Reading and Writing in Academic Genres

Abstract

The majority of students at foreign language high schools in Korea want to apply to selective universities abroad before they graduate. In order to gain admission to American universities, students need to write successful application essays. So students in these schools are placed in English classes which emphasize on compositions and Western-style discussion. They also learn other important skills to take the SAT and write college application essays. The target students of this course are 18 year olds who are attending a foreign language high school in Seoul. They were interviewed through ELC (Ewha Language Center) English Proficiency Interview Questions and were given a short TOEFL text for an hour. The level of their speaking and reading abilities turned out to be advanced low (ACTFL). They were able to understand the main idea of complex texts and answer questions with a high level of fluency. The students were also able to write clearly on a wide range of subjects and explain well their points of view. They made a few grammatical mistakes such as active voice and passive voice, incorrect use of second conditional and modals. They want to study English through a variety of academic materials that prepare them to write essays or reports for entering college and to pursue studies in English speaking countries.