Stephanie Ptak is an assistant professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, South Korea. She has taught English in South Korea and Spain, from elementary school to the university level. She is interested in teaching goal-setting in the classroom. 

 

Abstract

The effects of the declining population in Korea are becoming more apparent every day. School closures at all levels are not few and far between, and universities are searching for solutions. South Korean universities have been looking overseas to attract students for years, and the number of international students has been steeply increasing over the past few years. Many of these students, with a wide range of backgrounds, end up in required English courses. As this group of students grows, it is important to reflect on how to better serve these young adults. In this small-scale research, I delve into international students’ experiences in required English courses at the university level. Through a survey and interviews, I attempt to unveil how these students perceive required English courses and to learn more about their interactions with instructors and fellow students.

 

Introduction

The steep decrease of the fertility rate in South Korea has been making headlines around the world for over a decade, and yet the shift into an aging population seemed quite subtle on a day-to-day basis until the past few years. The effects of this decline are becoming more apparent in a variety of ways, particularly as the school-age population dwindles. Over the past year, a number of universities have stopped accepting students into unpopular departments, as “the number of students enrolled in universities and graduate schools fell to 3 million, a sharp 18 percent decline over the past decade” (Jung, 2024).

It comes as no surprise then that universities began looking overseas in an attempt to solve the problems that come along with low-student enrollment (Alemu & Cordier, 2017). Students moving to different countries in search of higher education is not a new phenomenon, as for generations students have moved all around the world in search of the institution that fits their educational goals. “For those countries importing foreign students, international higher education is big business” (Altbrech, 2004). Due to the severity of the declining student population, local governments have stepped up to attract international students with a number of different programs (Choi, 2024). For example, the Study Korea 300K Project aims to attain 300,000 international students countrywide by 2028, and the Busan 30K Project has a target of 30,000 international students in the city of Busan (Choi, 2024). The strategies have been successful thus far, and campuses around the country have seen a drastic increase in international students. In 2000, the number of international students enrolled in Korean universities was just shy of 4,000 (Lee, 2017). As of July, 2024 there were 232,000 registered student visas (Choi, 2024).

 

Background

English education is highly valued in Korea, which can be seen through the inclusion of English as one of the four mandatory sections of the Suneung, or College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) (Bradley, 2023). After getting their results from the CSAT and enrolling in university, students are still not finished with their English education, as many institutions require students to pass mandatory English courses ranging from one semester to a number of semesters, regardless of their major field of study (Murdoch, 2019). As more international students enroll in Korean higher education, they inevitably wind up in these required English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses. They must enroll in these courses, regardless of their English language abilities, which they have already proven through evidence of standardized test results upon admission to their respective universities.

While the composition of international students in South Korea has changed over the past two decades, it has remained quite skewed. In 2010, 95 per cent of international students came from Asian countries, and 76 per cent of all these international students hold passports from mainland China (Bae, 2015). By 2023, 89 percent of international students came from Asia, “some 6 per cent came from Europe, 2.3 per cent from North America, 1.5 per cent from Africa, and less than 1 per cent each from South America and Oceania” (“South Korea’s International Student Population Jumps Tenfold in 2 Decades,” 2024).

Besides the additional revenue for universities, there are numerous benefits to having international students on Korean campuses (Murdoch, 2019). As classrooms become more diverse, the potential for Korean students to interact with others from all over the world increases. Through this exposure, universities are hoping to foster intercultural sensitivity and more globally minded students (George, 2010). As Korea itself has long been quite a homogenous society, this atmosphere allows young adults to engage with multiculturalism, as universities are attempting “to achieve global competency and diversity" (Kim, 2016). 

Universities use a number of tactics to attract international students to apply for and enroll in a number of programs. Therefore, prior to their arrival in South Korea, international students have many expectations for their upcoming experience. Unfortunately, the actual lived experiences are often quite different from their expectations. 

One way that universities attract international students is by offering courses taught in English. Thus, many institutions promise that courses will be taught with English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) regardless of the major field of study (Murdoch, 2019). However, a number of students report that while a course may be advertised as EMI, it is not actually run in this way; The instructors may revert to Korean as the course progresses, instructors’ accents may be difficult to understand, or there was never any attempt to run the course in English (Kim, 2016). 

Secondly, international students come to South Korea expecting diverse campuses, welcoming institutions, and classrooms with friendly peers (Kim, 2016). Unfortunately, students often report that they feel misled, as there is little to no support for international students at the level of the institution (Kim, 2016). Additionally, individual instructors often ignore international students' needs and may not take them into consideration while assigning groups (Kim, 2016). “Apart from the lack of institutional support, some professors’ negligence in facilitating non-Korean students’ active engagement in classroom activities” has been reported on numerous occasions (Kim, 2016). 

Not only is there a lack of support from the institution and from professors, but international students have also reported feeling excluded from their Korean peers in the classroom, particularly when forming groups (Kim, 2016). As mentioned previously, South Korea is quite a homogenous country with an underlying sense of one blood, which can lead to a strong distinction between “Korean” and “foreigners” (Shin, 2006). This distinction seems to play out in the classroom when students are instructed to form groups during informal activities and more formal groups for projects (Kim, 2016). 

 

Methodology

Through quantitative and qualitative methods, this study explores the experiences of international students in the required EFL courses at universities in South Korea. Surveys and interviews were conducted among twelve international students across seven universities. Among the twelve participants, there were seven females and five males. They come from nine different countries, and their major fields of study are quite various. These students enrolled in the mandatory English courses from 2013 until Spring 2024, thus their experiences span almost a decade of university-level English education. Some of these students were recommended to participate in the study by fellow educators, and other students were recommended through word of mouth among the international student community. All participation in the study was voluntary. The students' details are presented in Table 1.      

