Learning English without an Obvious Purpose? A Task-Based Needs Analysis of Korean Undergraduates in English for General Purposes (EGP) Courses

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-5334966/v1

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Research Article

Learning English without an Obvious Purpose? A Task-Based Needs Analysis of Korean Undergraduates in English for General Purposes (EGP) Courses

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5334966/v1

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Despite the attention Task-Based Language Teaching has received in Asia, research on the communicative needs of students in English for general purposes courses remains scarce compared to English for specific purposes. In Korea, where English courses are obligatory for graduation, courses often lack clear relevance. The study tackles this gap by investigating the needs of Korean undergraduates in English for general purposes courses related to their career aspirations. Employing a mixed-method approach, data were collected from 145 survey responses and interviews with four professors. The findings underscore a strong demand for effective communication with foreigners from diverse cultural backgrounds, particularly in English as a foreign language context. Furthermore, the study introduces the concept “Insurance Motivation,” where learners invest in English proficiency as a safeguard for their futures. This research contributes to an understudied area and offers valuable insights to bridge the gap between Task-Based Language Teaching theory and practical implementation.

needs analysis

English for General Purposes

General English

Task-Based Language Teaching

Korean undergraduate students

international posture

Insurance Motivation

Over recent decades, task-based language teaching (TBLT) has garnered increasing global attention (e.g., Long, 2015; Van den Branden et al., 2009), and East Asian countries are no exception (Butler, 2015). Despite its recognition, the curriculum in South Korea (hereafter Korea) continues to prioritize language forms over meaning to achieve success in university entrance exams. Then, once enrolled in universities, students are required to take English for General Purposes (EGP) courses. However, the question of why these students are studying English is hardly questioned (Curran, 2021), warranting the need for a needs analysis (NA) to inform a learner-centered curriculum in higher education (An & Mindrila, 2020; Ellis, 2017; Long, 2015). While NA literature has predominantly concentrated on English for Specific Purposes (ESP), this study addresses the EGP context, which has been overlooked by both practitioners and scholars due to its perceived ambiguity and general nature.

The present study investigates the needs of Korean undergraduate English learners by using multiple sources (e.g., students and teachers) and employing multiple methods (e.g., quantitative and qualitative) following established practices in NA (e.g., Long, 2005; Serafini, 2015). Furthermore, to gain a comprehensive understanding of their needs and motives of studying English, the study explores learners’ needs in relation to their post-graduation plans. To the best of my knowledge, no previous research has linked learners’ needs to their future plans, despite the significance of such an association in shaping an accurate understanding of their authentic task-related needs. Therefore, the current study is significant in elucidating Korean learners’ needs in the context of how English may align with their future goals. The study concludes by proposing a task-based curriculum informed by NA that can provide practitioners with insights into the diverse needs of learners.

Context

English Fever in Korean Society

Korea is a monolingual society where English holds no official status in government or education. However, ironically, English plays a significant role, reflected in the term Yeongeo Yeolpung (영어열풍), meaning “English frenzy” (J. S. Park, 2009, p. 2) or “English fever” (J. K. Park, 2009, p. 50). This term implies that people are preoccupied with English education akin to the intensity of a hot firestorm (Yeolpung). Children are often sent abroad at an early age to achieve native-like fluency, a practice known as jogiyuhak (조기유학; early study abroad). The competition for English proficiency culminates during suneung (수능; a college entrance exam), where English scores are crucial for academic success and social mobility. In this context, English serves as a gatekeeper, limiting access to prestigious educational and professional opportunities for those with low scores (Kim & Kim, 2019; Kim et al., 2019).

Upon entering universities, students are still required to take English courses (Kim & Kim, 2019). English is “ingrained into the fabric of higher education in Korea,” with many universities requiring minimum English scores not only for admittance (a widespread practice) but for graduation (Curran, 2021, p. 732). Post-graduation, English continues to be instrumental in securing employment, as most employers demand standardized English test scores despite English not necessarily being utilized in the workplace (J. S. Park, 2009, 2011; Kim & Kim, 2019; Kim et al., 2019). Consequently, university students often enroll in private English academies to achieve high scores in official exams even before determining their future career paths (E. S. Park, 2013; Shin, 2016). This unique position of English as a hegemonic skill in education and professional domains is noteworthy, given Korea’s history of not being colonized by English-speaking countries. In light of the significant emphasis placed on English education within Korean society, the following section examines how TBLT is positioned in Korea.

Literature Review

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) in Korea

TBLT is a research-based approach to language teaching that focuses on learners’ real-world needs instead of just grammatical forms, helping them complete target tasks (Long, 2015). In this study, following Long (2015), I define a task as a real-world communication activity. TBLT has increasingly garnered attention from Asian educators, shifting English education toward more meaning-focused pedagogies (e.g., Kim, 2018; Shariq, 2020). However, challenges arise in applying TBLT to Asian contexts due to local environments, such as teachers’ misconceptions, classroom management, and rigid curricula (e.g., Ahmed & Lenchuk, 2020; Butler, 2011; McDonough, 2015; McDonough & Chaikitmongkol, 2007; Nguyen & Jaspert, 2020; Xu & Fan, 2021). Kim (2018) highlighted difficulties in “defining a localized task” (Kim, 2018, p. 869) within Korea, with task identification limited by the EFL context (Ellis, 2017). These challenges are compounded by curricula that lack real-world relevance and rely heavily on traditional grammar-translation methods (e.g., Butler, 2011; Liu et al., 2021). Nevertheless, identifying target tasks remains crucial, as their relevance can enhance learners’ engagement and motivation (Bygate, 2016; Kim, 2018; Kim et al., 2017).

