 Written vs. Verbal.46 Concluding Potential Influences on Confucian Learning Ideologies.48 Vygotsky and Language.49 Culture and Socialization.51 General Genetic Law of Cultural Development and Higher Mental Functioning.53 Signs, Tools and Mediation.57 Egocentric Speech to Inner Speech.61 Zone of Proximal Development.64 Opposition to Vygotsky’s Theory.69 Activity Theory.71 * Activity.71 Actions.72 Operation.75 Problems with Activity Theory.77 Expansion of Activity Theory.79 Engestrom’s Activity Theory.80 Concluding Assumptions on Vygotskian Theory.84 Conclusion.87 4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.88 Introduction.88 Research Design.88 Ethnography.88 Research Context.91 University.91 University English Program.92 English Curriculum. 93 Research Participants.95 Teacher as Researcher.95 ix Focal Students 97 Ji Min.98 EunKyung.100 Won Young.101 Sun Ae.103 Data Collection.105 Participant Observation.105 Field Notes.106 Interviews.106 Data Analysis.110 Thematic Data Analysis.110 Vygotskian Tools for Data Analysis.111 Critical Discourse Analysis.112 * Discourse and Ideologies.113 Text.114 Interpersonal Function.115 Subject Positions.119 Engestrom’s Activity Theory.121 The Teacher’s Teaching Philosophy.125 Social Constructivism.126 Intercultural Communicative Competence.127 Class Activity: SPEAKING Model for Cultural Understanding.133 Class Curriculum.134 First Class of the Week (Main Textbook).135 Second Class of the Week (Interpretation, Creation and Presentation as Theme).137 Limitations of the Study.139 5. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS.142 Introduction.142 My Role as Teacher and Researcher.144 Students’ Sociohistorical Background and its Influence on Learning English ... 146 Students’ Geographical and Sociohistorical Living Environment.147 x Sun Ae.151 Won Young.154 Ji Min.157 EunKyung.160 Researcher’s Perspective: Understanding how Students Respond to Shifting Social Realities.163 Possible Hierarchical Work Order Among Students.169 Introduction.169 The Group Discussions.171 March group activity transcript.172 May group activity transcript.174 Participation as Obligation.175 Multiple Levels of Power Relations.177 Sun Ae: “Stressed of being the leader”.182 Won Young: “I’m not scared anymore”.189 Ji Min: “I lost motivation”.196 Eun Kyung: “I don’t participate much but it’s better than saying something with a lot of mistakes”.204 Different Experiences, Different Responsibilities.210 Multiple Voices and Objectives.215 Introduction.215 Group Analysis of the Activity System.217 Sun Ae: “I want to receive good grades”.219 Ji Min: “I want to graduate”.222 Won Young: “I want to learn more”.226 Eun Kyung: “I’m not scared of English anymore”.228 Possible Transformations of the Activity System.231 Conclusion.240 6. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS.240 What Participation Means in the First Semester Freshman EFL Class.240 Seniors’ Perspectives.240 Freshmen Students’ Perspectives.241 Teacher’s Perspective.242 Researcher’s Perspective.244 xi Effect of Target Language Only Policy 245 Students’ Perspectives.245 Teacher and Researcher’s Perspectives.247 Too Much Freedom; Possible Problems for Korean Students.249 Students’ Perspectives.250 Teacher and Researcher’s Perspectives on Students’ Freedom.251 Globalization
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