Language Centres at a Crossroads

This paper discusses the construction and development of culturally adjusted teaching materials through the example of Korean university students studying in Hungary. Hungary is currently receiving a growing number of Korean university students in the scope of study-abroad programmes and, as a rule, Korean students underperform at oral presentation tasks in the Hungarian tertiary setting. The majority of universities hosting Korean students fail to consider these students' cultural roots, prior learning experience and the specific needs arising from these factors. It is believed that culturally adequate ways of helping these students will result in increased student achievement and greater student satisfaction.

Considering study-abroad contexts of learning, the literature identifies three main factors that influence Korean students' performance in foreign tertiary institutions: their general language proficiency (Jeon 2005, Kim 2013); socio-cultural values and norms, educational practices and teaching methods different from those of the host culture (Shin 2008, Lee 2009); and specifics of the in-class learning environment (Kang 2005). Prompted by the literature and their own observations, the speakers intended to develop particular tailor-made solutions to help Korean learners overcome their culturally-rooted difficulties with delivering oral presentations at Hungarian universities. This undertaking resulted in the creation of culturally appropriate teaching materials suited to the needs of Korean learners.

After discussing the above three main factors influencing Korean students' oral performance and these factors' cultural embeddedness, this paper will focus on some key areas that Korean students find problematic when delivering oral presentations, and will therefore discuss the following issues: choice of presentation topic; finding a clear and logical structure for the presentation; reading out vs. delivering the presentation; anticipating and preparing for the audience's questions; and reacting to the audience's questions.

The paper will also introduce a selection of innovative practical tasks that have proved useful for Korean students in the Hungarian tertiary educational setting.

Cet article traite de la construction et du développement des matériels pédagogiques adaptés à la culture par l'exemple d'étudiants coréens qui étudient en Hongrie.

La littérature identifie trois principaux facteurs qui influencent les performances des étudiants coréens dans les établissements d'enseignement supérieur à l'étranger: leur conaissance de la langue; valeurs et normes socioculturelles, pratiques éducatives et méthodes d'enseignement différentes de celles de la culture d'accueil; et les spécificités de l'environnement d'étude en classe. Aidés par la littérature et leurs observations, les intervenants ont développé des solutions pour aider les étudiants coréens à surmonter leurs problèmes culturels liés aux présentations orales dans les universités hongroises.

Après avoir discuté des trois principaux facteurs ci-dessus et de l'ancrage culturel de ces facteurs, cet article se concentrera sur les domaines des présentations orales que les étudiants coréens trouvent problématiques aussi qu'il présentera une sélection de tâches pratiques innovantes qui sont utiles pour les étudiants coréens en Hongrie.

References:

• Jeon, J. (2005). A Study on Oral Presentation Anxiety and Confidence: A Comparison between L1 and L2 Presentations. The Journal of Asia TEFL. 2/2. 89-115.
• Kim, J. (2013). Oral Communication Needs of New Korean Students in a US Business Communication Classroom. Global Business Languages. 18.
• Shin, I. (2008). Necessary Skills in English for Korean Postgraduate Engineering Students in London. Educate – Special London Issue. 50-61.
• Lee, G. (2009). Speaking up: Six Korean students' oral participation in class discussions in US graduate seminars. English for Specific Purposes. 28. 142-156.
• Kang, S. J. (2005). Dynamic emergence of situational willingness to communicate in a second language. System. 33. 277-292.

Mátyás Bánhegyi (PhD) is temporary head of institute and associate professor at Budapest Business School University of Applied Sciences. Currently, he offers ESP classes in English and specialises in Business English. His research areas include ESP, methodology, curriculum development, teaching material development, intercultural issues and translation studies.

Judit Nagy (PhD) is Vice Dean for International Affairs and full time associate professor of English at Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary. Her teaching portfolio and current fields of research include English language practice, curriculum and teaching material development in applied linguistics and Canadian Studies. Her fields of research include Korean learners of English and the Korean diaspora in Canada.