TBLT and Needs Analysis (NA)

The first stage in designing a task-based syllabus involves an empirical NA of the target learners (Ellis et al., 2020). NA systematically analyzes subjective and objective information essential to define students’ real-world needs, aiming to make tasks more relevant (Long, 2015). A solid NA begins with open-ended methods (e.g., unstructured interviews) to capture all potential learner needs, followed by quantitative methods (e.g., questionnaires) to refine these needs (Arias-Contreras & Moore, 2022; Serafini et al., 2015). Grounded in this framework, this study used both qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyze data from multiple sources, following the “open before closed” process (Serafini et al., 2015).

NA at the Undergraduate Level

Numerous needs analyses in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) have been conducted across various fields, including agriculture (e.g., Arias-Contreras & Moore, 2022), hospitality (e.g., Malicka et al., 2019; Jasso-Aguilar, 2005), banking (e.g., Chew, 2005), and journalism (e.g., Gilabert, 2005). At the college level, ESP programs have attracted considerable interest from scholars (Anthony, 2018). These analyses predominantly focus on specialized fields such as engineering (e.g., Pritchard & Nasr, 2004; Kaewpet, 2009), business (e.g., Alhassan, 2021; Evans, 2013; Huh, 2006; Mancho-Barés & Llurda, 2013), medicine (e.g., Hoekje, 2007), accounting (e.g., Chostelidou, 2010), economics (e.g., Septiyana, 2019), English Language (e.g., Lambert, 2010; Menggo et al., 2019; Mochizuki, 2017), and law (e.g., Xhaferi & Xhaferi, 2011).

For example, Serafini and Torres (2015) examined business Spanish courses, identifying target tasks from both domain insiders and outsiders. Their findings guided the development of a course curriculum, aiding Spanish instructors in aligning their teaching with students’ needs. Similarly, Huh (2006) surveyed 76 domain experts to identify target tasks in business English contexts. On top of eliciting target tasks, the study explored experts’ prior experiences in business English courses, offering insight into the curriculum development. However, incorporating data from current students enrolled in business courses would have painted a clearer picture of their specific needs.

In another study, Lambert (2010) investigated the target tasks of Japanese students majoring in English using job placement records, interviews, and follow-up questionnaires. Despite efforts to triangulate data, the analysis mainly reflected the perspectives of recent graduates rather than current students.

Youn (2018) examined pragmatic needs within an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) context, drawing insights from students, instructors, and administrators through interviews and surveys. The study further explored these needs concerning learners’ proficiency levels and academic status, highlighting individual differences and perceptions regarding pragmatic learning needs.

As discussed, most need analyses have focused EAP or ESP contexts (see Anthony, 2018; Serafini et al., 2015, for reviews). The limited research on EGP may stem from the diverse backgrounds of students in EGP courses. An exception is Liu et al. (2011), who investigated the needs of 972 Taiwanese EFL students in both EGP and ESP/EAP courses. Despite its large-scale scope, this study lacked triangulation of survey data with qualitative sources to validate the target tasks, which is crucial for ensuring validity (Ellis et al., 2020). Thus, incorporating additional triangulation procedures is necessary to enhance methodological rigor in NA.

The dearth of NA in EGP programs with methodological rigor presents challenges in developing task-based curricula for learners studying English without specific purposes. ln light of these gaps, this study addresses several issues. First, while communicative tasks may appear vague, it is misleading to assume that “it is not possible to specify the needs of general English learners” (Seedhouse, 1995, p. 59). Considering that most Korean universities require general English courses, identifying these students’ needs should is essential for designing task-based curricula. Second, by triangulating data from multiple sources ensures, this study investigates the alignment between students’ and instructors’ perspectives to balance subjective and objective needs. Third, recognizing that learners’ language goals are often influenced by their career plans (e.g., Bao, 2024; Seven, 2020), this study explores the relationship between students’ career aspirations and their perceived needs and challenges. This approach aims to enhance the effectiveness of task-based curricula by addressing individual differences among learners with varying career trajectories. Guide by these objectives, the study is structured around the following Research Questions:

RQ1:

What real-world tasks (if any) do Korean undergraduate students taking EGP courses identify as necessary and difficult to achieve in the EFL context?

To what extent do experts’ opinions align with students’ perceived needs and difficulties/lacks, as shown in their responses?

RQ2: Is there any relationship between Korean undergraduate students’ career plans and their self-perceived needs and difficulties/lacks in EGP courses?

RQ3: What are the purposes of studying English for Korean undergraduate students?

Ultimately, these RQs aim to shed light on the motivations of Korean undergraduate students in acquiring English skills within a society that highly values English proficiency.

Sources

Learners

Participants included Korean undergraduate students currently enrolled in or who had previously taken an EGP course during data collection (July–September 2021). The study employed convenient sampling by a general call on social media platforms such as Facebook and student online communities. A total of 145 from 18 different universities across seven different academic disciplines participated, with 63% from the top 10 ranking universities and 93% from the top 20 universities (Times Higher Education, 2021). Participant demographics are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1

*Demographic Information*
Demographic Information (Total N = 145)	Category	N	%
Gender	Male	41	28.28
	Female	103	71.03
	Others	1	0.69
Year	Freshman	29	20.00
	Sophomore	37	25.52
	Junior	29	20.00
	Senior	39	26.90
	Gap year	11	7.59
Academic discipline	Science, Engineering, Mathematics	37	25.52
	Social Science	33	22.76
	Liberal Arts	29	20.00
	Management and Commerce	17	11.72
	Biological Science	10	6.90
	Education	6	4.14
	others	3	2.07

Students’ years in their program varied from freshman to seniors. Additionally, their majors were evenly distributed across disciplines from liberal arts to engineering, reflecting the necessity of EGP courses to cater to students with diverse specializations.

