Data-Driven Learning (DDL) Approach: Is It Applicable to Korean EFL Classrooms?

This study investigates students' and teachers' perceptions on and attitudes towards concordance-based materials and Data-Driven Learning (DDL) approach to learning and teaching English writing and grammar in a Korean EFL classroom. For this, a set of DDL materials was designed and implemented with Korean high school students. The data analyses and discussions based on questionnaire surveys, classroom observations and in-depth interviews with the students and teachers showed overall pasitive evaluation of the DDL materials and approach. That is, most students perceived that the DDL approach features a student-centred, self-study approach to learning English as oppased to the normal teacher-initiated method which spoon-feeds students. They also believed that working with many authentic examples can help them to focus on and discover the language paints effectively almost by themselves. This result implies that it is sufficiently encouraging for mate1ials designers and classroom teachers to develop and implement concordance-based DDL materials and DDL approach in the EFL secondary-level classrooms.