The research has put importance on teaching reading strategies in order to enable Korean learners to effectively read and assess the effects of discourse markers utilization strategy on Korean reading comprehension. The discourse markers utilization s...
The research has put importance on teaching reading strategies in order to enable Korean learners to effectively read and assess the effects of discourse markers utilization strategy on Korean reading comprehension. The discourse markers utilization strategy helps learners to consider the discourse structure and accomplish reading, and this strategy has the advantage in that it promotes not only specific comprehension through discourse markers but general comprehension and effective inferential comprehension.
The following research questions were established to review this hypothesis.
Question 1. Do the reading classes which use discourse markers have a significant effect on Korean learner’s understanding in Korean reading?
Question 2. In the case the reading classes which use discourse markers have an effect on Korean learner’s understanding in Korean reading, is the level of reading understanding different per reading understanding type (specific comprehension, general comprehension, inferential comprehension)?
Question 3. In the case the reading classes which use discourse markers have an effect on Korean learner’s understanding in Korean reading, is the reading understanding different per discourse structure pattern (Listing structure, Cause·Effect structure, Problem·Solving structure, Comparison·Contrast structure)?
Question 4. Will the reading classes which use discourse markers have a positive effect on Korean learner’s reading habits and affective aspect towards reading?
For this research, an experimental group and controlled group was established from learners of the Korean language from various countries studying at a university affiliated organization in Seoul, and the homogeneity in the understanding in reading of both groups was tested through a homogeneity test. Prior to the reading class, a prior survey and prior reading test was conducted, and a total of 8 hour reading class was implemented over a four week period. A reading class which used discourse markers was implemented on the experimental group and the controlled group was subjected to a class focused on details of the reading text, grammar, and vocabulary explanation. Afterwards, a post-reading test was conducted and a post survey and post interview was conducted on the experimental group. The collected data was analyzed by using the SPSS 14.0 program to conduct a independent sample t-test, matched pair t-test, frequency analysis, and in the case there was a significant statistical difference between the experimental and controlled group, the effect-size was also measured and analyzed.
The results of the tests can be summarized as follows.
First, the experimental group which was subject to a reading class that used the discourse markers had statistical significant high grades, and the effect-size were also high. This shows that reading classes that used discourse markers had positive effects on reading understanding.
Second, results of conducting a post reading test and observing the reading understanding pattern showed the experimental group to have statistically significant high grades compared to the controlled group in general comprehension and inferential comprehension, not specific comprehension. The effect-size of the general and inferential comprehension showed to be high. Accordingly, it was proven that reading classes using discourse markers had a positive effect on general and inferential comprehension. There was no meaningful difference between the experimental and controlled group in specific comprehension after conducting a post-reading text, however, taking into consideration that there was no significant difference between the post and pre specific comprehension grade of the controlled group while there was a meaningful difference between the post and pre specific comprehension grade of the experimental group, we can assume that reading classes which use discourse markers also have a positive effect on specific comprehension.
Third, the reading class which used discourse markers showed to have a positive effect on understanding the four types of discourse structures. Especially, there was a huge effect on the Listing structure, and the effect-size of the Cause·Effect, Problem·Solving, and Comparison·Contrast structure was positioned between normal and high level.
Fourth, after analyzing the responses to the pre and post questionnaire through a matched pair t-test, we were able to confirm that the reading classes using discourse markers brought about a change in the reading habits of using discourse structure and discourse markers. Furthermore, through the post questionnaire, we were able to confirm that the reading classes using discourse markers had a positive effect on the Korean learner’s affective aspect towards reading.
The significance of the research is that it is not limited to designing a reading class which uses the discourse marker strategy but has applied this to real Korean language training on set and proven its effects. Based on these research results, I propose that the discourse marker utilization strategy is actively used in Korean language reading classes. Furthermore, I believe teachers will benefit from reflecting this strategy when adapting original reading texts or directly producing an auxiliary reading textbooks. In addition, Korean integrated textbooks and Korean reading textbooks in a form which can train the discourse marker utilization strategy should be developed in order to enhance the understanding of Korean language learners.