Domain Experts

Professors teaching EGP courses at a prestigious university were consulted to (a) compile task lists and (b) triangulate survey results through interviews. Eight professors suggested relevant tasks, and four consented to interviews. All were domain experts with over a decade of experience teaching English in private academies and colleges in Korea. Notably, one professor holds a CELTA, while another holds a DELTA.

Procedures

To understand students’ English study needs, the current study followed the “open before closed” method (see Fig. 1), as encouraged by Serafini et al. (2015, p. 13). Phase one involved eliciting initial needs through semi-structured interviews with two undergraduates (one English major and one non-English major) to discuss their English experiences in Korean society. Insights were also sought from eight professors via email regarding essential tasks, alongside a review of relevant literature. In phase two, a questionnaire incorporating both open and closed items was developed and pilot-tested by three Korean learners to streamline the survey instrument (Long, 2005).

Figure 1. Mixed Methods Design

Next, the questionnaire was distributed to students via a survey link, with respondents compensated for their participation. In phase four, survey results were consulted with professors in semi-structured Zoom interviews lasting 59 to 88 minutes. The execution and interpretation of these interviews can be affected by researchers’ positionality and reflexivity (Friedman, 2020). The author’s background as an applied linguist and alumna of the university facilitated critical discussion of students’ needs. Finally, data from multiple sources were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively to identify students’ needs, difficulties and their relationship with future goals.

Questionnaire

Necessities and Difficulties of Tasks

When designing a syllabus, items can be sequenced based on various parameters, including valency, frequency, complexity, necessities, and gaps (Long, 2015; Macalister & Nation, 2019). The current study focuses on necessities and difficulties/lacks, adapting Hutchinson and Waters’ (1987) needs taxonomy to reflect individual differences in task performance. Originally, Hutchinson and Waters (1987) categorized needs into necessities, wants, and lacks. but after pilot testing, the categories were merged into two (necessities and difficulties/lacks) as students found the original distinction cognitively overwhelming. Given that learners’ needs and difficulties/lacks are strongly linked to learning outcomes (e.g., Nawaz et al., 2020), this study explores these two constructs, acknowledging the importance of individual differences in designing task-based curricula.

Task Items

The questionnaire was divided into two sections. First, students evaluated the necessity and difficulties/lacks of the 32 task items developed from previous NA literature, semi-structured interviews with two current Korean undergraduate students, and feedback from instructors. A pilot test refined these items, some of which were general (e.g., conducting business in English), and others specific (e.g., making hotel reservations). While the author acknowledges the variability in the specificity of items, to reduce survey fatigue, certain tasks were consolidated based on pilot study feedback. Participants rated each task on a five-point Likert scale (0 = not needed/lacking at all to 4 = highly needed/lacking), allowing for the possibility that some items might be perceived as unnecessary. Additionally, students were invited to suggest additional tasks through an open-ended format.

The second section included sentence completion questions aimed at eliciting students’ perspectives on English language acquisition, proficiency, and its significance in Korean society. These prompts were created based on insights from the semi-structured interviews:

● I have to acquire English skills because _____________.

● I think my English proficiency is ________________.

● Having English skills in Korean society means _________________.

These questions aimed to provide insights into students’ motivations for learning English. Participants were then asked about their reasons for studying (or not studying) English and their post-graduation plans.

Data Analysis

Results were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. To address RQ1, the top 10 tasks were elicited based on the mean and standard deviation of each task item. These tasks were categorized into three types: academic (e.g., writing a thesis), occupational (e.g., communicating with clients), and everyday life (e.g., listening to podcasts), to investigate their contexts. A qualitative analysis of the interview data was conducted using bottom-up methods (Braun & Clarke, 2006).

For RQ2 on the relationship between students’ career plans and their perceived needs, a one-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was employed. The dependent variables were students’ task ratings, while the independent variable was their career plans (occupational, academic, undecided). The significance level was set at .05, a standard alpha level in second-language research (Mackey & Gass, 2021).

To address RQ3, responses to sentence completion tasks were (a) grouped into categories, (b) treated as nominal variables, and (c) tallied by frequency. I examined the data twice over multiple sessions to ensure reliability.

RQ1: Korean undergraduates’ perceived needs and difficulties/lacks

Needs

Table 2 presents the Top 10 tasks ranked by perceived necessity.

Table 2

*Top 10 Tasks for learning English (Needs)*
Rank	Needs	Type	M	SD
1	Having daily conversations with foreigners	E	3.41	0.90
2	Getting high scores in official English exams	A, O	3.34	0.88
3	Communicating with a doctor/getting medical service in foreign countries	E	3.30	1.01
4	Communicating with a police officer in foreign countries	E	3.25	1.04
5	Doing business in English at work (communicating with the client, etc.)	O	3.19	0.94
6	Taking English-Medium Instruction (EMI) courses	A	3.12	0.88
7	Taking public transportation in foreign countries	E	3.09	0.99
8	Making hotel reservations and staying at the hotel	E	3.07	0.96
9	Reading textbooks and articles in English	A	3.04	0.93
10	Going to restaurants and/or cafes in foreign countries	E	3.03	0.99

Note. A, O, and E each stand for academic, occupational, and everyday life. All tasks are marked out of 4 (0 = not needed at all, 1 = not very needed, 2 = a bit needed, 3 = frequently needed, 4 = highly needed).

Students identified daily conversations with foreigners (M = 3.41) as the most necessary task, followed by achieving high scores on official English exams (M = 3.34), communicating with a doctor (M = 3.3), and a police officer (M = 3.25) in a foreign country. Excelling in English exams is crucial for graduation and employment, as some Korean universities mandate TOEIC scores for graduation (Hsieh, 2017; J. S. Park, 2011). After graduation, job applications require official English scores regardless of their actual usage on the job (Kim & Kim, 2019; J. S. Park, 2011), reflecting English’s dual role as both an academic and occupational requirement. This significance is represented in Table 3 by the double coding of “A” and “O,” reflecting English’s instrumental role in achieving multiple purposes beyond communication. Interestingly, while high exam scores were predictable, the need for daily conversation, which had the highest mean score, was less so, particularly in the EFL context.

