• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.137-156
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• 2009

This case study examines language learners' oral interactive practices and what they learn along with these practices. Language learners who study abroad take on the challenge of living in a foreign place and undergo difficulties in communicating and interacting with people in their new country. These difficulties, caused by cultural differences, are experienced most particularly in their daily interactions. Language learners' trials and efforts to learn English while dealing with a different culture and the difficulties are mainly observed for this paper. The process of learning a second culture is closely related to the process of learning a second language. Oral interactive practices can give the study abroad language learners opportunities to learn their target culture. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to discuss how participating in interactive practices assists the learners in understanding their target culture while they deal with their difficulties inherent in studying abroad. This study adds weight to the notion that culture is an essential and major factor in learning a language, and that only active participation in interactions can be effective in learning both a language and its culture.

• Journal of English Language & Literature
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.497-515
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• 2009

Culture as a source of identity, as Edward Said says, can be a battleground on which various political and ideological causes engage one another. It is not mere individual cultivation or private possession, but a program for social cohesion. Sensitively aware that a national culture should be independent from Europe, Walt Whitman enacts a new form of literature by placing different cultural values against Old World tradition. His interest in autochthonous culture originates from his deep concern about national consciousness. He believes that literary taste directed toward highly-ornamented elite culture is an obstacle to cultural unification of a nation. In order to represent American culture of the common people, Whitman incorporates a lot of cultural material into his poetry. Since he believes that America has many respectable writers at home, he urges people to adjust to their own taste instead of running after foreign authors. Whitman differentiated his poetry from previous literary models by disrupting the established literary norms and reconfiguring cultural values on the basis of American ways of life. In his comment on other poets, he concentrates on the originality and nativity of poetry. By claiming that words have characteristics of nativity, independence, and individuality, he envisions American literature to be distinguished from British literature in literary materials as well as in language. Whitman s language is composed of a vast number of words that can fully portray the nation. He works over language materials in two ways: reterritorialization and deterritorialization. Not only does his literary language become subversive of the established literary language, but also makes it possible to express strength and intensity in feeling.

• Korean Linguistics
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• v.79
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• pp.145-169
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• 2018

The purpose of this paper is to review critically the validity and relevance of the pan-national language culture improvement movement, Annyeong! Urimal(Hello! Our Language) implemented for the last three years as part of the government-driven projects, and to seek for improvement direction or fundamental reorientation of this movement. In order to accomplish this purpose, this paper firstly points out abstract and conventional aspects of the diagnosis for background and the purpose of projects, and suggests that this movement focuses on verbal abuse rather than language destruction and pays attention to positive aspects of newly rising language use. Then, with reference to main agent, this paper argues that the government must lead actively formation of voluntary nongovernmental agent with indirect financial and institutional support. Thirdly, it is suggested that public language should be the top priority target sphere and the language used by the leaders of society and the older generation should be also included in the target spheres of this movement. Finally, this paper indicates that enlightenment/public relation projects end often in one time events, imposing unilaterally the normative contents, and also emphasizes the importance of survey/research projects and deliberation/evaluation projects.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.29
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• pp.479-501
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• 2012

In this paper, I analyzed the russian cultural content of the russian textbook according to curriculum changes. The aim of this study is to analyze the content of the russian textbooks on russian culture. Our education of russian language begins in high school as a second language. And russian education in high school entirely depend on the textbook. In these circumstances, Russian textbooks play a very important role in the Russian language learning. For a practical and efficient language learning, acquisition of cultural knowledge is very important. Because cultural content can be learning motivational factors. But the contents of a textbook is not satisfactory enough to teach russian culture. More efficient textbook must be developed to advance student's linguistic ability.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.217-228
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• 2017

This paper examined the effects of children's interests and attitudes toward mother's native culture and use of mother's native language on satisfaction of the mother-child relationship in multi-cultural families. Data from the 2012 National Survey of Multi-cultural Families demonstrate that for children aged between 9 and 12 years, their fluency and desire to speak well in the mother's native language as well as father's encouragement for using the mother's native language at home were positively associated with satisfaction of the mother-child relationship. For those aged between 13 and 18 years, mother's nationality (i.e. Southeast or South Asia) was negatively related with mother-child relationship satisfaction. Both mother's and children' communication skills, children's interests in mother's native culture, pride for mother being a foreigner, and desire to speak well in the mother's native language were positively associated with mother-child relationship satisfaction. Therefore, there is a need for foreign wives to be educated in Korean language and culture as well as opportunities for children to learn their mother's native culture and language.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.24
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• pp.62-83
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• 2011

