Baduk and Second Language Learning - Effortful study and Balanced Flow

Baduk and Second Language Learning

  This paper examines the concept of "flow experience" and in this context, compares the oriental board game, Baduk, with foreign language learning. Implications of this comparison for English education in Korea are also investigated. The excellence of young Baduk players indicates that school children in this country show a surprising capacity for the higher-order thinking skills that are demanded by this game. However, the same skills (problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, inference, etc.) seem lacking in their English abilities. This paper suggests that one of the factors behind this contradiction is the phenomena of "flow." Students playing Baduk are typically happy to learn the large amount of technique necessary, because this technique allows them to concentrate fully on the game, and to actively "enter the flow" while doing so. In this state, learning is an enjoyable challenge. However, English language learning in schools is often passive, boring and restricted. This paper therefore suggests that English language teachers (and schools in general) should make learning a stimulating experience, by facilitating a sense of flow in their classes.