Understanding the Importance of English Education in South Korea and Exploring the Reasons Why South Korean Students Come to a University in the Midwest

Difficulties of studying English in the United States. The majority of 30 Korean 
students felt that it has been difficult for them to learn English in the United States 
because of the lack of communication skills, listening skills, vocabulary, writing skills 
and understanding of American cultures. First of all, 15 out of 30 Korean students 
mentioned they could not communicate with Americans and foreigners confidently 

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because of the lack of English speaking skills. For instance, one of the 15 Korean 
students, Christopher, stated: 
When I greeted American friends, I typically said to them, ‘How are you?’ I 
thought that I should always use the same phrase when I started conversations 
with them. The reason I used that phrase was because it was the only one I 
learned from the elementary school to the high school through the English 
materials and workbooks. However, when I arrived in Kearney, I was surprised 
that Americans rarely used that kind of phrase. For example, when I met a new 
American friend in the street or at the school, he said to me, ‘What’s up, Man?’
After I heard from him, I would not be able to answer this question because I had 
never heard this kind of phrase before. I was very frustrated because I could not 
say anything to him. He knew that I was not sure how to answer, and he started 
explaining about the meaning of ‘What’s up?’ and teaching me how to answer that 
question. Because of this kind of experience, I felt that it was difficult for me to 
start conversations with Americans and foreigners.
Furthermore, another student of the 15 Korean students, Joseph, mentioned that he 
believed that the English expressions he learned in Korea were not similar to the English 
expressions which Americans commonly used. The reason he felt this way was that his 
American friends could not understand what he said; the phrases or sentences he used 
during the conversations with his American friends were written in Korean English 
materials and workbooks.
Second, 14 out of 30 Korean students indicated that it has been difficult for them 
to learn English in the United States because they only had limited English vocabularies.
One of the 14 Korean students, Margaret, mentioned that she did not know American 
slang, so it was difficult for her to infer what was said when she communicated with her 
friends. In addition, three out of the 14 Korean students said that they could not 
understand certain jargon or terminology when they took their major courses, such as 
Aviation, Electronic Engineering, and Information & Communication Technology.

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Furthermore, two out of the 14 Korean students mentioned that they had no idea when 
American students talked about the American jokes to their friends. For example, one of 
the two students, Patricia, stated, “I was the only one who was not laughing when the 
UNK professor said something to us in the class.” In other words, she was not able to 
fully understand the American humor and culture, so this kind of experience made her 
feel uncomfortable and unprepared to learn English in the United States.
Third, 10 out of 30 Korean students stated that they could not understand 
completely when they talked to Americans and foreigners. In other words, the 10 Korean 
students felt that it was very difficult for them to clearly hear Americans and foreigners 
when they communicate with each other. Three out of the 10 Korean students were not 
able to understand at all when Americans speak English quickly. Moreover, four out of 
the 10 Korean students said that various English pronunciations were spoken by 
Americans, so they recognized that each American could have a different accent and 
pronunciation. Especially, the majority of the 10 Korean students have consistently felt 
uncomfortable and unhappy when they took the UNK classes taught by American 
professors because of the lack of their English listening skills; specifically, Korean 
students had a hard time understanding when American students directly talked to 
American professors or the other American students in the classes.
Fourth, 4 out of 30 Korean students mentioned that they did not feel confident 
when they wrote English papers. For instance, Mary, said, “It was difficult for me when I 
wrote the English essay after I read and understood the class materials.” In addition, 
another student, Paul, stated: 

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I think that writing an English essay is the most difficult for me while I attend 
UNK. I felt that it is not easy for me to write what I want to say in an essay. I am 
currently taking the science class, and I have to write the laboratory journal after I 
finish every laboratory experiment. I think it is not difficult for me to read and 
understand science materials. However, it has always been difficult for me to 
write the laboratory journal. Especially, I typically take the laboratory journal to 
the UNK writing center, and I have always been surprised with a great number of 
English errors. That is why I felt that it is always difficult for me to write an 
English essay.
Through the above stories, it assumes that the 4 Korean students have struggled to write 
their English essays while they attend UNK because of their lack of English writing skills.