A Critical Review of Literature on English as a Global Language Published in Korea

A Critical Review of Literature on English as a Global Language Published in Korea

This study aimed to explore key issues and findings in the literature on global Englishes published in Korea, employing a critical perspective. A total of 85 journal articles published between the year 1992 and April 2023 were gathered from the database provided by Korea Education and Research Information Service. The search terms used were ‘lingua franca English’, ‘world Englishes’, ‘English as an international language’, and ‘global Englishes’. Qualitative analysis was conducted using the scoping review method to identify major topics and issues within the literature. The analysis revealed a recurring issue: While teachers and students acknowledged the importance of teaching and learning global Englishes, they were constrained to adhere to the North American English variety due to the prevailing hegemony of the native speaker paradigm. This constraint negatively affected both teachers and students in developing competence in English. In terms of research landscape, there was a discernable impact of change in English education policies and curricula on some of the studies, but not all. The study concludes with implications and suggestions drawn from its findings.