초록 열기/닫기 버튼
Academic achievement is challenging for Korean early study abroad students since they are to catch up to new subject contents in English, the unfamiliar language which they are simultaneously learning. Their academic development will thus depend on how they overcome language barrier and reach a grade level of English. Employing seven Korean youths who studied in Australian secondary schools, this qualitative study explores the lived experiences of their academic development in English monolingual classrooms. Findings reveal that the participants’ initial levels of English were not sufficient in their academic adaptation, so they adopted multiple strategies to overcome their academic and linguistic constraints. This enabled them to achieve academic success and to go to university, but it also contributed to shaping limited pathways in their studies and often had long-term consequences in their life. In conclusion, there seems to be an inherent risk in placing newly arrived students in an English monolingual classroom and it is better to provide students with linguistic and academic assistance.