Looking into the types of tasks perceived as necessary by students, over half involved everyday situations, including using English while traveling abroad. In Korea, where English is a foreign language, it’s not commonly used in daily settings such as hospitals and restaurants. However, as more people travel internationally due to rising GDP and globalization (Statista Research Department, 2023), students may encounter emergencies requiring English skills for problem-solving. This trend might explain why everyday life tasks received high mean scores.

Among the Top 10 tasks, two were academic: taking English-Medium Instruction (EMI) courses and reading textbooks and articles in English. These tasks reflect the widespread requirement for EMI courses in universities, driven by government policies aimed at enhancing English proficiency and global citizenship (Ahn, 2022; Byun et al., 2011). Consequently, numerous universities have expanded their EMI offerings across various disciplines (Kang, 2018). The perceived necessity of EMI courses underscores the influence of government policy on students’ prioritization of academic English studies.

Only one job-related task was deemed necessary: conducting business in English at work (M = 3.19), including communicating with clients and giving presentations. Despite 68% of students planning to enter the workforce (see next section), the low mean scores for occupational tasks are surprising. This suggests that English is not frequently used in job settings, despite companies requiring applicants to submit official English scores (Kim & Kim, 2019; Kim et al., 2019).

Aside from the listed tasks, students additionally suggested giving directions in English and being a tour guide for visitors, indicating their positive attitudes toward foreigners and willingness to assist them (E. Park, 2012).

Difficulties/Lacks

Students’ perceived difficulties presented a different pattern from their needs (see Table 3).

Table 3

*Top 10 Tasks for English Learning (Difficulties/Lacks)*
Rank	Difficulties/Lacks	Type	M	SD
1	Participating in domestic/international conferences in English	A	3.52	0.74
1	Working at a company where English is the main language	O	3.52	0.74
3	Writing theses in English	A	3.48	0.78
4	Interviewing in English for graduate schools	A	3.41	0.75
5	Interviewing in English for a job application	O	3.33	0.78
6	Doing business in English at work	O	3.28	0.89
7	Reading textbooks and articles in English	A	3.13	0.91
8	Writing a resume/CV in English	A	3.12	0.89
9	Reading English literature	E	3.06	0.90
10	Writing a Statement of Purpose in English	A	2.96	0.96

Note. A, O, and E each stand for academic, occupational, and everyday life. Everything is marked out of 4 (0 = not difficult at all, 1 = not very difficult, 2 = a bit difficult, 3 = difficult, 4 = highly difficult).

Despite a high need for everyday life tasks, they were generally not perceived as highly difficult (e.g., making hotel reservations; M = 1.87). Instead, academic and occupational situations presented more challenges. For example, working at an international company (M = 3.52), interviewing in English (M = 3.33), and conducting business in English (M = 3.28) were perceived as more difficult.

Half of the top 10 difficult tasks were academic, including participating in a conference (M = 3.52), writing theses (M = 3.48), and interviewing for graduate school (M = 3.41). Conversely, taking EMI courses (M = 2.42) was not perceived as highly difficult, which contradicts previous studies that reported challenges in EMI, such as difficulties in participating in discussion and processing English materials (e.g., Ahn, 2022). This discrepancy may stem from the limited generalizability of participants in prior studies, which merits more attention in future studies. The next section discusses experts’ opinions on these findings.

Experts’ Opinions

Throughout interviews with four professors regarding the survey results, three main themes emerged: the significance of academic tasks, the balance between subjective and objective needs, and students’ proficiency levels.

Firstly, the professors unanimously underscored the long-term benefits of academic tasks, even though students prioritized everyday life tasks. This discrepancy in perceptions echoes findings by Van Avermaet and Gysen (2006), highlighting the need for diverse sources in NA.

While professors acknowledged students’ strong focus on everyday conversation skills, they noted that these tasks are less complex than academic ones. They pointed to resources, such as YouTube for acquiring conversation skills, contrasting with the challenges of mastering academic tasks outside the classroom.

Second, regarding the disparity between professors’ and students’ needs, the professors stressed the importance of balancing subjective and objective needs. To address students’ desire for everyday life speaking skills, they incorporated speaking activities into academic writing classes by encouraging discussions about articles using students’ own linguistic resources. They recognized the need to align curricula with students’ desires while also understanding that students may not fully grasp their true needs, making it essential to reconcile various stakeholders’ opinions.

Finally, the professors underscored the importance of customizing tasks according to learners’ proficiency levels and career aspirations. Given that the participants primarily came from esteemed universities in Seoul, they likely have higher proficiency levels compared to those from community colleges or technical schools with less rigorous enrollment requirements. Consequently, students with different career paths would benefit from tasks tailored to their future goals. Bearing this distinction in mind, the subsequent section explores how students’ needs and challenges vary across their career trajectories.

RQ2: Relationship between students’ career plans and their self-perceived needs and difficulties

Before conducting a one-way MANOVA to analyze the relationship between students’ career plans and their perceived needs and difficulties, students were grouped by career plans: occupational (68.28%), academic (20.69%), and undecided (11.03%). The Shapiro-Wilkes test, revealed that not all variables were normally distributed. However, due to the substantial sample size (N = 145), the MANOVA was conducted, as normality becomes less critical with larger sample sizes (Field, 2005).

Group Differences in Perceived Needs

A one-way MANOVA result showed that only two out of 32 items exhibited a significant difference across the groups: writing theses in English and participating in domestic/international conferences (see Table 4).

