Perceptions of the Importance of Studying English among Average Korean University Students

Abstract

When students undertake English studies, one might assume that their natural drive and curiosity for the subject would lead them. However, in Korea, my observation is that most students study English at the behest of some influential force or figure in their lives or that it is a compulsory requirement not because it is their own earnest passion. This paper will attempt to answer that question. I have surveyed 359 students directly at two average Korean universities about their personal feelings about the importance of learning English. I hope to determine whether, despite the hardships, they think it is worth the effort or if they are simply learning to please overzealous parents, school, and government administrators or prepare for the corporate sector's current hiring requirements.