This study considers a teaching scheme for Korean grammar based on the concept of function by addressing how elements of grammar are utilized during real language use. In this case, the research focuses on sentence endings and their relationship to th...
This study considers a teaching scheme for Korean grammar based on the concept of function by addressing how elements of grammar are utilized during real language use. In this case, the research focuses on sentence endings and their relationship to the intention of an utterance as directed by the speaker toward the listener during language use. This research was undertaken due to existing problems in the failure of language learners to properly utilize sentence endings taught in the classroom in practical situations. The first chapter of this study outlines the relevance and goals of this research and gives an overview of its scope and methods, as well as presenting a review of previous related studies. In addition to form and meaning, actual language use should also be considered in the teaching of grammar. However, there is a general lack of existing research on this particular topic and so it was decided that further investigation was required. The second chapter develops an understanding of the concept of function in the teaching of Korean grammar. The chapter first considers changes in the way language is understood in the teaching of grammar. Language education is shown to have evolved, under the influence of the communicative approach, with a shift away from treating the function of language as what one can do with language and toward an understanding that emphasizes communicative function. Through the study of textbooks for learning Korean, the nature of items labeled as `function'' was determined. In this process, it was discovered that the idea of `function'' in the textbooks contained the three concepts of grammar content, task and function mixed together, and so it is proposed in this study that each should be isolated and addressed separately. Thus function is defined as the intention of an utterance as directed toward the listener when the utterance is made by the speaker. The characteristics of function in its relationship with grammar, linguistic form and task are then considered. One essential aspect of language is that a certain element of grammar, in addition to meaning, can have a large range of functions according to the conditions and situation of the discourse context. Based on this idea, the functions of different sentence endings are then classified according to type. The third chapter analyses the functions of grammatical elements and presents specific examples. The analysis of function focuses on some specific sentence endings using actual examples of speech from the daily conversations of native speakers in order to determine how the concept of function and its characteristics appear in the Korean language. It was found that the fundamental meaning of a grammatical element changes according to the different functions it can have in the various conditions and situations of the discourse context. The fourth chapter presents a proposed teaching method for sentence endings based on an understanding of function as derived from the research presented in the second and third chapters. By using the concept of function, errors related to meaning can be reduced. This means a learner, through language education, can achieve a level of ability beyond that of just passive comprehension that allows taught expressions to be put to active use. A method utilizing the idea of function for teaching students during the different stages of a lesson is thus outlined, along with a teaching model with example grammatical elements. The fifth chapter presents a summary of this study while also considering its significance and limitations. The chapter also outlines possible directions for further research into the utilization of the concept of function.