Table 4

*Result of the One-Way MANOVA Tests (Necessity)*
Dependent Variable	Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Writing theses	10.624	2	5.312	3.371	0.037
English Conferences	8.741	2	4.371	3.169	0.045

Further post-hoc tests revealed that the academic group had a higher necessity score compared to the other two groups.

Also worth mentioning is that there were no differences in perceived needs regarding the task of achieving high scores in official English exams. Interestingly, although not statistically significant, the undecided group (M = 3.75) expressed higher needs compared to the other two groups (academic = 3.3, occupational = 3.29). This suggests that students uncertain about their future plans may view English skills as a valuable asset they can rely on.

Group Differences in Perceived Difficulty

Regarding perceived difficulties, only one task, playing games with other players, exhibited significant differences across the groups (see Table 5), with the occupational group reporting the highest difficulties followed by the undecided and academic groups. This suggests that differences in students’ perceived difficulties across most tasks cannot be adequately explained by the group variable. In other words, regardless of their career plans, students’ perceived difficulties with the given tasks were relatively consistent across the groups.

Table 5

*Result of the One-Way MANOVA Tests (Difficulty)*
Dependent Variable	Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
Playing games	12.362	2	6.181	4.806	0.01

RQ3: Reasons for Korean undergraduate students’ English studies

RQ3 examined students’ reasons for studying English. Before probing into these reasons, the survey initially inquired about students’ intentions regarding their English studies. The vast majority of students (97.93%) indicated their plans to either continue studying English or were considering it, while a small majority (2.07%) expressed their determination not to pursue further English studies. The reasons behind their choices are detailed in the table below.

Table 6

*Responses to the Prompt, “Why Did You Decide to Keep Studying English?”*
	Reasons	N	%
1	to take official English exams (e.g. TOEFL, TOEIC, TEPS)	106	73.10
2	for career development	99	68.28
3	to be prepared for future jobs (e.g., business negotiation, giving presentations, communicating with international clients, etc.)	84	57.93
4	to apply for the study abroad program	50	34.48
5	to meet the graduation requirements	39	26.90
6	just for fun	24	16.55
7	to apply for international graduate school	15	10.34
8	to apply for domestic graduate school	14	9.66
9	parents and other acquaintances’ suggestion	8	5.52
10	others	5	3.45

Note. Percentages do not add up to 100 because students checked multiple reasons.

The primary reason for studying English was to prepare for official English exams (73.10%). This aligns with expectations, as official English exams serve multiple purposes: career development (Item 2), task performance in future jobs (Item 3), applying for study abroad programs (Item 4), satisfying graduation requirements (Item 5), and applying for graduate school (Item 7 and Item 8). Specifically, high scores on official exams can enhance curriculum vitae (CV) in Korean society, where credentialism prevails (Curran, 2021).

Delving deeper into English exams, the percentage of students from the undecided group (12 out of 16, 75%) was slightly higher than that of the occupational (72 out of 99, 72.7%) and academic (22 out of 30, 73.3%) groups. This underscores that despite indecision regarding career trajectories, these students in the undecided group acknowledge the value of demonstrating English proficiency through official exams, possibly as a means of keeping their options open or enhancing their credentials for various opportunities that may arise in the future.

Despite 97 students in the occupational group expressing their intention to continue studying English, only 84 mentioned they would use English in job situations. This disparity between the two figures suggests that although English is not actively utilized in all occupations, English proficiency remains a foundational skill desired by employers.

Sentence Completion Tasks

Students’ responses to the sentence completion task (“I have to acquire English skills because _____”) offer deeper insights into their purposes for studying English. Table 7 highlights the recurring themes across the 145 sentences.

Table 7

*Responses to the Sentence Completion Task, “I have to Acquire English Skills because____”*
Recurring themes	N	%
Communication	26	17.93
Lingua Franca	26	17.93
“Spec” (스펙, career) and economic success	22	15.17
Everyday life	12	8.28
A globalized world	12	8.28
Getting a job	10	6.90
Academic language	8	5.52
More opportunities	8	5.52
Broadening experiences	7	4.83
A basic skill	6	4.14
Korean society	6	4.14

Note. Percentages do not add up to 100 because some sentences included multiple themes.

The most frequent theme from the sentences was English as a communicative tool and a lingua franca, echoing the findings of RQ 1 where communication with foreigners was deemed essential. Other notable themes such as “everyday life,” “a globalized world,” “academic language,” and “abundance of content and data” suggest that Korean students’ daily lives are inundated with data that are in English.

Of particular significance is the theme of “spec (스펙, career) and economic success.” The term “spec (스펙)”is a Korean slang derived from the English word “specification,” indicating activities that enhance one’s qualifications, akin to a product’s specifications. “Spec” relates to a candidate’s qualifications for a position. Students directly linked English proficiency to career advancement and economic value as evidenced by the following responses^[1]:

“I have to acquire English skills because it directly relates to gaining fame and

social success”

I have to acquire English skills because I have to prove my value.

“I have to acquire English skills because, if not, I’ll fall behind in this job

market.”

I have to acquire English skills because Korean society requires me to do so.

I have to acquire English skills because I don’t want to limit myself.

“I have to acquire English skills because the lack of proficiency will become an

obstacle in my life.”

I have to acquire English skills because I can have more opportunities.

The responses above, also related to themes such as “getting a job,” “more opportunities,” and “Korean society,” indicate that English is not simply a means to achieve economic success but also a pursuit necessary for maintaining dignity and societal value.

Ironically, the subsequent prompt, “In Korea, having English skills implies_____,” indicates that English is perceived equally as both a baseline prerequisite lacking any specific strengths and a specialized skill (see Table 8). This duality underscores the complex perception of English proficiency in Korean society.

