Korean American Immigrant Adolescents in U.S. Public Schools: Focusing on Their English Learning and Social Experiences

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국청소년학회
· 수록지 정보 : 청소년학연구 / 20권 / 2호 / 267 ~ 296페이지
· 저자명 : 테레사 편

초록

Korean American immigrant adolescents are those who were born and grew up in Korea and immigrated to the U.S. during their adolescence. This study interviewed eleven 1.5 generation Korean Americans who immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s and 1990s and started their education in U.S. secondary schools as ESL students in order to find out what these Korean American immigrant adolescents experienced in U.S. public schools after their immigration, particularly their English learning and social experiences in school. The study found that the ESL programs provided the informants basic English language instruction as well as emotional and social support. However, the informants did not perceive the ESL programs to be effective in terms of teaching them English language. Also, as ESL immigrant students, the informants felt separated from the rest of the school community and had difficulties in developing meaningful social relationships with the mainstream students. Considering the U.S. English education policies for immigrant students in the 1980s and 1990s which placed heavy emphasis on teaching English through English-only, the findings indicate that the English-only approach without clear standard, trained teaching staff and active social interaction with the mainstream students did not deliver quality English instruction to these immigrant students. Also, in order to create genuine social integration between immigrant students and the mainstream students, building an inclusive school culture that welcomes and accepts immigrant students from diverse cultural backgrounds is critical.

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