An English speaking orientation program for building and learning American culture

Abstract

Due to recent globalization trends, English communication has become an important skill for South Korea. The knowledge of English helps students to succeed in academic performance and to obtain employment. Thus, many Korean people, especially college students, spend a lot of time and effort to further their English knowledge. Traveling to English speaking countries is a popular way to achieve this goal and many students compete to participate in exchange programs. When Korean students reach English speaking countries, however, they often feel unprepared for the language and culture challenges. This paper identifies challenges faced by English learners in South Korea, including those stemming from classroom cultural differences, student characteristics and language differences, and presents an orientation program to prepare students for travel abroad.