Table 8

*Responses to the Sentence Completion Task, “In Korea, having English skills implies_____”*
Recurring themes	N	%
Advantageous	46	31.72
Baseline requirements (No strength)	31	21.38
Essential and important	20	13.79
High scores in English exams	11	7.59
Career (spec, 스펙)	10	6.90
Finding a job	10	6.90
More opportunities	9	6.21
Communicative competence	8	5.52
Mandatory and obligatory	6	4.14
Meaningless	3	2.07
Envy	3	2.07
Competent	2	1.38
Difficult	2	1.38
Emphasized more than needed	2	1.38
High GPA	2	1.38
Cool	1	0.69
Self confidence	1	0.69
Well-educated	1	0.69

Note. Percentages do not add up to 100 because some of the sentences included multiple themes.

On one hand, the recognition of English as a specialized skill implies an appreciation for the additional value it can bring, perhaps in terms of career advancement, international opportunities, or specialized domains such as academia or business. To illustrate, English is recognized as a part of “spec,” with students bluntly stating “English equals spec.” This suggests that high English proficiency is perceived as “advantageous” and “essential” for accessing “more opportunities” and achieving socio-economic success. “Spec sacchi” (스펙 쌓기, career development) is not limited to undergraduates but is ingrained in Korean society from early formal education. The education system prioritizes college entrance exams, (Kim & Kim, 2019) and the pursuit of prestigious universities turns into securing high-profile/high-paying jobs thereafter. The high unemployment rate in Korea intensifies this culture, prompting students to focus on “spec sacchi” from university entrance. Cho (2015) refers to this generation as the “spec generation” (p. 438), highly educated but struggling to find employment, remaining as jobseekers. In addition to its economic value, learning English can also enhance social recognition and reputation. Some students believe that high English proficiency confers influence and dominance over others. Their remarks hint at the prestige associated with English skills:

In Korea, having English skills means you can be acknowledged by others in the society.

“In Korea, having English skills means others feel envy toward those

who are good at English”

These comments suggest that fluency in English signifies being equipped with values such as fame, recognition, and intelligence in a competitive labor market. Thus, while English skills are seen as practical and functional, English proficiency also serves as an enviable social asset.

On the other hand, despite sounding self-contradictory, students also mentioned that English skills are seen as “baseline requirements,” offering no particular advantages. This ties back to the concept of credentialism in Korea, where “spec” experiences inflation due to the abundance of qualified candidates. With a surge in high-scoring candidates, exams lose their validity as an evaluation tool (Curran, 2021; J. S. Park, 2021). Consequently, evaluation criteria escalate, rendering previous standards meaningless (Curran, 2021; J. S. Park, 2011). J. S. Park (2021) also emphasized that English has become a basic skill in Korea since the 1990s, regardless of one’s occupation or career plans. Thirty-four sentences even remarked that having a baseline proficiency level in English is “useless and meaningless” as illustrated below:

“In Korea, having English skills is meritable only if you are super-advanced.”

In Korea, having English skills is no longer advantageous since everyone is good.

In Korea, having English skills is to study English more than necessary since official exam scores are used for various evaluations. So it is difficult to apply to actual life.

As discussed, the sentence completion tasks revealed that English transcends being just a foreign language in Korean society. Going beyond a way to communicate, it serves as a crucial pathway to achieving socio-economic success, fame, and prestige. However, as exam scores continue to rise across the board, English risks losing its practical function. This nuanced perspective highlights the multifaceted nature of English proficiency in the Korean context, where it is both a fundamental requirement and a potential asset for individual growth and success.

Triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data from multiple sources and methods has shed light on Korean undergraduates’ needs concerning the study of English. This study has gained some insight into two main issues: international posture and a form of motivation that I refer to as “Insurance Motivation.”

International Posture

Results unveiled that Korean students hold a paramount desire to communicate with foreigners, reflecting the concept of “international posture” within an EFL context. Instead of being driven solely by integrative motivation, Yashima (2009) posits that the notion of international posture aligns more fittingly with EFL settings, where learners have limited opportunities to encounter foreigners. In EFL environments such as Korea and Japan, learners are inclined to exhibit a positive attitude toward foreignness in general, as opposed to aiming for full integration into the target community (Yashima, 2009). This posture provides a clearer insight into Korean students’ needs regarding conversing with foreigners.

Notably, “daily conversations with foreigners,” scored highest among other tasks, indicating Korean learners’ openness and hospitality toward foreignness. Given their limited exposure to L2 communities, Korean students primarily anticipate utilizing English to provide information to foreign visitors, international students, and strangers on the street. This finding resonates with previous studies where Korean junior high school students expressed interest in communicating with foreigners and appreciating foreign cultures (E. Park, 2012), paralleling the curiosity exhibited by Japanese students in communicating with native English speakers (Yashima, 2009).

Interestingly, Korean students’ international posture may be interrelated with increased contact with foreign visitors, particularly as Korea has witnessed a steady rise in international visitors over the past decade (with the number of visitors increasing by 78.7%, according to the 2022 Korean Statistical Information Service). With the likelihood of encountering foreigners rising, the close relationship between increased intercultural contact and students’ positive attitudes towards foreigners, as evidenced by their willingness to assist them on the street, aligns with findings from Dörnyei and Csizér’s research (2005). In their study on Hungarian learners of English, they identified a strong correlation between contact factors and learners’ positive attitudes toward the target language as well as their motivation (Dörnyei & Csizér, 2005). It can be inferred that the accessibility of contacting foreigners, facilitated by advances in high technology and globalization, has reinforced Korean students’ international posture. This suggests that exposure to diverse cultures and interactions with individuals from different linguistic backgrounds have contributed to shaping Korean students’ attitudes towards foreignness and their enthusiasm for engaging with foreigners.

