ii
Recruitment Process.............................................................................................
33
Interview Procedure .............................................................................................
34
Method Procedure ................................................................................................
35
Data Analysis .......................................................................................................
36
Chapter Four—Analysis and Results .........................................................................
37
Introduction ..........................................................................................................
37
Summary of Findings ...........................................................................................
38
The Purposes for Studying Abroad in the United States ...............................
38
The Obstacles of Learning English
in South Korea and the
United States ..................................................................................................
41
Difficulties of Studying English in South Korea .....................................
42
Difficulties of Studying English in the United States ..............................
44
Ranking the Difficulty of English Speaking, Listening, Writing,
and Reading ....................................................................................................
47
Discovery of UNK .........................................................................................
49
The Important Factors of Choosing UNK .....................................................
50
Average Hours Spent on English in South Korea from Elementary
to High School ...............................................................................................
53
The Level of Importance of English in Korea ...............................................
54
The Future Occupation Preferences of Koran Students .................................
54
The Rank of English Education in Korea and the United States ...................
55
The Concerns of Korean Students
Before and After Coming to
UNK ...............................................................................................................
60
The Concerns of Korean Students Before Coming to UNK ....................
61
The Concerns of Korean Students After Coming to UNK ......................
62
iii
The Effectiveness of Preparing for and Reviewing After UNK
Courses ...........................................................................................................
65
Results of Research Questions .............................................................................
66
What motivations make South Korean students decide to come to
the United States? ..........................................................................................
66
What kinds of challenges do Korean
students struggle with in
terms of studying and learning English in Korea and the
United States? ................................................................................................
70
What factors influence Korean
students who choose to
attend UNK? ..................................................................................................
73
What perceptions about studying English and valuing English do
South Korean students have both before and after coming to UNK? ............
75
What concerns do South Korean students address in
terms of
studying English before and after coming to UNK? ......................................
77
How do the responses to the above questions differ based on
gender and the duration of the study abroad program? ..................................
85
Chapter Five—Discussion and Implications .............................................................
87
Implication ...........................................................................................................
87
Comparing Lee’s Previous Findings with this Study’s Findings...................
87
Comparing Yin et al.’s Previous Findings with this Study’s
Findings..........................................................................................................
88
Comparing Altbach’s, Chow’s, and Lee’s
Previous Findings with
this Study’s Findings......................................................................................
90
Comparing Byun et al.’s Previous Findings with this Study’s
Findings..........................................................................................................
93
Recommendation for Future Research .................................................................
95
References ..................................................................................................................
98
Appendices .................................................................................................................
103