한국어 학습자의 한국인 이미지의 특징과 형성요인

Characteristics and influences on Korean language learners’ image of Korean people: A comparative analysis of Japanese university learners and non-learners

The main aim of this study is to explore images of Korean people held by Japanese Korean university learners and non-learners. This study examines (1) differences in the image of the Korean held by learners and non-learners of Korean; and (2) the factors that influence differences in that image. Respondents were 511 Japanese university undergraduate students (257 learners of Korean and 254 non-learners) living in Japan. In order to ascertain contemporary images of Korean people held by respondents, a free response task was used Respondents’ reported images of the Korean were classified into 24 categories. First, the frequency of response among the 24 categories between learners and non-learners was compared. Findings showed that images related to personal relations were more frequent among Korean language learners, whereas stereotypical images were less frequent compared to non-learners. Second, factors and information sources that influenced the images reported by learners and non-learners were compared. Results indicated four possible factors leading to the differences in the image of Korean people held by learners and non-learners: personal contacts with the Korean, watching Korean dramas, knowledge obtained from Korean language classes, and variety of information sources.