Insurance Motivation

Achieving high scores on official English exams, irrespective of one’s future plans, underscores the unique socio-cultural and educational context in which language is perceived as a competitive tool for achieving various objectives, particularly when in competition with others (Kaplan & Maehr, 2007; Kim & Kim, 2019; Kim et al., 2019). I refer to this motivation for learning language as “Insurance Motivation,” wherein students invest time and resources in language acquisition to ensure success, similar to the logic behind purchasing insurance, irrespective of their future trajectories. In Korean society, excelling in these exams is considered a prerequisite for career advancement, with a great emphasis placed on language performance rather than communicative abilities. Students’ achievements are stratified based on the requirements of employers and school administrators (Kim & Kim, 2019; Kim et al., 2019; Jung, 2011). Numerous scholars have highlighted this phenomenon, with Kim et al.’s (2019) specifically substantiating that undergraduates perceive TOEIC as a pathway to securing employment rather than as a means of practical skills for the workplace.

In this context, success in official English exams is not merely about demonstrating language proficiency but also about gaining a competitive edge in the job market and navigating the hierarchy of Korean educational and professional systems. Thus, the emphasis on scoring high in these exams reflects broader socio-cultural and educational dynamics in which language proficiency plays a pivotal role in shaping individuals’ opportunities and trajectories within Korean society. To illustrate, participants in the current study often viewed English as an instrumental tool, a perspective influenced by their experiences with standardized English tests. For many, the primary goal of studying English was to achieve high scores on exams such as the college scholastic ability test (“Suneung”), which ensures admission to prestigious universities. While middle and high school students focus on “Suneung,” university students are driven by standardized English tests (Jung, 2011; Kim & Kim, 2019). Despite variations in age groups, the motivation to study English remains consistent across all generations.

The concept of “insurance motivation” elucidates why students in the undecided group perceive taking official English exams as even more necessary than those in the other two groups. For them, achieving high scores on such exams is a strategic move to securing a competitive edge over other potential applicants, regardless of their chosen career path. This observation reflects various socio-cultural phenomena; freshmen often enroll in private English academies solely to attain high scores without specific career plans (E. Park, 2013); nearly 30 percent of Korean undergraduates delay graduation or take leaves-of absence to focus on “spec” (career development; Curran, 2021); and over 80 percent of Koreans retook the TOEIC in 2016 (Educational Testing Services, 2017 as cited in Curran, 2021, p. 728). Despite these phenomena may appear unrelated, they are closely interconnected. They underscore the pervasive role of English proficiency as a form of “insurance” in Korean society, where individuals strategically leverage language skills to enhance their competitive advantage across various academic and professional domains.

Implications for Curriculum Development

Designing a task-based curriculum aligned with students’ authentic needs would increase learners’ motivation (e.g., Kim et al., 2017). This section discusses designing task-based curricula based on the findings from the current NA.

A comparison of Korean undergraduates’ perceived needs and difficulties with the given tasks revealed no conspicuous differences across the three groups (occupational, academic, and undecided). While there were minor variations in their academic needs, these differences were not substantial enough to warrant the development of separate curricula tailored to each group. Instead, given that all students in the study expressed a common interest in improving daily conversation skills, a curriculum centered around everyday life situations would effectively engage a broad spectrum of learners.

However, as noted by professors and Long (2005), students’ preference for daily conversation skills should not overly influence the curriculum. Their emphasis on daily speaking skills might be short-term, without a clear understanding of domain-specific linguistic demands. Therefore, the question arises: should the EGP curriculum exclusively prioritize academic tasks rather than everyday life tasks?

While subjective needs may not always align with objective needs, it is crucial to consider learners’ perspectives as they are the ones who have their personal views on their language learning needs (Van Avermaet & Gysen, 2006). Ignoring students’ needs can hinder their engagement in pedagogical tasks, which contradicts the principles of TBLT. Therefore, finding a balance between the two needs is essential. One way to balance the two needs is to design the tasks around the target situation with an integration of four skills. In Table 9, the author suggests an example of pedagogic tasks based on the results of the NA.

Table 9

*Examples of Pedagogical Tasks*
Language use Situations	Task Type	Topic	Skills involved
Conversation with foreign friends	Opinion exchange	Discussing advantages and disadvantages of study abroad programs.	● Basic vocabulary knowledge related to school and education ● Reading skills (articles related to study abroad programs) ● Writing skills (a short essay on pros and cons of study abroad programs) ● Speaking and listening skills
Conversation with foreign friends	Information gap	Being a travel guide for a friend visiting Seoul (e.g., introducing tourist attractions, giving directions to the destination).	● Basic vocabulary knowledge related to tourism ● Reading skills (articles related to tourism) ● Writing skills (a short essay about things to do in Seoul) ● Speaking and listening skills
Communicating with the doctor	Decision making	Deciding how to go to the hospital with a sprained ankle, how to treat a patient with a sprained ankle, how to reschedule the travel plan.	● Basic vocabulary knowledge related to medical care ● Reading skills (articles related to medical care across the world) ● Writing skills (a short essay about improving medical care) ● Speaking and listening skills
Communicating with the police	Problem solving	Filing a police report for a stolen purse, and giving solutions for traveling without a purse.	● Basic vocabulary knowledge related to crime (e.g. misdemeanors, and felonies) ● Reading skills (articles related to crime news) ● Writing skills (a short essay about crime prevention) ● Speaking and listening skills
Doing a job or graduate school interview	Decision -making	Doing a mock interview with a partner and giving reasons for hiring/accepting the applicants.	● Basic vocabulary knowledge on describing one’s experiences and interests ● Writing a Statement of Purpose (SOP) ● Speaking and listening skills

In Table 9, students’ needs and difficulties became the skeleton of task situations. Each task integrates listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. As speaking tasks such as giving directions can be simple, more complex tasks requiring academic reading and writing skills were incorporated to foster advanced skills not easily attained outside of the classroom. Furthermore, drawing from Kim et al.’s (2017) study, special emphasis is placed on explicit vocabulary instruction. Students in her research acknowledged the benefits of explicit vocabulary instruction when completing tasks. This scaffolding holds particular significance in localized TBLT contexts where learners are accustomed to traditional teaching methods (e.g., grammar translation method), as it facilitates their transition to the TBLT curriculum.