The totality of language learning comprises three integrated components: linguistic, cultural, and attitudinal (Wilkes, 1983).Positively sensitizing students to cultural phenomena is urgent and crucial. A positive attitude toward L2 culture is a factor in language learning that leads to cross cultural understanding. This research examined, through a survey analysis, how three groups of students (one high school group and two university student groups) viewed the role of their foreign culture (i.e., American and British cultures) in achieving cultural understanding. The focus was upon how EFL learners approach the target language culture as well as their own culture.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.147-163
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• 2011

In recent years, the relationship of language maintenance to culture and identity has received increased attention in the language acquisition and education fields. Korean immigrants in the U.S. form one of the biggest Asian groups and their language and cultural maintenance has been a major issue for both parents and ESL teachers. The present research is designed to investigate the cultural and social identities as well as the psychological investment factors that contribute to heritage language maintenance. Three Korean immigrant families in a small Midwest university town in the U.S. were surveyed and later interviewed. Issues and strategies concerning their children's Korean education in the U.S., coupled with the competing goal for the children to learn English were documented through parent interviews and interviews with school-aged focal children. Strategies and stances that facilitate or hinder both heritage and target language maintenance goals are presented along with participants' major reasons for heritage language maintenance in their homes and via Saturday schools. This work will assist ESL teachers and sociolinguists in situating both Korean student and parent goals in the context of shifting cultural and linguistic identities in countries where they have immigrated.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.19
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• pp.313-338
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• 2010

Attitudes toward target language culture and motivation have been known as important factors in second or foreign language learning. In this study, cadets' attitudes toward the target language community and culture were investigated to find out any relationships with English achievement. Integrative or instrumental motivation in foreign military context was investigated to determine which motivation was more positively related to English proficiency. Cadets' responses were shown highly positive and internally consistent in most cases. Military cadets' attitudes toward American culture were statistically significant and could predict their English achievement. Even though integrative motivation was statistically significant, correlation with English achievement was low. However, instrumental motivation was not significant. This result implies that attitudes toward culture is an important factor in foreign language learning and integrative-instrumental motivation dichotomy might not be enough to explain specific context like cadets' English learning situation at Korea Army Academy at Youngcheon.

• English Language & Literature Teaching
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.291-320
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• 2010

The Bible has been and still is one of the most influential books ever published. The English Bible has a great impact on English language, literature, and culture. Therefore, knowledge of the Bible is essential in learning English language, its literature, culture and tradition. Biblical allusions are found in great literature and the daily newspapers as well. Rock musicians, screenwriters, television producers, and advertisers use the Bible as a source. Politicians use the words and accounts of the Bible to frame their debates. The Bible has continued to be philosophically, ethically, religiously, and politically influential in Western, Eastern, now World cultures. Therefore, not to know it means not to understand a great portion of world culture. This study examines the influence of the first book of the Bible, Genesis, in English language, literature, and culture. Furthermore, this study suggests why we should incorporate the English Bible in English education.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.1069-1078
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• 2013

The paper is about teaching culture in a language learning. There are many teachers who are afraid of teaching foreign language with culture. They are delighted to teach politics, economics, history, art and literature as objective culture. But they are hesitant to teach subjective culture which is connected with a communication competency. The paper suggests three stages to instruct culture in a schoolroom. The first stage, it is growing out of the self-centered view. The second step, be developing self-consciousness through comparing mother culture with target culture. The last stage, it has to response to appropriately target culture. The teaching materials for the model suggested are two movies. Because the cultural aspects in the moves are subjective culture, so it has something in common with target cultural situations in a language learning. This method which is teaching culture in a the language learning has the advantage of being easy to teachers and learners. Most students like to watch a movie. The teaching material is The Chronicles of Narnia : The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe와 Guess Who?. I hope that this suggestion for cultural teaching is helpful for understanding each other.