Korean EFL Learners’ Attitudes and Motivations toward Bilingualism in Korea

The purpose of this study is to investigate Korean EFL students’ attitudes and motivations toward bilingualism in Korea. The subjects of the research consisted of a total of 193 college students from Korea. Statistical analysis was used to determine the relationships between the students’ attitudes and motivations toward bilingualism. The findings revealed that students had positive attitudes toward bilingualism based on their scores measuring attitudes toward holistic (M=3.87, SD=.58) and fragmented views (M=3.82, SD=.62) of bilingualism. The EFL students hold the highest motivations toward integrativeness (M=3.89, SD=.68) and need for achievement (M=3.87, SD=.84), while attributions about past failures show the lowest (M=3.26, SD=.95). There are significant differences between the students’ attitudes and their economic-status levels. There are significant differences between motivations and factors, including age, grade levels, overseas experience, and number of languages spoken. The significant positive or negative correlations were found between students’ attitudes and motivations. The further research will explore relationships between students’ attitudes and motivations and their academic performance and achievement in school.