When the target task fails to address the needs of all students, adjustments can be made to its complexity. Ellis (2019) highlighted that tasks can be altered in complexity by manipulating cognitive loads along resource-directing and resource-depleting dimensions. By adjusting these dimensions, educators can tailor tasks to better suit the diverse needs and abilities of their students. Additionally, less engaged students can be encouraged to participate by tackling tasks slightly above their zone of proximal development (Ellis, 2019). Adapting task complexity to suit individual learning needs promotes inclusivity and allows greater participation among students with varying career paths and individual differences, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of instruction and fostering a supportive learning environment.

Limitations

While the current study conducted an NA specifically for Korean general English course takers, thereby offering insights into this particular target demographic, a caveat is warranted when generalizing the results. Despite efforts to recruit participants randomly from universities with diverse rankings, the majority came from the top 20 prestigious universities in Seoul, suggesting the NA might not fully demonstrate learners with varying proficiency. Moreover, data collection involved professors from one of the top-ranking schools, potentially skewing the representation of needs. To strengthen the NA’s validity, future studies should triangulate survey data by interviewing students and professors spanning various university levels.

Additionally, since a substantial portion of students reported their occupational aspirations, consulting occupational experts would further enrich the analysis. It is also worth noting that the current categorization of future plans into academic, occupational, and undecided groups may oversimplify the diverse array of aspirations held by learners. Adopting a more nuanced categorization scheme would offer a deeper understanding of learners’ multifaceted needs.

Lastly, students’ needs and motivations in L2 learning are dynamic and subject to change over time. As this study adopts a cross-sectional approach, without tracking changes in students’ needs over time, further research examining learners’ evolving needs would contribute to the advancement of the field.

This study investigated the English studying needs of 145 Korean undergraduate students from 18 different universities enrolled in EGP courses. The triangulation of quantitative and qualitative data highlighted the students’ paramount need for English communication with foreigners. This high motivation reflects an “international posture” (Yashima, 2009) among learners in the EFL context. The study also highlighted the perceived role of English in achieving various performance goals, which is termed “insurance motivation.” The study also elucidated the relationship between students’ career plans and their English learning needs. Notably, no significant differences were observed across occupational, academic, and undecided groups. Professors suggested that this lack of variation might be due to students’ limited perspective on the long-term benefits of their English studies.

This study will contribute to SLA research by providing a methodologically robust NA, facilitating the transition from a traditional syllabus to a student-centered curriculum. Furthermore, it fosters communication between researchers and practitioners. By sharing the insights gleaned from the NA, researchers can collaborate with educators to develop authentic task-based activities that address learners’ diverse needs. This collaboration ensures that language instruction remains relevant, meaningful, and effective, thereby paving the way for authentic task-based learning. In conclusion, the needs identified in this large-scale project offer valuable insights into students’ motivations for studying English, emphasizing the importance of aligning education with their authentic needs.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This research involving human participants has been conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and has received approval from the appropriate ethics committee, specifically the Georgetown University Institutional Review Board. Informed consent to participate in the study was obtained from all participants.

Consent for publication

I, Yunjung Yunie Ku, hereby grant permission for the publication of my work titled “Learning English without an Obvious Purpose? A Task-Based Needs Analysis of Korean Undergraduates in English for General Purposes (EGP) Courses” in Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education. I confirm that I hold the copyright for this work and that I have obtained all necessary permissions for any third-party material included in it.

Availability of data and materials

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Competing interests

The author declares that she has no competing interests.

Funding

The current study was funded by the GradGov, the graduate student body at Georgetown University.

Authors’ contributions

YK made substantial contributions to the conception and design of the work, as well as the analysis and interpretation of data; additionally, YK drafted and revised the work.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Ortega, Dr. Bryfonski, and Dr. Fell for their invaluable feedback on this study. Their insights and suggestions greatly enhanced the quality of my work and contributed to my understanding of the subject matter. Thank you for your support and encouragement throughout this process.

Authors’ information

Yunjung (Yunie) Ku is currently a PhD student in Applied Linguistics at Georgetown University. She earned her M.A. in English Education from Korea University and her B.A. in English Linguistics and Psychology from Ewha Womans University, graduating summa cum laude with the highest distinction in both degrees. She has published articles in several journals, including Studies in Second Language Acquisition, Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, English Language and Linguistics, and Modern English Education. Her research interests include second language acquisition, Task-Based language teaching, corpus linguistics, study abroad research and student mobility.

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No competing interests reported.

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You are reading this latest preprint version

Learning English without an Obvious Purpose? A Task-Based Needs Analysis of Korean Undergraduates in English for General Purposes (EGP) Courses

Status:

Version 1

Abstract

Figures

Introduction

Context

Literature Review

Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) in Korea

TBLT and Needs Analysis (NA)

NA at the Undergraduate Level

Methods

Sources

Learners

Domain Experts

Procedures

Questionnaire

Necessities and Difficulties of Tasks

Task Items

Data Analysis

Results

RQ1: Korean undergraduates’ perceived needs and difficulties/lacks

Needs

Difficulties/Lacks

Experts’ Opinions

RQ2: Relationship between students’ career plans and their self-perceived needs and difficulties

Group Differences in Perceived Needs

Group Differences in Perceived Difficulty

RQ3: Reasons for Korean undergraduate students’ English studies

Sentence Completion Tasks

Discussion

International Posture

Insurance Motivation

Implications for Curriculum Development

Limitations

Conclusion

Declarations

References

Additional Declarations

Status:

Version 1