Analyzing Manners of Coping amongst Korean University Students in a Sociocultural Environment

Abstract

To analyze ways of coping among Korean university students in a sociocultural environment, 100 student respondents answered a survey questionnaire and 251 respondents participated in 10 classroom observations to complement the answers provided in the questionnaire. The 100 students in the survey questionnaire were among the 251 observed from the Department of International Education at a university in Gyeonggi-do province, South Korea. The study was able to determine EFL teachers’ concerns in their English classes with reference to: a) student coping methods with content in regard to utilizing private speech, b) student coping methods for understanding instructional conversations, and c) student behavior in relation to social and cultural mediation, including teacher observed student involvement in classroom activities that affect their communicative performance and cultural sensitivity. How successfully lesson plans and approaches were implemented in a socio-cultural environment was also determined. Performance differed significantly in these areas from class to class. It was evident that English language ability was a major contributive factor, yet certain teaching approaches and environmental limitations such as classroom size and layout also played significant roles. To best achieve classroom goals in a sociocultural environment, this paper has constructed a recommended assessment component for students to fill out in determining relevance between prepared curriculum and student actual needs.