earticle

영어

This study aims to explore Korean EFL students’ language learning traits in relation to their self-perceived confidence across the four skills of English. Thirty-seven university students at an upper-intermediate level of overall proficiency participated in the study. A questionnaire scale was developed to examine three constructs of learner traits: styles and functional preferences in language use, sensitivity and processing capacity in language processing, and self-regulated strategic efforts for language development. Data were collected through individual interviews using the scale and then analyzed to determine which learner-internal variables show significant correlations with confidence in using spoken and written English. The results indicated that confidence in spoken English was strongly associated with perceived auditory-articulatory sensitivity, verbal memory, and engaged learning efforts, whereas confidence in written English was correlated only with verbal memory. Contrary to common perceptions, other individual difference factors, such as functional preferences in language use and strategic learning efforts, did not significantly influence communicative confidence.