 

Table 1: Participants

Name	Nationality	Gender	Major
BE	Brazil	Female	Political Science & Diplomacy
Y	China	Male	Korean Language & Literature
G	China	Male	Korean Language & Literature
M	France	Male	English Education
A	Germany	Female	Physics
B	Germany	Female	Bioengineering
ML	Romania	Female	Child & Family Studies
K	Russia	Female	English Literature, Counseling Psychology
P	Spain	Male	International Relations
J	Uzbekistan	Male	English Language & Literature
T	Vietnam	Female	Korean Language & Literature
N	Vietnam	Female	Korean Language & Literature

First, the students were asked to fill out a survey in order to gain a general understanding of their experiences in the EFL classroom. In the survey, students were asked to indicate their interest in an interview, and those who indicated an interest were then contacted for individual interviews. Interviews were conducted face-to-face when possible or over the phone if the student indicated that as a preference. The interviews were used as a way to paint a more in-depth picture of the student’ experiences. These interviews, as compared to the survey, allowed for more flexibility in the students’ responses, as they were able to answer more open-ended questions that could be explored in more detail (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007). Therefore, by combining the quantitative data collected through the survey along with the qualitative data collected through interviews, this study aims to gain a well-rounded insight into the experiences of required English courses by international students in South Korea.    

    

Results and Analysis

Through a survey, the students were asked about their general experiences in the university EFLclassroom using a Likert scale. In terms of their overall experience, the average rating was a 4 out of 5, with 5 as very satisfied and 1 very dissatisfied. While most of the responses were on the positive end of the scale, there was one respondent who answered 1 very dissatisfied. During the interviews, M stated that he felt the course was an enriching experience. In the interview with K, she stated that in her opinion the class was taught much better than the English courses she had taken in her home country. 

As for the students’ satisfaction with the course materials and curriculum, the average score was 3.91. It is important to note that these students went to a number of different universities over a period of almost a decade. Therefore, we can expect that the curriculum would differ not only from school to school, but possibly from teacher to teacher as well, depending on each institutions’ policies regarding the curriculum. J said that the English courses taught by non-Korean instructors were very helpful because they were not taught with Korean methods, as the exams and assignments require critical thinking and students’ own opinions, rather than just memorizing the textbooks. With a different instructor, B had a very different experience, stating that not only did her English teacher have poor skills as a speaker of English, but also poor skills as a teacher. BE said that of the three English courses that she took, one was taught completely in Korean. This was quite frustrating, as her English skills are actually higher than many of her peers. Unfortunately, due to her low level of Korean at that time, she really struggled throughout the semester, and in the end, she got a low grade. A also spoke about this in her interview, stating that the course was completely unsuitable for her, as she had a remarkably higher level of English than the other students, and M had a very similar situation as well.       

With respect to the interaction and collaboration between the international students and Korean students, the average rating was 3.25 out of 5. Additionally, students responded about their level of comfort in seeking out their Korean peers for help if needed, and the average was 3.16 out of 5, with 5 as very comfortable. It should be noted that these interactions and collaborations cannot be accomplished alone, but require multiple students. Thus these responses can only offer us an insight into these particular students’ experiences with their particular peers. N elaborated her sentiment in the interview, stating that she believes she should have tried harder to communicate more with Korean students.  

Regarding the students’ level of comfort in seeking help or clarification from their instructors, the result was 3.91. G conveyed that he was very grateful for the teacher’s guidance in the course, while Y answered that the teacher was very kind. M also appreciated the teacher’s feedback which he said was very important in his opinion. However, T expressed a desire for the teachers to be closer to the students.

The students were also asked about their improvement of English throughout the course. Only two respondents said that their English improved a lot, while eight said that it improved a little. Two respondents said that their English did not improve at all. One student, M, who had a considerably higher level of English than his Korean peers, mentioned that he was clearly aware of his higher level English abilities, but he still felt there was something to be gained from taking the class. In particular, M stressed that his ability to accommodate his language for partners with lower levels of English drastically increased throughout the course. 

Lastly, a number of students expressed their frustration that the EFL classes were compulsory. One of the mandatory English courses that B took required the translation of large amounts of Korean text into English. As B was just beginning to learn Korean when she took this course, these activities proved incredibly taxing, and required her to do much more work than the other native Korean speaker classmates. B stated that it would have been much more beneficial to simply have a Korean class for the international students. A expressed a similar position, as she felt that the required English course was simply a waste of time. She wished that her university offered a Korean course in place of the English requirement. On the other hand, other students did not feel so negative towards the requirement. M said that his mandatory Conversational English course gave him a chance to meet a number of Korean students in a less formal setting than his major courses.   

 

Discussion and Conclusion

There are a number of limitations to this study that must be noted. First, the number of respondents is quite small, and the students come from a number of different institutions. In addition to this, the surveyed group does not represent the make-up of nationalities of the current international students in South Korea. Second, the international students were surveyed about their opinions of the curriculum and their interactions with Korean peers and Korean and foreign instructors. This information would be more illuminating if we had survey responses from Korean students in order to present a comparison of opinions.

In this study, the international students expressed a wide array of opinions and experiences in the required English courses. Even though students’ responses were mostly positive, it became clear through the interviews that there were a number of negative experiences. In conclusion, I believe the international students would most benefit from an appropriately leveled English course or an appropriately leveled Korean course in lieu of the required English course that would help them adjust to Korean campus life. As Korean universities and local governments continue to attract international students, it is critical to pay attention to the experiences of these students in order to truly foster global campuses across the country. 

 

Bibliography

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