This study aims to examine the patterns of emotion words and emotion-eliciting words in texts included in a total of 32 Korean language textbooks for Grades 1–6, developed in accordance with the 2022 Revised National Curriculum. Emotion words consti...
This study aims to examine the patterns of emotion words and emotion-eliciting words in texts included in a total of 32 Korean language textbooks for Grades 1–6, developed in accordance with the 2022 Revised National Curriculum. Emotion words constitute a core component in fostering learners’ emotional literacy and serve as a foundation for the social and emotional competencies emphasized in the revised curriculum. In response to this research necessity, the present study conducted both quantitative analyses—focusing on parts of speech, emotion categories, single versus multiple emotion patterns, and grade-group distributions—and qualitative contextual analyses, using a supplemented version of the NRC Emotion Lexicon.
The results are as follows.
First, in terms of parts-of-speech distribution, adjectives that directly denote speakers’ internal emotional states accounted for the highest proportion (67.7%) among emotion words, whereas nouns, functioning as contextual cues that elicit emotional responses, showed the highest proportion (66%) among emotion-eliciting words.
Second, both emotion words and emotion-eliciting words exhibited a predominance of positive emotions (joy, anticipation, and trust), while negative emotions were also presented in a balanced manner.
Third, 74.4% of emotion words and 57.5% of emotion-eliciting words were associated with two or more emotional categories, exhibiting a pattern of complex emotionality. This finding suggests that textbooks provide learners with multilayered emotional experiences.
Fourth, the grade-group analysis revealed that the total frequency of emotion-related vocabulary increased most markedly in Grades 3–4, and that the qualitative nature of emotional expression followed a developmental trajectory—from a focus on self-emotional awareness in Grades 1–2, through empathy for others’ emotions in Grades 3–4, to reflection and emotional inference in Grades 5–6.
Finally, the high-frequency word analysis showed that vocabulary related to social relationships, such as friend, teacher, and mother, ranked highly, empirically demonstrating that emotional understanding develops within peer interactions and social contexts.
This study confirmed that elementary Korean language textbooks function as a potential educational resource for promoting emotional development beyond language learning. In particular, by analyzing emotion-eliciting vocabulary, this study empirically demonstrated that learners’ understanding of emotions expands within social relationships and contextual situations. These findings suggest the necessity of an emotion-related lexical framework that considers not only emotional expression but also emotional elicitation, understanding, and regulation when developing textbooks and designing emotional education programs.