Affective factors in Korean as a Foreign Language: anxiety and beliefs

This study investigated changes in levels of anxiety about learning a foreign language (FL) and in the language beliefs of first-year Korean-as-a-foreign-language (KFL) students in a US university throughout a year. Twelve students who enrolled in both of the two semesters of the first-year Korean I and II classes participated in this study. The Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) and Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) were used. The results showed that there were significant differences between first-semester FLCAS scores and second-semester FLCAS scores, with the differences indicating that as students progressed in their study of Korean, their anxiety increased. Moreover, students who demonstrated high achievement during the first semester experienced increased anxiety about learning Korean during the next semester. Regarding beliefs, there were no significant differences between the BALLI scores of the first semester and those of the second semester, but they correlated positively. In fact, students who had positive attitudes towards the Korean language and towards learning Korean developed positive attitudes or continued to have positive attitudes throughout the year. In addition, pedagogical tips such as teaching culture through linguistic elements and out-of-class activities to motivate students are discussed.