College EFL Learners’and Instructors’Perceptions of English and English Teaching and Learning

In this globalized world, English has been recognized as a must-have skill and a gateway to social and economic success in Korea. However, despite such a high demand for English, little research has been done on how EFL learners and instructors perceive English and English language teaching and learning (ELT/L). Furthermore, there has been little effort to fully consider particular sociocultural and other important factors which are related to the perceptions many Korean learners of English face on a daily basis in and outside the classroom. Accordingly, using the interview data from six students and four instructors, and classroom observations, this study particularly investigated the learners’, and instructors’ perceptions of English and ELT/L in a Korean university. In doing so, some key issues and factors which influenced their relationships and behavior in class were identified and discussed with exemplary analysis of to what extent their perceptions were shaped in particular ways. Then, this paper calls for a rethinking of current practices of English education by considering both sociocultural and other contextual factors which had been overlooked or tacitly considered in ELT. Lastly, some implications and suggestions to help EFL educators and learners in a Korean college context are also presented.