Differences in Strategy Use, Language Attitudes, and Self-image Between Korean Vocational Students and Traditional Students

Differences in Strategy Use, Language Attitudes, and Self-image Between Korean Vocational Students and Traditional Students

  The purpose of this study is to produce greater understanding of Korean vocational students in high schools and colleges, contrasted with their counterparts in traditional schools and universities, in terms of English learning strategy use, attitudes toward English, and English-learning self-image. As expected, vocational high school students, when compared with students in traditional schools, showed impaired English-learning self-image, negative attitudes toward English, and less frequent strategy use. In contrast, vocational college students, most of whom attended traditional high schools before entering vocational post-secondary education, showed positive attitudes toward English and frequent strategy use, similar to traditional university students. However, interestingly, vocational college students seemed to have Englishlearning self-image very similar to that of vocational high school students: impaired English-learning self-image. Self-image and attitudes toward English turned out to be the best predictors of the participants’ strategy use. Korean vocational students have something in common with African-Americans in the U.S. Both groups suffer from low expectations from themselves and from others, including their teachers. Stereotyping is frequent. Low expectations and social prejudice negatively affect their academic performance and their attitudes about themselves as learners. In-depth future research on the influences of social prejudice on vocational students is recommended.