Early English Literacy Acquisition and Learners’ Perspectives in Rural Multicultural Families: A Case Study

This study explores the learning experiences of five Grade 3 multicultural elementary school students living in a rural area of Korea, as they received instruction in English decoding. Having identified a gap in research regarding the students’ own perceptions of their learning experiences, the author conducted a two-month exploratory intervention at a Multicultural Family Support Center (MFSC) in an agricultural town in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. Data were collected from the students, parents, and the MFSC staff through a demographic questionnaire, tests, individual child interviews, in-class work and homework, self-evaluation sheets, online Zoom lesson recordings, teaching and learning materials, informal talks, and a researcher journal. The content analysis findings indicate acquisition challenges related to a lack of spoken vocabulary, low Hangeul reading proficiency, and homework incompletion. Academic progress evidenced by the participants was found to be driven by friendship, learner commitment and confidence-building, highlighting the positive effect of affect in their language learning. Suggestions for effective English decoding instruction for these particular learners are discussed.